People with disabilities often experience social exclusion, negative stereotypes and perceptions, financial hardship, and discrimination as a result of systemic cultural beliefs in Australia. These societal beliefs influence policies and procedures for housing access and affordability that result in people with disability experiencing an increased level of poverty and homelessness. People with disabilities are living in substandard conditions, with insecure tenancies, a lack of acknowledgement of the right to live where and with whom they choose.
10.2% of the services QIDAN delivered in 2022-23 were clients seeking advocacy for housing issues, making housing the second most prevalent type of problem addressed by advocates. QIDAN assists clients with a range of different housing-related matters, including homelessness, access to social housing, and barriers to accessibility. Due to the complexity and variety of the issues, housing is the third most time-consuming problem type for advocates to address. Of the cohort of people accessing disability advocacy for housing issues, 15.9% identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, and 21.1% are from a culturally and linguistically diverse background.
QIDAN provided this response to the Department of Social Services about the National Housing and Homelessness Plan Issue Paper based on the collective experiences of our members and clients.
