Housebuilders in the UK have come under fire for cutting corners to maximise profits, and delivering adaptable homes that fail to meet the needs of disabled homebuyers, according to new research.
Business News Wales reports that a study from new-build sagging firm HouseScan had revealed that many new homes are being delivered to the market with disabled access that is unfit for purpose.
According to the latest figures, there are around 14.1 million people in the Uk who live with a disability – around a fifth of the total population. Around 7.9 million of those are working adults who face tough financial tasks when it comes to saving for a property, as living with a disability can cost an additional £583 on average every month compared to those living without.
As well as that, new build homebuyers with a disability also have to face a much lower level of housing stock to choose from.
The pandemic has caused a 45 per cent fall, year-on-year, in the delivery of new builds, and research has shown that by 2030, the proportion of new build homes built to accessible standards is predicted to fall from 34.4 per cent to 31.5 per cent.
This decline directly relates to accessible and adaptable homes (M4 Category 2) or wheelchair user dwellings (M4 Category 3).
These homes provide additional features to the average new build including wider doors, disabled baths and showers, stronger bathroom walls that can facilitate a grab-rail and greater circulation space for those in a wheelchair.
HouseScan has also found that it isn’t just stock delivery that is failing disabled homebuyers, even the standard of homes reaching the market are unfit for purpose, with some disabled new build homeowners stating that developers had cut corners, rendering accessibility features useless, not having been built in accordance with disability access requirements.
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16 July,2021
