Inclusion London responds to Housing Standards review consultation

It was a fundamental review of the building regulations and voluntary housing standards, including accessible housing standards.

The consultation asked for views on the results of the review.  Information about the consultation is available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/housing-standards-review-consultation

Inclusion London’s response highlights that over half of Disabled people have difficulties access rooms within their own home so there is a huge unmet need for accessible housing. This demand is likely to rise steeply in the future as the population ages to the point there is 4.6 million older people in 2041 and with 60% of people over the age of 65 saying they have a long term condition. So it is vitally important that accessible housing is seen as a part of mainstream build, rather than a niche need for a small section of the population.

Inclusion London supports the provision of National Housing Standards if they:

• Provide equivalent or enhanced access standards compared with  existing standards.
• Provide the minimum required standard, while allowing for local schemes containing higher access standards to meet local need.
• Are enforceable

Inclusion London’s full response is available here:

Inclusion London’s response to the Housing standards review consultation