A safe space to come home to | #ForAccessibleHomes News

Sam has been living in a Habinteg wheelchair standard bungalow for the last four years.

I remember the day I found out about Habinteg. My parents and I told social services that I wanted to find somewhere to live independently. We had a couple of meetings with our social worker then I was placed on the housing register. Thinking I would be waiting months, and possibly even years to find somewhere suitable, we thought nothing more of it.

A few weeks went by and we got a call from my social worker about a property I might be suitable for. She put me in contact with Habinteg and they came out to see me and offered to show me the property. It was perfect, adapted kitchen and bathroom, and massive living spaces. I filled out the application with Habinteg and waited to hear if I was selected for the property. I was offered the place, and within days I had the keys and could start moving my stuff in.

It wasn’t easy at first, being away from mum and dad was something I had never done when living at home. I managed to build up a better relationship with many people around me, including my parents, and focus on the things that really matter to me.

Habinteg’s initial monthly visits were a great aid into helping me settle in and create financial plans, getting all my bills set up and the like as well as telling them about my experiences as they happen and dealing with many of the issues that come around. I know that if I ever need anything from them now, they are only a phone call away, and always great people to talk to, taking many of the worries out of daunting situations. I have built up a relationship with the team that really make me feel comfortable living my life.

There have been a few situations over the last couple of years that have been very hard to deal with, and having a safe space to come home to has proved invaluable. Without my own home, I would have not have coped so well, and that in itself this has been worth it alone.

Habinteg, their staff and everyone around me has given me the tools to become as independent as possible, and I am immensely proud of who I have become. I was a shy boy with no clue where I was heading or what I would end up doing, and now I am very much a grown man and I can’t thank them enough!

#ForAccessibleHomes day is Friday 8 September 2017. Join the conversation on social media @Habinteg and search #ForAccessibleHomes.