Disabled call for accessible housing as population ages

Thursday, 28 July 2022

Advocate Juliana Carvalho says a lack of residential housing that is accessible will create significant problems as the population ages. / Hei tā te kaihapahapai Juliana Carvalho, ka kino ngā raru i te korenga o ngā noninga kumu whai āheinga, hei te kaumātuatanga o te taupori.

Building laws must be improved to increase the number of homes that are accessible for people with mobility needs, a disability advocate says.

Me whanake ngā ture waihanganga e maha ake ai ngā kāinga whai āheinga ki ngā tāngata whaikaha, e ai ki tētahi māngai hapahapai ō rātou.

The call comes after data from Statistics New Zealand revealed on Wednesday the population of Kiwis aged 65 or older will hit 1 million by 2028.

I ahu mai tēnei i ngā raraunga i Tatauranga Aotearoa i kitea i te Wenerei, e kīia nei hei ā 2028 ka 1 miriona te taupori ngāi Aotearoa kua 65 tau te kaumātuatanga, koni atu rānei.

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Elderly people are more likely to have mobility needs, and only 2% of the residential housing stock is accessible.

E tinga ake ana he raru nekehanga ō ngā pēperekōu, ā, he 2% noa iho ngā kāinga e whai āheinga ana.

Disability advocate and wheelchair user Juliana Carvalho said the Building Act must be amended so that all residential housing is built following universal design principles.

Ella and Tegan are buddied up under an IHC programme that pairs people with a disability with mates they can spend quality time with on a regular basis. It's a volunteer job and the IHC needs more people to put up their hand.

Hei tā tētahi kaihapahapai, tētahi kainoho tūruwīra, Juliana Carvalho, me whakatika te Building Act e waihangatia ai ngā noninga kumu katoa haere ake nei me ngā mātāpono whakahoahoa whānui.

Universal design ensures the property has a level entryway, accessible bathroom and hallways wide enough for a wheelchair to fit through.

Mā te whakahoahoa whānui e papatahi ai te tomohanga o te wāhi, e whai āheinga te rūma horoi, me ngā kauhanganui, e ō ai te tūruwīra.

The Building Act was recently amended and during the consultation period both Auckland and Wellington councils advocated for universal design to be a requirement of residential builds, however it was rejected.

Kātahi anō te Building Act ka whakatika, ā, i te wā uiui, i hapahapai ngā kaunihera o Tāmaki Makaurau me Pōneke i te nōhanga mātāmua o te whakahoahoa whānui ki ngā waihanganga noninga kumu, heoti i whakahoea.

“The Government and developers usually talk about money, but it's way cheaper to build new homes with universal design than to have to retrofit the same house later, and less disruptive,” Carvalho said.

“He rite tonu tā te Kāwanatanga me ngā kaiwhakawhanake kōrero mō te pūtea, heoti he iti iho te utu kia waihanga i ngā kāinga hōu me te whakahoahoatanga whānui, tērā i te whakarapa ki tērā kāinga ā tōna wā, ka mutu e kore e whakararu,” tā Carvalho.

“We're just talking about wider access ways and wider doorways, level transition zones both inside and out of the building. Things that won't disrupt someone that doesn't have a disability.”

“E kōrero noa ana mātou mō ngā āheinga me ngā tomohanga whānui ake, me te papatahitanga o te whakawhitinga ki roto, ki waho hoki i te whare. E kore ēnei mea e whakararu i te tangata kāore i te whaikaha.”

There are 842,000 people aged over 65 in New Zealand and that number will continue to increase over the next 50 years, according to Stats NZ.

E 842,000 ngā tāngata ki Aotearoa kua koni atu i te kaumātuatanga e 65 tau, ā, ka tupu tonu tērā hei ngā tau e 50 haere ake nei, e ai ki a Tatauranga Aotearoa.

“The number of people aged 65+ years is increasing by about 80 people a day and is likely to reach 1 million people within six years,” spokesperson Hamish Slack said.

E tupu ake ana te taupori 65+ tau mā te 80 i ia rā, ā, e tinga ana ka tae ki te 1 miriona hei ngā tau e ono,” tā te māngai, Hamish Slack.

The agency predicts the number of elderly people could reach 1.3 million around 2040, and 1.5 million by the 2050s.

E matapae ana te umanga ka tae te taupori pēperekōu ki te āhua 1.3 miriona hei te takiwā o te 2040, kātahi ka 1.5 miriona hei ngā tau 2050.

Carvalho said, as the population ages, there will be more people impacted by the lack of accessible housing.

Housing Minister Megan Woods has been reached for comment. / Kua tonoa te Minita Whare Megan Woods kia tuku tākupu.

I kī a Carvalho, i te taupori e tupu ana, ka tokomaha haere te hunga ka pāngia e te korenga o ngā whare whai āheinga.

“With this new data released, the population living longer, the barriers will impact a much higher number of people. The problem is already here, but it will be at a larger scale and affecting more people,” she said.

“Mā ngā raraunga nei, me te roanga ake o tā te taupori oranga, e kaha ake te pānga o ngā ārai ki ngā tāngata. Kei konei kē te raru, ka nui ake, ka kino ake te pānga ki ngā tāngata,” hei tāna.

“There are a lot of people living in undignified conditions, and not able to fully participate in social gatherings with friends and family members. The Government needs to take action now and embrace universal design.”

“He tokomaha e noho nei ki ngā tūāhuatanga tautauhea, e kore hoki e taea nei te tino whaiwāhi atu ki ngā ngahau ā-pāpori me ō rātou hoa, whānau hoki. Me hohe mai te Kāwanatanga, me whakanui i te whakahoahoa whānui.”

Building Minister Megan Woods said the Government aims to improve the accessibility of New Zealand buildings.

I kī mai te Minita Waihanganga Megan Woods, e tōmina ana te Kāwanatanga kia whanake i te āheinga ki ngā whare i Aotearoa.

“My officials at the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment have started a long-term work programme involving thorough research and sector-wide consultation to propose solutions and implement any regulatory change, or take other actions, to provide better building access,” she said.

“Kua tīmata aku kaimahi i Hīkina Whakatutuki ki tētahi kaupapa karioi e tae rā anō ana ki te āmiki rangahau me te uiuinga rāngai-whānui kia marohitia ngā whakautu, me te ū ki ngā panonitanga ture, ngā hohenga anō rānei, e whanake ai te āheinga ki ngā whare,” hei tāna.

“I look forward to following the progress of this important research, and I am committed to making any necessary changes to the building regulatory system.”

“E hiamo ana au kia whai i te whanaketanga o tēnei rangahau hirahira, me te aha anō, e ū ana ki te whakatūturu i ngā panonitanga ki te pūnaha ture ā-waihanganga e matea nei.”

Disability Minister Poto Williams said as universal design becomes more commonplace and its benefits more visible, it is likely that universally designed properties will become the standard for public buildings.

I kī mai te Minita Whaikaha, a Poto Williams, ki te whakamāorihia te whakahoahoa whānui, me te kite i ōna hua, e tinga ana ka huri ngā whare whakahoahoa whānui kia noho hei taumata hōu ki ngā whare ā-marea.

“I am pleased to see some housing developers integrating universal design principles into their buildings and I hope to see more developers developing accessible features into their homes,” she said.

“Anō taku hari i te kitenga atu i ētahi kaiwhakawhanake whare e pāhekeheko ana i ngā mātāpono whakahoahoa whānui ki ā rātou whare, ā, e manakohia nei hoki taku kite i ngā kaiwhakawhanake tokomaha ake e whanake ana i ngā wāhanga whai āheinga ki ā rātou kāinga,” tāna kī mai.

“I would also like to challenge realtors and others who advertise private properties for rent and for sale to advertise their accessible features in their listings and search functions.”

“E hiahia ana hoki au kia wero i ngā kaihoko whare rātou ko ērā e whakatairanga ana i ngā noninga kumu mō te rētinga me te hokonga, kia whakatairanga i ngā wāhanga whai āheinga ki ia whakatairanga, me ngā hua rapunga hoki.”