Joan Rutherford who is a member of GMCDP’s Housing Working Group attended the launch of Habinteg's Forecast for Accessible Homes Report at Westminster on the 9th September. This event was part of Habinteg's annual Accessible Homes Week which celebrates the vital role accessible homes play in supporting wellbeing, independence, and quality of life.
The report shows that wheelchair users in the North of England still fare worst in the search for a home, with one new wheelchair user home being planned for every 2,006 people in the North West in the next decade compared with one for every 210 Londoners.
The report states that in the North West it is notable that of the nine authorities that make up the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, none have a policy requiring any M4(3) properties.
Four in 10 (41%) of all new homes being planned over the next 10 years will not be built to the M4(2) accessible and adaptable standard or the M4(3) wheelchair user standard.
GMCDP’s Housing Working Group has been campaigning for a number of years on housing issues. They have been busy recently responding to Local Plan Consultations asking for all new homes in Greater Manchester to be built to a M4(2) accessible and adaptable standard and 10% to be built to an M4(3) wheelchair user standard.
Joan has also written a blog for Habinteg which can be read on their website.
