Exclusive: 10,000 disabled Scots stuck in unsuitable homes Almost 10,000 disabled people in Scotland are stuck in unsuitable council houses, with some still on waiting lists despite requesting […]

Almost 10,000 disabled people in Scotland are stuck in unsuitable council houses, with some still on waiting lists despite requesting a move decades ago, an investigation by i has revealed.

One disabled person in Stirling has been waiting for a more suitable council house for almost half a century, having first requested a change of property in 1969.

“The bottom line is there is a chronic shortage of accessible accommodation in Scotland” The i politics newsletter cut through the noise Email address is invalid Email address is invalid Thank you for subscribing! Sorry, there was a problem with your subscription. Grant Carson, Glasgow Centre for Inclusive Living

In Moray, one disabled person has been waiting since 1978, while in East Dunbartonshire someone has been on the council’s waiting list since 1989.

The figures, described as “very, very shocking” by disability charities, were obtained through Freedom of Information requests to all 32 of Scotland’s local authorities.

The 26 responses show that across the country 9,714 disabled people are currently on council waiting lists having requested a move to a more suitable property, such as a ground floor flat.

Read the area by area data in full here.

Notable case

The issue was recently highlighted by the case of Tanveer Hussein, 18, who was still living in a top floor flat in Govanhill, Glasgow, 11 years after his family applied to move.

The teenager, who uses a wheelchair, has to be helped up 41 stairs to reach his front door. After a petition was launched, his family was offered a more suitable new build property.

The statistics compiled by i show that in Glasgow alone 1,979 disabled people have requested a move, with backlogs also being reported in other parts of the country.

Figures published by the Scottish Government show that between 2008 and 2016 only 1,427 of 132,994 newly built houses were designed for wheelchair users – or just over 1 per cent.

Grant Carson, director of employment and housing services at the Glasgow Centre for Inclusive Living, said the size of the waiting lists was “not surprising” due to the lack of accessible homes.

The charity is calling for the Scottish Government to set a specific target for accessible housing within its existing aim of building at least 50,000 affordable homes across the country by 2021.

“It’s a mystery to me why they’ve not done more,” he said. “The Government and councils think if you’re disabled you’ll go anywhere for an accessible house.

“Some people will, but some people can’t, because they’ve got children in local schools or family in the local vicinity who they rely upon for care. Sometimes people have specific needs.

“The bottom line is there is a chronic shortage of accessible accommodation in Scotland. The Government has failed to do anything about it. I would describe it as systemic failure.”

‘Shocking’ figures

He recalled one case where a man in his 20s with muscular dystrophy was forced to live in a flat with four flights of stairs for four years, because he was unable to find a suitable property which could also accommodate his family.

Marianne Scobie, depute CEO of the Glasgow Disability Alliance, said the figures were “very, very shocking” but that it was “not uncommon” for disabled people to be living in homes they could not get in and out of unaided.

“If the Government wants more disabled people to be working and taking part in society, the starting point is to be in a house that meets your needs,” she said.

Read more: ‘Small changes’ to elderly people’s homes can prevent them from needing care, councils told

She added that many disabled people cannot access whole areas of their houses due to steps or a lack of adaptations, forcing them to call out social workers who are already overstretched.

Sophie Pilgrim, director of Kindred, which represents parents of disabled children, said the problem “seems to be getting worse and worse”.

She added: “Due to a shortage of suitable housing, more and more young people are living in a home that is dangerous and detrimental to their wellbeing.

“Waiting lists for suitable housing are too long and even when a new home is found, often it is not fit for purpose.

“We desperately need to raise awareness of Scotland’s inaccessible housing issue and to build more homes that can be adapted to an individual’s needs, which vary over time.”

Housing Minister Kevin Stewart said: “Everybody should have the right to live independently, and to have a home that meets their needs.

“We want disabled people in Scotland to have access to homes built or adapted to enable them to participate as full and equal citizens.

“Our Disability Delivery Plan sets out a number of housing related commitments that support this ambition.

“That includes ensuring that each local authority sets a realistic target for the delivery of wheelchair accessible housing, and report annually on their progress.”

Councils defend lists

Scotland’s councils defended the size of their housing lists and the length of time some people spend waiting, pointing out that the demand for properties is “far outstripping supply”.

Cosla, the umbrella body representing the country’s 32 local authorities, said its members were “working tirelessly” to meet the Scottish Government’s target of building 50,000 affordable homes by 2021.

“Scotland’s councils, and the housing sector more generally, are committed to ensuring those people living with a disability, mobility issues and the elderly are appropriately housed,” a spokesman said.

In Moray, where at least one disabled person has been waiting to move since 1978, the council said it currently had more than 3,500 applicants overall with each assessed according to need.

“Circumstances and needs of applicants can change while they’re on the waiting list, and their position on the list will change to reflect this,” a spokeswoman for Moray Council said.

“We’re making progress with our new-build programme, which is providing accessible housing for disabled residents as part of this. We also provide information to applicants about alternative options, such as adaptations to properties.”

Complex needs

Stirling Council, which has had at least one disabled person on its waiting list since 1969, said the long delay may have been caused by the applicant’s complicated housing needs.

“A number of factors can influence the allocation of housing, such as a preferred location or the requirement of a specific housing type, that may affect the length of time it takes to allocate a person a suitable home,” a spokesman said.

Thomas Glen, depute chief executive at East Dunbartonshire Council, said some of the people identified as disabled on its housing list may already be in appropriate housing that met their needs.

One disabled person in the area has been on the waiting list since 1989, but Mr Glen said they had only identified as disabled in 2007 and had turned down one offer of a property.

“At that time house types and areas of choice had been restricted to one area only. The areas of choice have now been widened,” he added.

He said more than 4,000 people were currently on the waiting list, adding that there was “a shortage of suitable properties, with demand far outstripping supply”.

“To help address this, the council has a well established new build development programme which is developed through housing needs assessments.

“Disabled or medically adapted properties are incorporated into each development for applicants on our waiting list that we are unable to rehouse through our current stock.

“The council also assists disabled residents to live independently in their own homes by providing enhanced investment in housing aids, adaptations and assistive technology.”