Accessible Housing for Disabled People – How will Lockdown 2 impact our search for wheelchair accessible homes?
You can rest assured that we have read and incorporated the latest guidelines to keep you safe into our daily procedures and practices. Your welfare and happiness has always been our priority, and it is of utmost importance to us that we do everything we can to also keep your healthy during this pandemic. We are ready and able to take whatever steps you need to make your move as straightforward as possible.
We worked hard during the last lockdown and were able to move families where their need was extreme. We will continue to prioritise accessible property. Some disabled people are still shielding from Covid-19 and less likely to be as confident leaving their home as non-disabled people, so it is more important than ever that we can ensure they can move to property appropriate to their needs.
We all feel the pressure of the lockdown in our different ways, but if you are confined inside a home in which you are unable move freely, the challenges and stresses of this are even more extreme.
Lockdown is particularly tough for disabled people – Our friends at Habinteg who are also constantly raising awareness about accessible housing and the government, consults on how to raise accessibility standards for new homes. Nicholas Bungay, of Habinteg discusses recent research into the challenges many disabled people have faced during lockdown because of a lack of even basic accessible features.
YouGov poll, commissioned a report which revealed that during lockdown, alarmingly, almost a quarter (24%) of disabled people surveyed said they do not have a home that meets their basic accessibility needs. This is the reality of life in lockdown – and potentially not too different from life pre-Covid-19 – for many disabled adults and older people living on their own and it’s not acceptable.
Read the full article here: https://www.pbctoday.co.uk/news/building-control-news/accessible-housing-lockdown/84458/
We can assure you that the following can still take place, and that we are doing our part to increase accessible housing. We continue to work with clients to find and adapt homes to make them accessible. You can still:
- Move home
- Buy and sell properties
- Rent and let properties
- Tradespeople are still able to carry out essential works
- Viewings are more difficult and can only be undertaken following the guidelines
- This makes our work even more vital as we use Video viewings and can usually enter the house without breaching the limit of only two households.
We are very much still available to find new accessible properties and just this week, we are working to find a young man who suffered a life changing accident earlier this year a new accessible home. He is now a full time wheelchair user who cannot return to his family home as a result of his injuries, but the hospital need to discharge him urgently to protect him and avoid risk of infection. This requires an immediate and fast turnaround.
Throughout the last eight months we have continued to move people, find new properties and getting positive results. We are prepared and ready to help using things like virtual and video tours, using electronic documents and contract signing and Zoom meetings to bring parties together
One clear difference this time is that the property market will remain open; meaning that we can continue operating in order to help people safely move in 2020, and beyond.
From solicitors and conveyancers, to mortgage lenders and removal firms, all businesses within the property chain will stay open to progress sales and rentals for your benefit.
Wheelchair accessible property information coming up next week!
We have some news of an exciting property project coming up next week. For those of you looking for accessible properties, do keep a look out! We will be able to share details of a rare opportunity to buy a unique and property that already has wheelchair access and could become the beautiful accessible, residential home you are looking for.
In the meantime, if you need our help, or indeed know someone who does, please get in touch?
020 3475 4022
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