Equal, normalized and included? Experiences with buying your own home for the mentally disabled

Abstract

This project examines the practices of six Norwegian municipalities, which, in a variety of ways, are trying to enable mentally disabled residents to build or buy their own homes. The survey has confirmed some previous findings: The financing model operated by the Norwegian State Housing Bank makes it possible for many mentally disabled people to purchase homes on the ordinary housing market. However, even though private developers are, without exception, friendly, this appears to be a complicated and resourcedemanding process. The cases demonstrate how municipalities can enable better processes in a variety of ways. Leaving home can be a major upheaval both for young mentally disabled people and their parents, entailing changes in the young person’s responsibilities, personal economy, and sense of independence. The overall objective is to achieve inclusivity. Some of the homes are quite ordinary and are located among other similar homes, but our findings indicate that to date, residents experience little or no positive interaction with their other neighbors. Natural meeting places and communal areas dedicated to entire neighborhoods are rare in new housing projects. If we are to meet the objectives of inclusivity and participation, we must expand our focus and not only look at the homes but also at the neighborhood in which the residents will be included.