Housing and disabled people: what should local authorities do?

Advice and Guidance

Who is this page for?

  • local authorities
  • elected members in Scotland

Which countries is it relevant to?

    • Great Britain flag icon

      Great Britain

What are your responsibilities?

Local authorities in England and Wales and elected members in Scotland have a duty to safeguard and promote disabled people’s rights under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).

Under the Public Sector Equality Duty they must also have due regard to:

  • eliminating unlawful discrimination
  • advancing equality of opportunity
  • fostering good relations

To have ‘due regard’ means to make yourself fully aware of – and understand – what is needed, and to put this knowledge into practice where relevant.

Toolkits for local authorities

We have produced guidance for local authorities in England and Wales and for elected members in Scotland, particularly those involved in housing and planning.

The toolkits aim to support them to:

  • consider housing for disabled people in their strategies and plans
  • involve disabled people in a meaningful way
  • share best practice
  • help with scrutiny of local authority housing policies and practices

Housing and disabled people: a toolkit for local authorities in England

Housing and disabled people: a toolkit for local authorities in Wales

Housing and disabled people: a toolkit for elected members of local authorities in Scotland

How can we involve disabled people in our planning?

We have produced some event planning checklists of things to consider when planning an engagement event involving disabled people.

Engaging with disabled people: an event planning guide

Guidance for individuals and support organisations

If you are a disabled person, if you support a disabled person or belong to an organisation that supports disabled people, please see our guidance:

Housing and disabled people: your rights

Last updated: 01 Feb 2019

Further information

If you think you might have been treated unfairly and want further advice, you can contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service.

Phone: 0808 800 0082
Textphone: 0808 800 0084

You can email using the contact form on the EASS website.

Also available through the website are BSL interpretation, web chat services and a contact us form.

Post:
FREEPOST
EASS HELPLINE
FPN6521

Opening hours:

9am to 7pm Monday to Friday
10am to 2pm Saturday
closed on Sundays and Bank Holidays

Alternatively, you can visit our advice and guidance page.