Individual Housing for Persons with Disabilities. From long-term residential care to individual housing. Eds. Markku Niemelä and Krista Brandt. Helsinki, 2008. 159pp. (Reports of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, Finland, ISSN 1236-2115; 2007:73) ISBN 978-952-00-2514-4 (pb), ISBN 978-952-00-2515-1 (PDF)

Development of individual housing and supportive services for persons with intellectual disabilities is a part of the implementation of the fundamental rights and justice. Transfer from residential care to individual housing services is a challenge for disability policy recognised all over the world, the solution to which is based on the human rights. People with disabilities must have an equal right to live in a community and make choices similar to those made by other people. Finland has signed the new UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which obliges the states to ensure that people with disabilities can choose their place and type of residence as well as whom they want to live with on an equal basis with others.

The present report gives recommendations on developing the housing and supportive services for persons with intellectual disabilities and proposes measures to shift from residential care to a service system based on non-residential services. Functional housing solutions and adequate supportive services ensure safe housing and opportunities to lead a full life for persons with disabilities. It is set as the goal for housing of persons with intellectual disabilities that they can live in the future in the same way as other Finnish people. Today for instance the fact that young people with intellectual disabilities move away from their childhood homes is seen as a natural phase in their becoming independent.

In his report the Rapporteur ad int. proposes that:

- The housing concept regarding persons with intellectual disabilities should differentiate between the housing solution, flat and services needed in support of housing.

- The provision of housing for persons with disabilities should be planned carefully and the needs for housing and support should be examined in the long term. Service planning that gathers together different plans provides the basis for the needs assessments made by municipal authorities.

- The system of residential institutions should be abolished. There should be a shift from the institution-intensive service system to non-residential services over the next ten years. The few institutions that will remain in operation should focus on special is-sues and have a limited capacity, and in the end they should be integrated into the health care system.

- To replace residential care and to respond to other housing needs, 600 flats should be acquired per year in Finland.

- The services needed for housing should be provided from the perspective of individual assistance and support. Specific systems of assistance should be developed and introduced gradually.

- Issues regarding children with disabilities should be taken under particular consideration. The most essential thing in regard to the housing of children is to support their families.

Making progress in the individual housing of persons with intellectual disabilities presupposes collaboration in which several actors share the related responsibilities and implement their share of the measures required to develop housing. A financial contribution and development of know-how are also needed to implement the action plan. It is evident that the role of the public authorities is vital in solving the questions related to the housing of persons with intellectual disabilities: promotion of the acquisition of flats and provision of supportive services are considered a responsibility of the public authorities.

Key words: home care, housing, persons with intellectual disabilities, residential care, social services, special care for persons with intellectual disabilities