Accessible Housing

Accessible housing for disabled people

It can be difficult to find a house that meets your requirements. You may be considering adapting your home to make it more accessible for your needs, or you may decide that moving to a new home is the better option.

This guide lists a number of support organisations and schemes that can advise and help you to make the best choice for you.

 

Disabled Home Adaptations

If you are looking for information on disabled home adaptations, please see our Disabled Home Adaptations information guide. This guide describes where you should start if you need an adaptation made to your home.

A good starting point is to ask for an Assessment of Needs from your local council’s social care department. Please see our Assessment of Needs information guide for more information.

Finding the right house for your needs

Housing Options Scotland help disabled people, veterans and older people to find the right house, in the right place.
To register, you will be asked to complete the Request Support form, or you can contact them directly and they will email or post a form to you.
Once they get your completed form they will send you a personalised report with all your potential housing options. It normally takes up to 4 weeks for them to prepare your report.  You will be given your own housing broker who will work with you to help make your preferred option a reality.

Home2Fit is an exciting new website. They will match what you want with what’s available and make contact with housing providers who have accessible homes in your area of choice. There are options for social and private rented homes and for home owners. If a home to suit is not yet available housing providers can still see your request and respond to you.  Early registration is advised.

Email: admin@home2fit.org.uk
See also Housing Providers in Scotland.

Housing Information and Advice

Disabled Person’s Housing Service Aberdeenshire
Houseability provide information, advice and advocacy services to people with disabilities who have housing issues or problems, to enable them to meet their everyday needs and improve their quality of life within an inclusive community
Location: 1 Carters Close, Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, AB42 1UU
Tel: 01779 490 908
Email: info@houseability.org.uk

Disabled Person’s Housing Service Aberdeen City
Provide housing advice, information and advocacy to disabled people, their families and carers. Based in Aberdeen, the DPHS is constantly developing its services.
Location: Top Floor, Raeden Court, Mid Stocket Road, Aberdeen, AB15 5PF
Tel: 01224 810 222 or 07986 530 507
Email: info@dphsaberdeen.org

Disabled Person’s Housing Service Fife
Provide independent advice and information so that disabled people can have the chance to consider housing options right for them and so enable them to live independently.
Location: West Shop, Law’s Close, 339 High Street, Kirkcaldy, KY1 1JN
Tel: 01592 803 280
Email: enquiries@dphsfife.org.uk

Disabled Person’s Housing Service Scottish Borders
Provide advice, information, support and advocacy for disabled people with housing problems in the Scottish Borders. Location: The Surgery, 1 Orchard Park, St Boswells, TD6 0DA
Tel: 01835 822 099
Email: dphsborders@msn.com

Disabled Persons Housing Services Glasgow
Glasgow Centre for Inclusive Living (GCIL) provide housing information, advice and advocacy services to disabled people seeking housing in Glasgow. Additionally they provide one-to-one support, advice, information and advocacy for people who need an adapted or accessible home in Greater Glasgow.
Tel: 0141 550 4455
Textphone: 0141 554 6482
Email: gcil@gcil.org.uk

Better at Home is a new housing options service which can help you get out of hospital and into a suitable home. The project aims to support older people who want to go home from hospital but who need help because of a housing issue. Better at Home may be able to help you if you:

  • are aged 65 or over
  • want to live at home but your hospital discharge is delayed because your accommodation does not meet your access needs
  • are currently in residential care or a nursing home but would like to find suitable housing in the community
  • want to live in Glasgow

Shelter Scotland 
Provide advice on housing issues and homelessness. They have a useful page on information for disabled people.
Free housing advice helpline: 0808 800 44449am-5pm, Monday to Friday. Calls are free from UK landlines and main mobile networks.
You can also talk to an adviser online via live chat. This is available weekdays from 10am until 3pm, dependent on adviser availability.

Aids and Equipment

Adapt2Fit a new innovative source of information on Equipment and Adaptations for older and disabled people. If you have difficulty with everyday tasks such as moving around your home, getting up and down stairs, or getting in and out of the bath, managing in the kitchen to prepare food or drinks, then Adapt2Fit can help you find out about equipment to assist with mobility or about adaptations to your home.

This resource was produced by Glasgow Centre for Inclusive Living in partnership with Capability Scotland.

Home2Fit

Home2Fit is a national online database that helps disabled people search for accessible housing. If you are seeking an accessible home to meet your specific needs then you can visit the Home2fit website. Whether you are searching for social housing, private letting or to buy a property, Home2Fit offers a variety of services to help you in your search for an accessible home.

At one end, Home2fit allows landlords, housing associations or estate agents to advertise any adapted properties they have vacant. At the other end, an individual searching for a specifically adapted property can register with Home2fit and search the online database for a suitable match.

Housing Support Services

The House Key is run by the Scottish Government and provides information on housing support services. These are mainly provided by local authorities, housing associations and voluntary sector organisations. They support a wide range of people to live independently within their community by providing practical support and advice. People who may benefit from housing support services include:

  • older people
  • homeless people
  • people with physical or learning disabilities
  • people with mental health problems
  • people with drug or alcohol problems
  • people with HIV or AIDS
  • care leaver
  • women escaping domestic violence

There are many different kinds of services. Examples include home adaptations for disabled people; visiting support to help with housework and shopping; resettlement support; and community alarms.

The House Key provides a Directory of Housing Support services, divided into three separate search facilities:

  • Housing support services, including community alarm and telecare services; women’s refuge services; and ex-offender services
  • Sheltered housing is housing designed particularly for older people which includes features to help make their lives easier. There is usually a community alarm or telecare service in case of a fall or other emergency, and some schemes have their own warden or sheltered housing manager. Retirement housing usually has similar features to sheltered housing, but is built for sale.
    Sheltered housing may be managed by local authorities, housing associations or private companies.
  • Home adaptation and repair services. In Scotland home adaptation and repair services are provided by Care and Repair Scotland.

Information last updated on 5 June 2020. Please note that information may be subject to change. All information is provided in good faith but Disability Information Scotland does not endorse any product or service referred to within this resource.

If you would like this information guide in another version then please contact us and we will post or email you a copy.

Access & Accessibility:Frequently Asked Questions

Through our helpline we receive enquiries spanning a wide range of different topics. Here is a selection of those most asked:

Can I use my Blue Badge in Europe?

How can I search for accessible places to visit in Scotland?

How can I get a RADAR key?

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