For Christina, moving from Gippsland into one of our specialist disability accommodation (SDA) homes in Melbourne meant regaining her independence, pursuing her passions and finding a real sense of home, support and community.
“This place just ticked all the boxes for accessibility, it’s near my nephew and in a lovely location where I can enjoy the view of the bay.” “I couldn’t find SDA or disability housing in Gippsland and non-SDA housing was getting dangerous. My old landlord wouldn’t let me put a rail in the shower, so I hadn’t had a shower for months and it was just getting so hard.”
With the help of her long-time support coordinator and CHL Christina decided to move to a CHL SDA apartment. Accessibility features were built into every detail of the apartment, giving Christina a level of independence for the first time in years. “I can be on my wheelchair if I need to be, which I try not to as much as possible, but if I have, I can be on my wheelchair and I have room to move around safely.”
“Everything being at the right height, the switches and being able to access power points and things like that, are things people just take for granted.” “This place just ticked all the boxes for accessibility, it’s near my nephew and in a lovely location where I can enjoy the view of the bay.”
Christina finds joy and wellbeing in giving second-hand items new life. Now, with a dedicated space in her home for her creative work, she can fully enjoy her hobby again.
“Having room to spread out my materials and leave projects set up without having to pack everything away has been a game-changer allowing me to enjoy craft again.”
Beyond the comforts of her apartment, Christina has found a welcoming community. “Everyone seems really friendly,” she said. “There are a couple of craft groups that I’m thinking of going to,” she said, adding that she’s also interested in gardening, thanks to the communal gardens nearby.
In addition to her home being designed with accessibility in mind and the sense of belonging and community her home gives her, the support Christina receives from CHL team members made a big difference to her quality of life after her previous negative housing experiences.
“The team here have been very helpful and supportive. The maintenance man has been so helpful to come and do things. The team even customised my building access to improve my safety. The lift was shutting too quickly and I got jammed in the lift and now my particular swipe card makes the lift open longer for me. The CHL team are always happy to help, which has just been amazing.”
