Condition of facilities in the current house

When assessing if a client's current accommodation is adequate, the condition of facilities in the house in which the client is living and any associated health and safety risks must be considered.

Note this does not apply to clients who are assessed as 'not living in any accommodation' or living in emergency housing for the time being. These clients have already been rated as 'at risk' (4) for adequacy.

Facilities are the things within the house that are there for a particular purpose and are a standard requirement. They include:

• laundry (wash tub, washing machine, plumbing)
• cooking (oven, cook top, ability to have a refrigerator in the cooking area)
• bathroom (toilet, basins, showers)
• heating (at least power points to be able to use a heater)

The degree of the inadequacies and the effect they are having on the quality of life of the occupants needs to be assessed.

Some factors to consider are:

• lack of cooking, toilet, bathroom and laundry facilities
• facilities not working at all
• the facilities are unsafe and dangerous and the current landlord is reluctant to repair them, for example:
  • exposed electrical wiring
  • gas leak
  • inadequate repairs of essential facilities have been undertaken
  • windows boarded over
  • doors tied shut because the lock is broken