Andrew Gibson

Habinteg

Andrew Gibson has combined personal experience as a wheelchair user and policy knowledge to campaign for accessible homes on a national scale.

Andrew is Vice-Chair of Habinteg, a housing association that champions inclusion by providing and promoting accessible homes. In this role, he has successfully influenced government work. In 2016, Andrew spoke to the Women and Equalities Committee when it launched an inquiry into disability and the built environment.

Andrew and Habinteg worked with Heidi Allen MP to amend the Neighbourhood Planning Act so the Secretary of State must now issue guidance to planning authorities on how they address the housing needs of older people and those with disabilities. This amendment was passed by both the House of Commons and the House of Lords and written into the law.

Andrew has also been a key part of Habinteg’s #ForAccessibleHomes campaign. The campaign aims to raise awareness of the national shortage of accessible properties to rent or buy by lobbying the Government, councils and developers. Andrew was at the forefront, representing the organisation for two years in a row at Westminster. To reach as many MPs as possible, Andrew took part in face to face individual meetings in parliament, hosted two #ForAccessibleHomes parliamentary drop-ins and attended party conferences to meet key ministers. Many of the MPs got involved in the campaign on twitter, using the #ForAccessibleHomes hashtag to show their support and the campaign has won four awards in the last two years.