Alecia
Different places you could live
Hello, in case you haven't watched the previous chapter, my name is Alecia, and I am from the Housing Hub team at the Summer Foundation. If you've just watched the previous chapter about NDIS housing supports, welcome back. There are many different types of housing you could live in. These include apartments and units, which are properties where there is a building of a number of homes in one place. They can be multi-story or across one level. Apartments are generally in bigger cities. You will be living close to neighbours in an apartment, and there will be rules about pets, as well as other things. Apartments can be an affordable option.
Townhouses, villas, and duplexes are properties where your home is attached to other homes. These homes can allow for outdoor space and you would be closer to neighbours than in a house. A house is a standalone property. You may have more room in a house and outdoor spaces for a pet or a garden, but this can mean more work in maintaining a garden, and larger spaces to keep clean. A group home is where you live in a house with other people with a disability. You will have your own bedroom and you share the areas such as kitchen, lounge room, and bathroom. You may not have much say about who else lives in the home and who provides your supports. In a boarding house, the rooms are rented individually. You would have your own room, but usually share the kitchen, bathroom, and living room with other people. Boarding houses are generally larger than group homes.
Some other types of housing include granny flats in someone's backyard, caravans or cabins, but these can be very small. Some people with disability live in residential aged care facilities. The Commonwealth Government recognises that aged care is a poor housing option for younger people with a disability, and recently announced that it's working to ensure there are better alternatives.
Once you have thought about the type of housing you would like to live in, you can then think about the features of the property you may need. You might need or want accessible features to make your home easier to move around. You might need features to support you to do things more independently, or you might need features that help keep you and others safe. Some of these features include, wheelchair accessible features, open spaces, so you can move around in your chair, height adjustable bench tops in the kitchen, and a vanity in the bathroom accessible at a seated position. Doors that are operated by a button rather than manually. Open spaces, good lighting and soft edges to help with sensory and visibility needs. Strengthened features to reduce potential harm to oneself or the property. Safe spaces for tenants and support workers.
All properties will have features that are different. You can think about what you need in your home. Some examples include, the location of the property. Is it close to shops, parks, work, school, family, and friends? The number of bedrooms, bathrooms, and car spaces you would like. Kitchen features such as a dishwasher and storage space. Laundry features, heating and cooling. Now you can go to your workbook and do activities four and five. What sort of home would you like to live in, and what do you need in your home? When you have finished, watch the next chapter, different ways of paying for where you live.