Meeting the Housing Needs of Autistic Children in Scotland: A review of social housing allocation policies

New research by Housing Options Scotland examines how Scottish registered social landlords (RSLs) and its local authorities  are meeting the housing needs of autistic children.

The research identified a significant gap between the understandings of autism and the housing needs of autistic people as represented in strategy and how the needs of autistic people, particularly those of children and young people are actually being identified and met in policy and practice.

In Scotland, everyone aged 16 or over has the right to join a housing register. After admitting an applicant to the housing list, social landlords determine the priority of the applicant in line with their allocation policy. Current legislation requires that ‘reasonable preference’ should be given to three categories of applicants:

1. Homeless people and people threatened with homelessness who have unmet housing needs.
2. People who are living in unsatisfactory housing conditions and who have unmet housing needs.
3. Tenants of houses held by a social landlord who considers the property underoccupied (the tenants are not using all the bedrooms in the property)

However, of the 129 housing association allocation policies reviewed in Scotland, only 21 (16%) featured the words ‘autism’ or ‘autistic’, and only 4 of the policies (3%) awarded medical priority or points in reference to the medical needs of autistic people. And, of the 26 local authority allocation policies reviewed in Scotland as part of the research review, 2 (or just under 8%) featured the words ‘autism’ or ‘autistic’. None of them featured the words ‘neurodiversity’ or ‘neurodivergent’ / ’neurodivergence’. In contrast, 22 of the 32 (or 69%) of the Scottish Local Housing Strategy documents reviewed featured the words ‘autism’ or ‘autistic’. Four of these strategies also featured the words ‘neurodiversity’ or ‘neurodivergent’.

The report includes useful references to Scottish legislation (and current consultation on the Learning Disabilities, Autism and Neurodivergence Bill), the Scottish Social Housing Charter and policies where the needs of autistic children could be better applied and back this up with helpful examples of practice and recommendations for the sector.

As well as greater understanding, the report found there is scope for more discretion for RSLs and social landlords to allocate according to need. The report identifies instances where housing providers will award some kind of points or priority to families with autistic and neurodivergent children who need more space, even if their allocation policy does not explicitly say this. More could be done in this area, if more training was provided to understand the needs of families with autistic children and improved mechanisms for involving and partnering with autistic communities.