SE London Housing > Accessible Homes Forum

Please note that existing home owners whose current homes are unsuitable due to disability are eligible for these shared ownership (or 'New Build HomeBuy') homes. Also that it is possible for people in receipt of benefits on a long term to purchase them.

Disabled Facilities Grant allocations 2010-11

The government has allocated Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) for 2010-11 (2009-10 figures in brackets):

Bexley £900,000 (£816,000)

Bromley £710,000 (690,000)

Greenwich £886,000 (£796,000)

Lewisham £424,000 (£424,000)

Southwark £515,000 (£515,000)

Adaptations protocol

Following a review of the SE Adaptations Protocol some revisions have been made. We have therefore now produced a revised protocol.

A brief paper summarises the review process. A questionnaire was sent to RSLs and their responses will inform some amendments to the protocol.

The orignal protocol between housing associations and boroughs about adaptations to housing association tenants was agreed and finalised in July 2008.

Previously the document 'Towards a Protocol..' was agreed by the housing associations that make up SELHAG (SE London Housing Association Group). It sets out the principles on which we have worked towards a protocol between boroughs and housing associations about the provision and funding of adaptations to housing association stock.

Minor Adaptations Without Delay

Minor Adaptations Without Delay is being carried out across the SE London boroughs by a number of housing associations: - Affinity Sutton, Amicus Horizon, Family Mosaic, Gallions, Hexagon, Hyde, L&Q, MHT, Orbit, Peabody, Presentation (NHHG), Riverside, Southern, Wandle.

Housing associations carry out their own assessments and installations of minor adaptations. However training is provided by borough Occupational Therapists and, through named contacts, advice is also available.

Good practice and recent legislation

A 'check list' produced by HQN in late 2009 proposes a number of elements of good practice that apply to housing adaptations.

A parliamentary briefing produced in August 2009 provides a good summary of DFGs and recent legislation.

Design standards

We have produced (and in May 2008 and again in August 2009 revised) SELHP Wheelchair Homes Design Guidelines. These are entirely based on those formulated by LB Greenwich and form our advice about the standards we expect from new affordable housing developments.

Disabled Facilities Grant

Boroughs are embarking on a benchmarking exercise for DFGs based on the 'UROG' template.

The government has published the responses it received to its consultation on DFGs.

(The Government issued a consultation paper on the future of Disabled Facilities Grants. This had a closing date for the consultation of April 13th 2007.)

Hyde (In Touch) have funding for people with physical or learning disabilities who are in receipt of long term benefits to purchase homes on a shared ownership basis. Click here for the flyer that includes contact details.