The RDSP & Homeownership: Lived experience perspectives  

September 2019

In our May 2019 post, we shared My Home, My Community’s goal of finding ways to make the Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP) more useful for people with a disability and their families when it comes to housing security. Specifically, we are exploring ways the RDSP can be used to help people with a developmental disability buy their own homes. We know that for many people, homeownership provides physical and financial stability and security. 

To help us understand how RDSPs are being used now and explore ways they could be used in the future, we went straight to the experts – individuals with a developmental disability and their families. We organized Canada-wide focus groups and spoke to people about their experience, hopes, concerns, and suggestions. Some of the questions we asked them included:

  • What are you hoping to achieve by investing in an RDSP? 

  •  What changes would make the RDSP more attractive to individuals and families?

  • How do you think homeownership could benefit you/your family member? What would be challenging? What would make you worry?

  • What should the government know about the needs of people with a disability who want to use the RDSP for homeownership? 

We spoke to people of all ages and with many different living arrangements. From persons with developmental disabilities living at home with parents, to owning their own condo - we heard clearly that housing is a top concern. Some themes we heard during these conversations were:

  • There are big questions about who will manage the RDSP once parents are gone. 

  • There are challenges across Canada with accessing the RDSP because of Disability Tax Credit eligibility and renewal requirements.

  • Misunderstandings about the RDSP program and its rules is a big reason why people who are eligible for the RDSP haven’t opened one. Also, information and application processes aren’t available in plain language. 

  • There is concern about vulnerability and legal considerations when buying a home.

  • There are questions from across the country about homeownership and income assistance.

  • People with developmental disabilities need for long-term support with financial management.

  • Housing itself may not be the biggest issue for people with developmental disabilities. Accessing enough support in the home remains a true challenge. 

We also received lots of thoughtful, creative, and candid suggestions and ideas for making the RDSP work better for individuals and their families. We’re putting this together with feedback we’ve collected from professionals and the research we’ve been working on. Our next step is to explore options with technical experts in finance, law, and taxes for ways that the RDSP could be used for homeownership. Be sure to keep following as we share these options and prepare to begin testing them!