Abstract:

Queensland Department of Housing initiated the Community Housing Best Practice Project in 1998 to encourage not-for-profit incorporated organisations to document, implement and evaluate from a 'grass-roots' perspective the principles of best practice for delivering community housing. This document is the result of work undertaken on behalf of the Cabbage Tree Housing Service, and focuses on housing people with disabilities. It is a best practice manual, the aim of which is to provide community housing providers with: a reference for assessing their own capacity to provide an appropriate and responsive service (self audit); core principles to which service policies and practices should be accountable; a practical approach to housing people with disabilities which respects environmental constraints and provides direction for how to achieve continuing improvement; tools for implementing inclusive and responsive housing and management systems; a planning framework within which each housing service needs to define its own strategy to ensure they offer an accessible, equitable and inclusive housing service. Following introductory material, the manual is in four parts : Best practice principles and practices; Establishing a plan for housing people with disabilities; Applying the principles and practices;