Disabled by our Flats

CW - discussion of mental ill-health, and mentions of mania, schizophrenia, BPD, su*c*de.  

This article follows the social model of disability. 

Alex* a final year Massey CoCA student has been looking for a flat since December last year. Alex has chronic fatigue syndrome, which they say has seriously worsened “from continuously balancing on the ledge of homelessness”. The denials come in thick and strong says Alex, with each rejection feeling “like a punch to the tiddies”. They went on to explain that it’s difficult enough as a person with impairments in their “day-to-day without this added stress”. Having an accessible home to live in and an accessible application process would make all the difference for exhausted, sick and low-income students like Alex. “Being accepted into a healthy, warm home would feel like hitting the lottery, especially as a student. It would make a significant impact on both my physical health and mental health.”  

The feeling you get when the ‘you've been unsuccessful in your tenancy application’ emails take over your inbox hits closer to home for disabled students. Disabled renters face so many fucking barriers to securing a home. It's legal for landlords to discriminate against them. Even if you can make it through the horrendously long and intrusive application process, and a landlord accepts your application, the flat could be totally inaccessible. It could have shoddy narrow staircases without a handrail, no parking, high benchtops, light switches totally out of reach from the bed, seat or chair. It could (probably would) leak and make your immunocompromised body so sick you have to miss a couple of months of uni (yes, months lol). 

 ‘No one wants you.’ Disabled people face that sentiment everywhere, especially when looking for homes. Alex said that being considered “a lower-class citizen”, just because of who they are, has meant “unhealthy and stressful living conditions”. Landlords and property managers seem to have “no regard as to how this may affect us as living, breathing people”.  

We can be told nah sorry we don't accept applications from wheelchair users or chronic fatigue sufferers. Or they could look up our social media where we’ve talked about our mania, schizophrenia, BPD, or suicidal ideation, and outright say nope. With any form of impairment whatsoever, disabled people can be denied a tenancy. Suppose disabled people risk that one flat we get offered by requesting better accessibility. In that case, we're not just risking a bad reference. We can have our lease terminated. And it's legal. Totally, entirely, and completely legal. Not a violation of our human rights at all, ay?  

Section 56 of the Human Rights Act 1993 states that people with disabilities can be excluded if “there would be a risk of harm to that person or others”. Section 52 of the Act literally says that it’s okay to exclude disabled people should it be too “onerous” to provide accessible facilities. It’s pretty thoughtless and ableist.  

Getting a flat at the moment is truly hellish as the headlines each day remind us; as if we're not all going to the same flat viewings. Whether Te Whanganui-a-Tara/Wellington or Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland, rental prices just keep going up, and it's ridiculously inaccessible for most young people.  

Being poor is expensive; being disabled by the world around us is expensive. Hospital, GP, counsellor, specialist appointments – it all adds up. Public transport alone is a super exhausting process. Using cars drains bank accounts quicker than I can chug a jug at JJs. With most of our StudyLink payments going straight to our landlord's savings, there's so little left at the end of the week. So heavily in financial trouble, we default on payments and even get rent arrears. Then the people who might’ve consider housing you see your record aaaand there's another ‘unsuccessful’ email?  

Let’s look at the numbers 

47% of disabled people rent, that’s 12% more renters than non-disabled people.  

31% of disabled people live in mouldy homes, that’s 11% more than non-disabled people. 

40% of disabled people said their homes were unaffordable, that’s 10% more than non-disabled people. 

10% of disabled people said their homes didn’t meet their needs (were inaccessible), that’s 6% more than non-disabled people.  

37% of disabled people experienced discrimination regularly, that’s 18% more than non-disabled people.   

 When things are built to be as accessible as possible, we all benefit.  

Last week, TradeMe confirmed that a 1–2-bedroom home in Te Whanganui- a-Tara/the Wellington region will cost ya $520 weekly Tāmaki comes in just behind at $510 weekly. You could half that with a partner or your best mate, but the price is still overwhelmingly high. The median price for a 3–4-bedroom home has hit a record high in every major city. What about Palmy, you ask? Dw landlords are hiking up prices for y'all in Te Papaioea as well. Rental prices increased 17% in the Manawatū-Whanganui region in the last year (the most significant increase in percentage in the whole country, you lucky kids).  

All of these details are per “bedroom,” as self-identified by the owner. But those of us in Pōneke know all too well, a “bedroom” can be anything from a closet to a converted laundry with lino still intact. Many of us are desperately clinging to our 5-bedroom crusty, dusty, musty flats, hoping they don't collapse around us, because we have no other options. Going home, quitting uni, living with the 'rents? Eyewatering. No, thanks.  

So, we persevere. If we can, we hide our illnesses, conditions, and disabilities, in the hopes of that joyful moment when Property Manager #768 decides our flatting group is 'deserving' and we can let out that breath. 

 It may be possible for people who have invisible illnesses/disabilities to present themselves as fitting the norm, but many disabled people don't have that opportunity. They have to turn up to viewings as themselves. Prejudiced and discriminatory landlords can more easily identify people who have visible accessibility needs. When the onus for accommodating and increasing accessibility of a rental lies with someone who can't be arsed - and legally doesn't have to be – that's a recipe for disaster.  

‘Severely housing deprived’ 

Fast forward to not having a home, maybe you didn't get accepted for one, maybe you had an accident at work and need a handrail, or maybe your landlord just wanted someone with fewer needs. Whatever it is, you are now homeless, which Statistics NZ defines as "Living situations where people with no other options to acquire safe and secure housing: are without shelter, in temporary accommodation, sharing accommodation with a household or living in uninhabitable housing." 

Shit, I could name like ten of my mates right now. At least three of us are disabled. Those figures really do stack up. Almost a quarter (24%) of Aotearoa's population is disabled. That figure stays about the same for Te Whanganui-a-Tara/Wellington Region (22%). Wellington City Council (WCC) has a pretty decent plan for accessibility, just not including private property (i.e., rentals).  

Rebecca Matthews, Wellington City Councillor, and the Disability portfolio leader shared her thoughts on accessible housing. She explained that it's hard to create medium-density homes. It's more expensive, so creating accessible high-density homes is actually easier. The atrocious news of rent price increases and a lack of safe, and affordable housing has her worried too. "I've been saying that we're the capital of the housing crisis." She also knows that "the housing crisis that we have is a hundred times worse as an accessibility crisis”. Rebecca encourages disabled students to reach out to their representatives. Whether that's our student associations, RentersUnited, or A City for People, she says advocacy is already happening but that students should get involved at whatever level they can. "Flick your councillors an email. I'm on Twitter, and my dms are open. Let me know what's happening in your life, it all helps." 

The Accessibility Advisory Group (AAG) is on to it too - they visit public spaces and report back with accessibility suggestions. They consult with WCC and have an active voice in making this city more liveable and comfortable for all. The co-chair of AAG, Nick Ruane, knows that Pōneke's disability community is struggling to find accessible housing. He reiterated that they are “mindful that disabled people are concerned. The group has a real commitment to having more accessible housing, particularly more city housing stock.” When asked what struggling young people could do to push for further action, he recommended we turn up to AAG's monthly public meetings at Council. Nick reckons that “Councillors and Council officers present would benefit from hearing the experiences of young disabled renters”. Students can come along and speak up at any and all meetings on the last Tuesday of each month. The group has even organised for the Council's city housing team to come in later in the year to answer questions on accessibility. The AAG website has more deets available if you're keen to turn up with me and share our experiences with people who can enact change.  

Someone once told me housing is a human right. For disabled people, nothing could be further from the truth. Rebecca from WCC says “we need to make it a huge focus. People with disabilities should have an accessible community; get to have a social life, go and see loved ones, just like anyone else.”  

“If I had the opportunity to live in a decent, affordable place, I wouldn’t have to stress my health,” concluded Alex. “I could actually find comfort in my living space, which would only motivate me to look after a property as it would look after me.”  

So, if you feel like turning up to some meetings and yelling at some suits, I’ll be right there, next to you.