People with learning disabilities facing barriers to housing, report warns

People with learning disabilities are still facing barriers to suitable housing in Scotland due to a “postcode lottery”, research has found.

A study by Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh revealed significant systemic barriers are preventing people with learning disabilities and complex needs from accessing appropriate housing, including delayed discharge from hospital and being moved geographically.

A report commissioned by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde specialist learning disability services alongside housing partners highlighted issues with planning, collaboration and resources, after a housing emergency was declared by the Scottish Government last year.

Researchers found this crisis “disproportionately impacts people with learning disabilities” and the report calls on Government, housing, and health and social care roles to contribute to “urgent change” going forward, warning the current system is “unsustainable and damaging”.

The report, Housing For Complex Needs, found that despite more than 20 years of government policy promoting community-based living for people with learning disabilities, around 1,300 people face challenges with appropriate accommodation, which was branded “varied and inconsistent”.

It identified three areas needing urgent action, including social housing market constraints, inadequate planning frameworks, and inconsistent interpretation of tenancy agreements; resources, including funding, time constraints, and staffing shortages; and collaborative working, including “significant issues” with data collection and information sharing between housing and healthcare providers.

A critical recommendation calls for the Dynamic Support Register (DSR) – a tool for monitoring vulnerable individuals – to be extended to include housing stakeholders, as well as the need for an appropriate national mechanism to mandate collaboration between housing and health and social care sectors to deliver community-based housing solutions.

Dr Sacha Hasan from the Institute for Place, Environment and Society at Heriot-Watt, said: “Our findings demonstrate that while the willingness to collaborate often exists, structural barriers and stretched resources prevent effective solutions.

“The current landscape across Scotland is varied and inconsistent, with outcomes dependent on local relationships, funding models, and housing availability in each area.

“What’s particularly concerning is that we’ve been discussing this same policy agenda for over 20 years, yet many people are still experiencing inappropriate out-of-area placements or delayed hospital discharges.

“Our research found that fragmented funding streams, limited understanding of legislation, and cumbersome commissioning processes are creating substantial barriers to implementing what should be a fundamental human right – appropriate housing in local communities.

“The reality is a postcode lottery which is unsustainable and damaging for our most vulnerable residents in Scotland.

“Too often, successful transitions depend on informal networks and individual commitment rather than robust systems. What’s needed is a fundamental change in how these services are planned and commissioned, with housing given equal importance to health and social care in an integrated approach.”

Tom Kelly, head of adult services at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde specialist learning disability service, said: “Access to good quality accommodation in an appropriate setting is essential to our health and wellbeing, but this is particularly true among the most vulnerable members of our communities.

“NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde works closely with local authorities, health and social care partnerships and other stakeholders to help ensure people do not need to be in a hospital setting longer than they need to, and that the appropriate support is available to them when they leave.

“This research will be an important addition to our and others’ understanding and we would like to thank all those who have been involved in putting together these findings.”