Unlocking Freedom: Why Adapted Housing Is a Right, Not a Privilege

Everyone values the dignity of a home that meets their needs—a place where they feel safe, comfortable, and in control. For people with a learning disability and/or autism, the right to appropriate housing is about more than bricks and mortar. It’s about equality, independence, and inclusion – and the consequences of not getting this right can have a high human and financial cost.

Yet across the country, too many people with a learning disability or autism are living in homes and accommodation that does not meet their needs - or, worse, in settings where their freedom and choice is severely limited or denied. There are currently over 2,000 people with learning disabilities and/or autism “living” in hospitals (for an average of over 4 years) because there is nowhere for them to live in the community.

The right housing can transform lives. We’ve seen examples where well-designed supported housing or personalised home ownership schemes—such as HOLD (Home Ownership for People with Long-term Disabilities) mortgages—have enabled people to live in their own home, designed and adapted to meet their needs, and be closer to family, find employment, and build meaningful connections in their communities. These homes unlock potential, giving people control over their daily lives, and the confidence to shape their own future.

As also in Gary Bourlet’s guest blog in this Housing LIN series on ‘Thirty years on from the Disability Discrimination Act’, too many people with a learning disability and/or autism do not have the same choice and freedom as anyone else in deciding where and how they live, and who they live with. Despite evidence that the right housing improves wellbeing and reduces reliance on health and social care, government policy still does not go far enough to support housing associations, charities, and local authorities to develop more of it.

That’s why I am part of a national coalition working with government to drive policy change. Together, we have identified changes that can be made and are calling for practical action to unlock the supply of accessible and supported homes—so that having a learning disability or being autistic never limits someone’s right to live a full, independent life in their own community.

Adapted housing should not be seen as a special provision. It is a fundamental part of an equal society where every person, regardless of disability or diagnosis, has the home—and the quality of life—they deserve.

Sir David Pearson is has had a number of roles nationally and locally including being a former President of ADASS, advisor to the Government on social care reform and Chaired the Governments Social Care COVID19 Taskforce. His current roles include being an Expert Panellist to the Health and Social Care Select Committee and a Senior Intervenor for people with a Learning Disability and/or Autism who have been in hospital for long periods.

---

This is the 6th in a series of Housing LIN guest blogs leading up to the 30th anniversary of the Disability Discrimination Act. The series will end in an extended HAPPI Hour webinar on Tuesday, 11 November 2025, where contributors will share expert insights and assess progress on disability, accessible housing, and the built environment.

For more on housing choices for people with a learning disability and autistic people,  visit the Housing LIN’s dedicated pages here.