Rent, Buy or Own
Modified housing
Suitable Homes is an advisory service that we provide for people with physical disabilities, so they can continue to live independently at home.
If you live in New Zealand, have a long-term physical disability, and require structural modifications to your home, you may be eligible for the Suitable Homes service. You don't have to be a Housing New Zealand tenant - the house can be your own home or a home you rent.
How Suitable Homes works:
We provide advice to:
- help people with physical disabilities find homes that suit their needs, or can be modified to meet their needs
- support people with disabilities who want to modify their existing home, whether it's their own or a rental.
We can give advice over the phone but we'll suggest a meeting if we haven't met you before. To make the most of the meeting, you should be prepared to discuss your household and any concerns or health issues that you or your family have.
We have a limited number of modified homes. The information you provide will help us to identify how we can help you. Your eligibility may be affected if you have already had funding for home modifications.
Information you will need to provide:
We will want to know about your current situation, difficulties you are having, the kind of home you need to live independently in, and how much rent you can afford. We will also ask you about the other services or health professionals you work with, such as occupational therapists.
We may need proof that you and members of your household are New Zealand residents (such as passports, birth certificates or letters from the NZ Immigration Service).
We'll also need information that confirms your income (such as pay slips, contracts or income statements from Work and Income or ACC) and expenses (such as weekly bills, hire purchase agreements, loan or credit card documents, medical costs, and your accounts for the telephone and power).
Interpreters and support people:
You can bring an interpreter to the meeting, or you can ask us to arrange one for you. You can also bring a family member, community worker or anyone else to support you. We can meet at your home if that suits you best.
Modifying your home:
If your home needs modifying, we will arrange for an occupational therapist to assess the changes needed. We can help you to prepare the modification plans and approach your landlord for approval if your home is rented privately.
If you get approval and you're eligible for government assistance, the occupational therapist will apply to the Ministry of Health or ACC for funding. As soon as the funding is approved and available, work can begin. The funder will oversee this and we will monitor progress.
Typical modifications include:
- a level access shower
- an accessible toilet
- ramped entrances
- widened doors/hallways
- lowered kitchen benches.
Moving to a new home:
If you need to move, we will help you find the right place. If it's a private rental property, an occupational therapist will assess its suitability and advise on modifications needed. This must be done before you sign a tenancy agreement. If it's a Housing New Zealand home, we will hold it for you while it's being assessed. If it's private or council-owned, we may help with rent payments during this time.
What the Suitable Homes service costs:
Our advice is free but does not cover funding for modifications. If you need modifications that you can't afford, you will have to get funding from other agencies. We can help with funding applications.
Other services:
We offer other services to landlords and the disability community including:
- advice, support and advocacy services for people with physical disabilities
- free marketing for landlords with vacant modified properties.
What happens to information you give us?
We will ask you to sign a privacy statement, which allows us to collect and hold information about you; and give information about you to groups that we work with so they can help.
You have the right to look at the information we hold about you at any time. If it's wrong, you can ask us to change it.
Reviewing decisions:
We try to be fair in our decisions, but sometimes you may not agree with them. If you disagree with decisions we've made in response to your request for suitable housing, or you believe we haven't taken your disabilities into account, let us know so we can explain.
If you disagree with our response, you can ask us to review the decision. If you don't agree with the review findings, you can write to the housing services manager. If you're still not satisfied, you can take the matter to the Health and Disability Commissioner.
For independent advice, contact the Health and Disability Commissioner on 0800 112 233 or call your local advocacy service:
- Health Advocates Trust (Auckland/Northland) 0800 555 050 or 09 623 5799
- Advocacy Services Network Trust (Central/Lower North Island) 0800 423 638 or 06 348 0074
- Advocacy Services South Island Trust (ASSIST - South Island) 0800 377 766 or 03 377 7501
Contact the Suitable Homes service:
To find out more about Suitable Homes, visit your nearest neighbourhood unit or call us on 0800 801 601.
