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As the topic varies greatly across Europe, you will find the information divided by country. You will find the information for your own country translated into your national language. By clicking on the country flag and selecting other country flags, you can also access the information for other European countries in Englishnec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
How to finance different housing?
Young adults with care needs and disabilities often face additional challenges when searching for housing. They might have limited income and require homes that are both accessible and affordable. Additionally, some may not have families capable of providing adequate care, leading to the need for foster or residential care. Others may live more independently and only require minimal assistance, such as in an autonomous residence. In particularly vulnerable situations, care receivers may benefit from special financial assistance to repair, purchase, or rent a new home.
YoungCare has compiled a list of services that can be helpful for you and adults with care needs and disabilities, based on their specific disabilities or impairments, and provides information on how to access these services.
In the following overview, you will find different services, namely institutions and associations, through which you may explore the available services to finance home adaptations in Portugal.
Services: How to find different housing options and to how to finance them?
Find below some social support and housing options tailored to the level of disability of care receivers, along with information on how to finance these options in Portugal.
Acolhimento familiar [Foster care]
A social response aimed at temporarily or permanently integrating adults with disabilities into families capable of providing a stable and secure environment. One of the goals of this measure is to ensure that the individual receives a socio-familiar and affectionate environment supportive of meeting their basic needs while respecting their identity, personality, and privacy. Additionally, this measure seeks to prevent or delay institutionalization.
To learn more about the service and its eligibility conditions click here.
To request the service, learn more about it, or have your questions answered, you can do so through:
- Segurança Social (to book a face-to-face appointment)
- Balcão da Inclusão (for appointments related to disability and incapacity).
- Carta social (locates the nearest institutions offering the service. You can find their contact information and address, and reach out to them by phone or visit in person).
Lar residencial [Residential home]
Establishment for collective accommodation, for temporary or permanent use, of individuals with disabilities and impairments, aged 16 years and older, who are unable to reside in their family environment. Individuals with disabilities living in residential care homes pay a monthly fee for the service provided calculated based on the family’s income.
To learn more about the service and its eligibility conditions click here.
To request the service, learn more about it, or have your questions answered, you can do so through:
- Segurança Social (to book a face-to-face appointment)
- Balcão da Inclusão (for appointments related to disability and incapacity).
- Carta social (locates the nearest institutions offering the service. You can find their contact information and address, and reach out to them by phone or visit in person).
Residência autónoma [Autonomous residence]
Establishment for collective accommodation, for temporary or permanent use, of individuals with disabilities and impairments, aged 16 years and older, who are unable to reside in their family environment. Individuals with disabilities living in residential care homes pay a monthly fee for the service provided calculated based on the family’s income.
To learn more about the service and its eligibility conditions click here.
To request the service, learn more about it, or have your questions answered, you can do so through:
- Segurança Social (to book a face-to-face appointment)
- Balcão da Inclusão (for appointments related to disability and incapacity).
- Carta social (locates the nearest institutions offering the service. You can find their contact information and address, and reach out to them by phone or visit in person).
Apoio ao arrendamento habitacional [Support for rental housing]
This program aims to support the promotion of housing solutions for those living in inadequate conditions and who lack the financial means to afford suitable housing. Inadequate conditions encompass precariousness, overcrowding, unhealthiness, insecurity, and the lack of specific needs adequacy for residents, such as accessibility issues affecting some people with disabilities.
Within this program, housing solutions including rental support, rehabilitation, construction, or acquisition may be facilitated.
Learn more about this support and what are the eligibility conditions on the following link:
Plataforma eletrónica do Arrendamento Apoiado
Tipologias de Residência de Cuidados Continuados na Saúde Mental da RNCCI (Rede Nacional de Cuidados Continuados Integrados)
font-RAMa – Residência de Apoio Máximo Adultos [RAMa – Maximum Support Residence for Adults]
Community-based residential structure for clinically stabilized individuals with a high degree of psychosocial disability who cannot be treated at home due to a lack of adequate family or social support. Its purpose is to provide care that prevents and delays the worsening of dependency.
RAMo – Residência de Apoio Moderado [RAMo – Moderate Support Residence]
Community-based residential structure for clinically stabilized individuals with a moderate degree of psychosocial disability who cannot be treated at home due to a lack of adequate family or social support. Its goal is to maintain and enhance existing functionality, improve quality of life, and promote socio-occupational integration.
RTA – Residência de Treino de Autonomia [RTA – Autonomy Training Residence]
Community-based residential unit designed to develop psychosocial rehabilitation programs for clinically stabilized individuals with moderate to low psychosocial disabilities who retain some functionality. Its aim is to facilitate social and family reintegration, preparing individuals for a return home or, in the absence of adequate family or social support, for admission to other units and teams.
Porta de Entrada - Programa de Apoio ao Alojamento Urgente
[Gateway – Urgent Accommodation Support Programme]
This program aims to provide housing solutions for families displaced temporarily or permanently due to natural disasters, collective migrations, family breakdowns, or other situations requiring urgent accommodation. It offers support to households for residential reconstruction and facilitates integration and necessary sustainability during temporary housing. Families including individuals with disabilities, with a disability level of 60% or higher, receive increased assistance. In cases where program funds are insufficient to cover all supported cases, these households are prioritized in the selection and prioritization criteria for support applications.
Learn more about this support and what are the eligibility conditions on this link.
Porta 65 - Arrendamento Jovem
The aim of this programme is to provide financial support for young people between the ages of 18 and 35 to rent housing for permanent residence. This support is granted through a monthly subsidy, corresponding to a percentage of the monthly rent, decreasing for periods of 12 months, which can be renewed for up to 60 months.
Young people with a disability equal to or greater than 60 per cent can have 15 per cent added to the percentage of the monthly subsidy. If the young household has a disabled dependent with the level of disability mentioned above, the same percentage also applies.Applications must be made digitally, on the Housing Portal, using the electronic form. People who have a disabled member of their household must attach legal proof of the degree of disability.
Learn more about this support and what are the eligibility conditions on this link.
Good pratices
Guia Prático - Acessibilidade no Alojamento Turístico
The All for All – Portuguese Tourism Programme includes a diverse and comprehensive set of initiatives promoted by Turismo de Portugal, aimed at stimulating, informing, training and supporting all the agents and entities that make up the tourism chain.
Guia Prático – Apoios sociais pessoas com deficiência
Guide to the various social benefits available to people with disabilities and the eligibility conditions and documents required to take advantage of the service
Why is it important to prepare and finance housing solutions for people with disabilities?
The life of people with disability must be supported in order to foster their autonomy, self-determination, ability to relate, creativity and active participation in their community. Being able to live in the most suitable place in relation to one’s needs and one’s wishes is the main objective to pursue. The overcoming of institutionalisation and the promotion, as much as possible, of projects for independent living, starts from the disabled person’s possibility of having a home of their own. The right to home ownership is a fundamental right of the person that must be supported and encouraged.
Public residential housing or council housing is defined as housing built at the expense of the State and intended for people in economically or socially disadvantaged conditions, i.e. in a situation that does not allow them to buy a flat at the normal market price. The calculation of the rent will be proportionate to the income capacity of the person obtaining the accommodation.
The management of public housing allocations is not uniform throughout the country: regions and municipalities can freely establish in their respective notices the requirements for access to public residential housing.
Below, you will be given an overview of existing and financing options and a step-by-step guide on how to finance and search for disability-friendly housing.
What services exist in Italy to access accommodations for people with disabilities?
In the following overview, you will find several institutions and services through which you can apply for housing for people with disabilities in Italy.
Public social housing
Each municipality has public housing available and defines the criteria for access to it.
By accessing this link you can get more information to see who is eligible to apply and who to contact.
Law 112/16 "Dopo di noi”
Law 112 of June 22, 2016 on “Provisions on assistance for severely disabled persons without family support,” so-called of the “Dopo di noi,” introduced for the first time in our legal system specific protections for persons with severe disabilities when family support is lost.
The measure aims to ensure maximum autonomy and independence for people with disabilities, enabling them, for example, to continue to live when their parents can no longer care for them in settings as similar as possible to the family home or by initiating deinstitutionalization processes.
By accessing the following links you can get more information to see who is eligible to apply and who to contact:
Sheltered housing for people with disabilities
Sheltered housing provides comprehensive care services for people with physical and intellectual disabilities who, while having a high level of autonomy, require support and supervision to lead independent and autonomous lives.
By accessing this link you can get more information to see who is eligible to apply and who to contact.
How to finance housing for people with disabilities
In Italy, there are several opportunities to finance housing for people with disabilities
Contact the relevant disability social service in your neighbourhood to present the household’s needs and get an appointment.
Contact the welfare offices and your general practitioner to apply for civil disability in order to access housing services for people with disabilities
Good pratices
Website of your region
On your region’s website you can find out about all the aid you can receive.
Resources
- Social housing
Article on the allocation of public housing for civil disabled people - Article ‘Housing for people with disabilities’
The article explores the role of housing policies for people with disabilities.
Where to start if I’m looking for a new home?
Are you looking for a different place to live? A new home might provide more indepence or be better adapted to your (loved-one’s) care needs. However, moving can be a costly endeavour, especially when care needs or responsibilities already consume so much of your budget. In the Netherlands there exist some measures to help you finance a move to a new home.
For other financial aids, check out the topics [home adaptations] and [income support].
How to finance different housing in the Netherlands?
In the Netherlands you can receive help in finding a suitable accommodation and financial compensation for the move and/or the rent. If relocation needs are urgent, you can request a priority indication. Most of these services are organised by the municipality you reside in. Check out the services below to find out more.Netherlands.
Services
Finding suitable housing
First and foremost you will need to find a place that fits your or your loved-one’s needs. You can receive help in finding a suitable home by requesting a ‘Wmo Verhuisindicatie’ (a relocation indication through the Social Support Act). This is an assessment provided by the municipality for individuals who, because of their health or limitations, can no longer remain in their current housing. The purpose is to support you in finding a suitable home that matches your specific care needs. With an indication you have priority on adapted housing (see also urgency indication, point 4). To request a relocation indication you need to consult the Wmo point of your municipality. Consult their website or google ‘wmo’ plus the name of your municipality.
Of course you can also look for housing yourself, for instance on the website of Meewoonwinkel. Alternatively, many websites with housing offers, like funda, contain filters for adapted living.
Find out more about how to find adapted housing in the Netherlands:
More information on adapted housing
More information on the relocation indication
Housing offers
Huurtoeslag (housing benefit)
Individuals with a low income and a rent lower than the threshold (which is adapted yearly) may receive a housing benefit to help pay their rent. If you are living in adapted housing you can receive more compensation and there is no rent threshold.
Check out the links below to find out if you meet the right conditions and how to apply:
Conditions to receive housing benefit;
Housing benefit for adapted housing;
How to apply for housing benefit;
Request form special situation housing benefit.
Verhuiskostenvergoeding (relocation allowance)
If you need to move due to care needs you can receive a relocation allowance, covering (part of) the moving costs. In 2024 the minimal compensation is €7.428.
You can request a relocation allowance at the Wmo point of your municipality. To receive this service it doesn’t matter if you stay in the same municipality or move to a different one.
Find out more about the relocation allowance:
Relocation allowance
Urgentieverklaring (urgency indication)
If you need a new living space urgently due to medical reasons you may be eligible for an urgency indication. With an indication you can have priority on social housing, avoiding long waitlists. There are different types of indications with different priority degrees; medical urgency, Wmo relocation indication (see above), and 65+. With a medical urgency you have the highest priority to receive suitable housing. An application can be done online and takes 4 to 6 weeks.
Find out more about the medical urgency indication here:
Conditions for a medical urgency indication
Application form
Bijzondere bijstand (special social assistance benefit)
The special social assistance benefit is an extra payment you can receive for costs that are necessary, unforeseen, and pressing, and you are unable to pay for yourself. You can for instance apply for the special social assistance benefit if you need to redesign and/or refurnish your new adapted home. Your municipality decides the eligibility rules, the sum, and whether or not it is a gift or a loan.
Find more information on the social assistance benefit here:
Link 1
Link 2
Good pratices
Fokuswonen
Fokus is a Dutch organisation providing so-called ADL housing. Here residents can receive assistance in everyday activities, but they decide themselves with what, when and how.
Which housing options exists and how can I finance them?
With the emergence of a need for care, the requirements for the living environment change. These new requirements cannot always be met with ambulant care, sometimes new living options should be considered. Assisted living communities or care homes are usually suitable. However, these new housing options come with financial challenges. You should therefore find out who will cover the financial costs and when, and what financial support is available.
While shared flats often also exist for younger people, the problem with care homes is that the infrastructure is primarily geared towards geriatric care. It is advisable to search the internet for suitable offers.
Below you will find information on how to finance living communities and care homes.
How can I finance living communities and care homes as different housing options?
The overview contains information on how it is possible to finance living communities and care homes. It gives you clarity about e.g. who is responsible for financing.
Living communities
In assisted living communities 3 to 12 people live together and at least 3 of them are in need of care. Every resident has its own room and community rooms exist.
In contrast to a care home, the rental and care services are separate. This means that there is a rental contract and a care contract that exist independently of each other. Care in an assisted living community can take two forms. Either it is provided by relatives or an ambulant care service is organised. Depending on the assisted living community, each person in need of care can decide for themselves which form they would like to choose. The care costs are then settled with the care insurance via Pflegegeld (long-term care allowance) or Pflegesachleistung (care benefits in kind), depending on the case. The rental costs everyone has to cover themselves. However, there is the option of applying for Wohngruppenzuschlag (accommodation allowance) of 214 euros per month from the care insurance fund.
Here you can find further information about how betreute Wohngemeinschaften (living communities) is getting financed.
Wohn Assistenz (Home assistance)
In the module on ambulant care the options of persönliche Assistenz (personal assistance) and persönliches Budget (personal budget) are presented. One possibility is to use personal assistance, which in turn is financed via the personal budget, as living assistance.
Similar to ambulant care, home assistance provides support in everyday life, with the difference that the person in need of care decides for themselves when and where help should be provided.
Further information about home assistance you will find here.
You can also search for assistants yourself or post a job advert. A good address for this is the Assistenz-Börse website.
How do I receive financial support?
In order to receive financing for the two above housing options, the person in need of care needs to apply at the care insurance for Pflegegeld (care allowance), Pflegesachleistung (care benefits in kind) and Kombileistung (combination benefits). Besides that, you can apply for housing group supplement (Wohngruppenzuschlag).
For the housing group supplement the person in need of care or the authorised contact person needs to fill out a form at the relevant Pflegeversicherung (long-term care insurance). It is best to do it before moving to a living community. Most long-term care insurance companies have the form on their website. Otherwise, it is sufficient to write an informal e-mail and the form will be sent to you digitally. Link.
If you would like to see an example of what such a form could look like, use this link.
In Germany, there are various organisations that pay the costs of assistance. Which service provider covers the costs depends on the personal situation and which assistance services are required.
If you would like to receive the assistance via Pflegesachleistung, you can use the step-by-step-guide provided by the module on ambulant care or home care.
If you would like to use your personal budget to pay for personal assistance, you need to submit an application to one of the above-mentioned service providers. Do not worry to chose the wrong one, in that case the application will be send to the responsible cost provider.
If you would like to read more about the personal budget, use this link.
Good pratices
Junge Pflege
As the work on this project has also shown, residential care in particular is one of the greatest challenges for younger people in need of care. Many facilities are geared towards geriatric care and are not very attractive to younger people due to the environment. Below you can find some links that provide information on the topic. You might also find offers in your region under the keywords “young care” or “care home for younger people”: link.
doMS e. V.
The doMS association was founded with the aim of developing a communal housing project for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and realising it in cooperation with a housing company. The building was occupied in 2009. Since then, people of different age groups and living and family situations have lived in 64 flats. Among them are 15 MS sufferers and other people with chronic illnesses or disabilities.
Resources
- Study of GKV
The GKV study focussed on “new” forms of living for people in need of care. Some examples are given
What are the possible housing options for people with care needs and disabilities in Lithuania?"
Providing appropriate housing options for people with care needs and disabilities is vital. Ensuring accessible housing aligns with human rights principles, guaranteeing that individuals with disabilities have the same opportunities for safe and comfortable living as everyone else. Access to housing is related to numerous positive consequences for people with disabilities as well as their family caregivers, as it improves independence, reduces caregiver strain, and enhances quality of life by enabling safer, more accessible living. Young people in need of care have several housing options available to them, depending on their specific needs, age, and the resources available in their living area.
By reading this topic you will know what possible housing options exist for people with care needs in Lithuania.
You may learn more about the different types of housing alternatives that are accessible to people with disabilities in Lithuania. Additionally, there are links to other websites with more information about the services that you can access.
What are housing opportunities for people woth care needs and disabilities in Lithuania and how can you apply for it?
Here you will find information about different housing options available for people with care needs and disabilities.
Apsaugotas būstas (Sheltered housing)
Savarankiško gyvenimo namai (Independent living housing)
Independent living housing provides social care services for ten partially independent individuals with mental and/or intellectual disability. Independent living homes support people with disabilities in managing their personal and social lives independently by supporting, fostering, and maintaining their social and independent living skills, under their abilities, and/or by providing minimal assistance to compensate for the loss or lack of independent living skills.
Information about independent living housing: Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3 | Link 4
Savarankiško gyvenimo namai (Independent living housing)
Independent living housing provides social care services for ten partially independent individuals with mental and/or intellectual disability. Independent living homes support people with disabilities in managing their personal and social lives independently by supporting, fostering, and maintaining their social and independent living skills, under their abilities, and/or by providing minimal assistance to compensate for the loss or lack of independent living skills.
Information about independent living housing: Link 1 | Link2 | Link 3 | Link 4
Grupinio gyvenimo namai (Group living home)
Housing of this kind is available for those with intellectual or mental disability. A group living home is a social care service provided in the community. Group homes are designed to resemble homes and can accommodate up to ten persons with disabilities (mental, intellectual, multiple disabilities) who are not independent.
In addition to receiving the required assistance in the home, residents of group homes also get access to additional community-based services that support the development and restoration of social and independent living skills.
Information about Group living home in Zarasa: Link 1 | Link 2
Trumpalaikė socialinė globa (Short-term social care for a person with a disability)
Short-term social care is a set of services that provide a person with complex assistance, requiring permanent specialist care, which can be provided in an institution such as a care home. The duration of the service can vary. It is usually provided when informal caregivers cannot provide care due to the following reasons: sickness, business trips, holidays, family or work commitments, etc.
To know more about short-term social care click this link.
Ilgalaikė socialinė globa (Long-term social care)
Long-term social care service – complex assistance, requiring permanent specialist care, for persons who are not fully independent.
To know more about long-term social care click this link.
How to apply for different housing?
You will learn how to apply for housing that is most suitable for your needs.
If you have a psychosocial disability and would like to live in sheltered house you should consider your financial situation. The service user must have the financial means to cover the costs of food, personal hygiene, medical care (medicines), cultural expenses, and other fees related to their unique needs. In sheltered housing, rent, internet, TV, and maintenance costs are all paid for by the “From Care to Opportunity: developing community-based services” project. Link
For sheltered housing services you need to contact the social assistance department in your municipality. Link
For sheltered housing services you need to contact the social assistance department in your municipality.
For sheltered housing services you need to contact the social assistance department in your municipality.
People with short-term social care needs and for whom home-based services are ineffective are referred to social care institutions. The social care institutions providing short-term social care are chosen by the applicant (guardian, carer, other legal representatives).
A person (one of the adult members of the family) or his/her guardian or caregiver applies for social care services to the Social Services Department according to his/her place of residence.
People who are in need of long-term social care, who need permanent care, and for whom home-based services are ineffective are referred to social care institutions. The social care institutions providing long-term social care are chosen by the applicant (guardian, carer, other legal representatives).
For long-term social care you need to contact the social assistance department in your municipality.
Good pratices
Own Home
Introducing the “Savi namai” (Own Home) independent living home – the creation of a home environment and the provision of the necessary services for adults with mental disabilities who do not need constant, intensive care, enabling them to manage their personal/family life independently.
Living in a sheltered housing
You can read positive impressions of a person with mental disability who lives in sheltered housing. Link
Resources
- Explanation of the methodology for the provision of sheltered housing services for adults with mental disabilities.
This information is presented in an easy-to-understand manner - Description of Independent living housing
This description provides information on independent living housing, the principles of service provision and the organisation of these services for adults with mental and/or intellectual disabilities (hereinafter referred to as ‘disabilities’). Adicional info. - Description of social care in group housing
This description provides information on group homes the principles of service provision and the organisation of these services for adults with mental and/or intellectual disabilities (hereinafter referred to as ‘disabilities’).
What is meant by barrier-free housing?
Barrier-free housing refers to the design of living spaces and environments that are accessible and usable for people with different types of disabilities. This means that there are no obstacles that could make it difficult for people with mobility, sensory or cognitive impairments to move around and use their home safely and independently. For example, wider doors, level entrances, non-slip floors and adapted bathrooms can help to reduce barriers.
What are the benefits of barrier-free housing for people in need of care?
Barier-free homes can be designed to meet the needs of wheelchair users, the visually and hearing impaired and people with other mobility or cognitive impairments. In this context, they bring a number of benefits:
- Barrier-free husing enables people with different disabilities to move freely and safely around their homes without encountering obstacles.
- It promotes independence and autonomy as residents are less dependent on help to carry out their daily activities.
- It makes everyday living easier by providing access to all areas of the home, including bedrooms, kitchens and bathrooms.
Which basic modifications or adaptations can be made to make housing more accessible for people with disabilities and care needs?
Overall, several changes can be made to ensure barrier-free housing. In the floor plan below, you can click on the various interactive points to find out which adaptations are possible in the kitchen, bathroom and bedroom and how they can be implemented.
How can informal carers help to create an environment that supports the independence and quality of life of people in need of care?
You, as an Informal carer must create accessible and barrier-free housing for your care recipients. The accessible solutions presented can significantly improve the lives of people in need of care. They allow to move freely and safely while carrying out everyday activities independently. You should take special care to ensure that your caretaker’s home is easily accessible, with wide doorways, non-slip floors and other adaptations that take all needs into account. By implementing accessible housing options, you can improve the quality of life of care recipients and provide them with an environment where they feel comfortable.
Good Pratices
Regelhulp (arrangement help) (NL)
Regelhulp is a government website that provides a guide for navigating help and support measures. They offer information and helpful links on housing, and more.
Barrierefrei Leben e.V. (DE)
Barrierefrei Leben e.V. shows a range of possible home adaptations in favour of barrier-free living. Click on the link and get to know about more accessible adaptations.
List of Materials
Guide presenting adapted kitchen tools & utensils
The guide of the National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability (NCHPAD) gives an brought overview about available tools in the kitchen.