Firstly, I have to add a disclaimer; these are my thoughts, and not those of my employer.
I am reading, with consternation, the Housing Corporation's document "Investing for lifetimes - Strategy for housing in an ageing society".
It states:
"We will implement the Government's changes to the Code for Sustainable Homes, including
the proposal that Lifetime Homes Standards be mandatory in the Code at level 6 from 2008 and
for all social housing from 2011."
This worries me greatly; in my experience as an Access Officer, and a wheelchair user, "Lifetime Homes" are not suitable for wheelchair users to move into if they are already using a wheelchair, either all the time or nearly so. The point of these homes is that they adapt to the user, not the other way around; so how can they be used for ALL social housing? Surely, there needs to be a proportion of "wheelchair standard" housing, too?
I believe this will all start this month. There was a consultation, but unfortunately I was not aware of it.
Maybe I'm being paranoid, or am misunderstanding the situation, so I'd be grateful if someone would clarify it for me.
Thanks,
Helen Bryant
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