Two reports aim to provide best practice guidance on housing access for the deaf and disabled in the capital
Mayor of London Ken Livingstone has published two reports aimed at helping meet targets for accessible housing for deaf and disabled Londoners.
Best practice guidance on designing wheelchair accessible homes is set out for planners and developers in ‘Wheelchair accessible housing’, out today.
The second report, ‘Housing choice for disabled Londoners’, outlines the actions social landlords and other stakeholders must take to give disabled a wider range of housing options.
The guidance aims to boost efforts to achieve the goals of the Mayor’s spatial development strategy, The London Plan.
Livingstone said: “The severe shortage of accessible homes in the capital means that disabled Londoners are twice as likely to be living in unsuitable homes which is an appalling inequality we must address.
“Both reports support the practical delivery of my Housing Strategy and commitment to ensure that disabled Londoners have greater choice and access to homes that are suitable for them to lead independent lives.”
The news comes two days after an independent study indicated The London Plan’s energy policies were succeeding in cutting CO2 emissions in new developments.
The report, carried out for the GLA by London South Bank University, said in general the Mayor’s policies had been “highly successful” in reducing expected energy consumption.
Greenpeace policy director Douglas Parr welcomed the news, saying “London has shown that strong local policies can make developers and builders actually change the way they work to reduce carbon emissions.”
