Towards a more integrated approach of housing and care for persons with a disability in Flanders

Abstract

Aiming to offer persons with disabilities more opportunities to live independently and more inclusive, the Flemish government radically revised its subsidies for care and care infrastructure for persons with disabilities. Since 2016, subsidies for care are no longer allocated to care providers, but directly to the person with disabilities. In 2018, brick-and-mortar subsidies for care infrastructure were replaced with subject-specific investment subsidies. In this oral paper, we present the results of a study carried out in 2019 aiming to evaluate the impact of this more demand-driven subsidisation on the housing situation of persons with a disability.
 The evaluation was carried out by academic researchers, but set up in co-design with the Housing Agency Flanders, the Flemish Department responsible for care, care organisations, social housing providers, municipalities and organisations supporting persons with a disability. Persons with a disability receiving a care budget were invited to respond to a survey about their living conditions and how these changed after receiving the care budget. Another survey was send to care organisations and social housing providers and contained questions on the impact of the policy change on their investment decisions. After analysing the data, discussions with stakeholders were held to deepen the understanding of the results.
 Persons with disabilities reported in their answers to the survey changes in housing choices, housing quality and housing costs and linked these to the policy changes. Housing and care providers reported how their investment strategies were affected. The results of the study reveal how even after a few years the effects of a more demand driven subsidization are visible. Moreover, the study provides an example of how policy outcomes in one policy field (housing) can be affected by policy initiatives in another policy field (care). As such, the study stresses the need for more transversal research in studying housing policy outcomes and the need for an integrated policy approach.
 The presentation of the study will be followed by a presentation of one of the initiatives of the Housing Agency Flanders aiming at a better integration of these two distinct policy fields. The Agency is currently the driver of diverse incentives and experimental innovations for a more sustainable housing policy and initiatives. The Agency launched a call in 2017 for the development of experimental and innovative housing forms, focusing on building ‘common housing’ or ‘leasehold’ models. For a period of 6 years, 28 initiatives can develop an innovative practice exempt from housing regulation. In several initiatives, the aspect of care is intrinsically related to the experiment and innovation. We will present initiatives that provide an inclusive co-housing solution for people who need intensive and long-term care. Goal is to develop new housing initiatives, detect difficulties and gaps in legislation and explore possibilities to enroll these practices in Flanders.