ABSTRACT
This chapter presents the process and findings of an interdisciplinary research that has taken place in the Dutch context, and that was initiated by our office, Casanova+Hernandez in Rotterdam, at a time when subsidy policies in the Netherlands were changing, leading to clear social welfare cuts. The main motivation for us to initiate and develop this research was the firm conviction that the combination of two factors, the possibility of leading a quality independent life for people with disabilities (and the elderly) on the one hand, and the constant adequate day-care assistance of these people on the other hand, results in more sustainable communities, which has a positive long-term effect on society as a whole. We were convinced that promoting budget cuts in the fields of social housing and day-care assistance for vulnerable groups, such as physically impaired people and the elderly, was the wrong strategy to follow, not only from the social point of view, but even from a financial perspective. Reducing the options of these groups to live in healing environments with adequate assistance would not only marginalize them (again), but it would also increase healthcare costs in the long term.
