How can North Lanarkshire Council improve the allocation of adapted and wheelchair accessible housing to disabled applicants on the housing waiting list?

Abstract

As a major Scottish social landlord, North Lanarkshire Council (NLC) allocates a wide range of house sizes and types, including properties which are wheelchair accessible and/or adapted to suit an individual with a physical disability. I have worked in housing for NLC for 35 years and am currently employed as a full-time Housing Co-ordinator within a locally based Allocations Team. It is my belief that the way in which NLC allocates adapted and wheelchair accessible housing could be improved, to the benefit of waiting list applicants, staff and the Council itself, and I have chosen to use NLC as a case study for this reason.
Following one-to-one interviews with a number of waiting list applicants, recent new tenants, allocations staff and Occupational Therapists from within North Lanarkshire, I have made a number of recommendations based upon their responses and opinions. The interview questions were largely based around themes identified in previous research, including the application paperwork and process, information available to housing applicants and liaison with other local authority staff. I have also drawn upon my own experience as well as considering other research and resources from various housing-related and disability-related authors and organisations.