Alternative Accommodation Support Projects

Information on this page

Introduction

In February 2005, the then Minister for Community Services, Sherryl Garbutt MP, announced grant funding to 14 organisations to provide long-term and sustainable accommodation support to people with a disability as a positive alternative to the traditional Shared Supported Accommodation (commonly referred to as Community Residential Units or CRUs).

Evaluation 

In early 2007, an evaluation of the grants program and each of the individual projects was undertaken for Disability Services by Grimwood Pty Ltd.

The broad findings of the evaluation were:

• The projects have been universally well received by participants and stakeholders.
• The projects have made a valuable contribution toward increasing housing capacity.
• Not continuing the projects would be counter productive and waste the resources and effort put in to date.
• The evaluators identified six 'housing functions' associated with developing and maintaining sustainable housing.
• The participant group has tended toward those with lower support needs.
• Improved links with DHS regions would be beneficial.
• There is a need for a regional/local housing strategy(ies) to ensure people are linked to housing opportunities at the appropriate time.

Learning from the evaluation

A report of the main learnings from the projects has been provided by Grimwood, and can be downloaded below:

• Learnings from the Evaluation of the Disability Services Accommodation Innovation Grants (PDF 64KB) (12 pages) 
• Learnings from the Evaluation of the Disability Services Accommodation Innovation Grants (Word 105KB) (10 pages)

As a result of the evaluation, the projects have ceased to be funded as 'grant funding' and have been incorporated into the ongoing business of the respective Disability Services region. They continue to assist people with a disability to find and make a success of living in accommodation of their choice.

Alternative formats

If you need alternative formats of the document, contact Disability Services by email: disability.services@dhs.vic.gov.au.

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The projects

The following provides a brief summary of each project and contact details. If you would like more information about the approach being taken by a particular project or to find out if you can be involved, contact the project(s) closest to the area in which you live.

Neighbourhood Connections

Neighbourhood Connections' unique system of support is designed to make the best use of network members' own abilities. A small number of properties are scattered around a neighbourhood where members can easily walk or move from one property to another. One of the properties is occupied by the Neighbourhood Connections Worker who works part time on a flexible basis. This arrangement enables Neighbourhood Connections to build layers of support around the network members. As members experience the strength of the network they can become less dependent on workers and more confident in themselves. Neighbourhood Connections is hosted by Marillac House Limited.

Contact information

DirectLife

DirectLife assists people with a disability who want to live independently to choose where they want to live, how they want to live and with whom they want to live. The DirectLife model works on the basis of combining community development - building communities, social and natural support networks, with sound planning to ensure a person has the appropriate supports and safeguards to live the lifestyle of their choice. DirectLife is available to those living in the Southern and Eastern Metropolitan regions. It is a requirement that applicants be eligible for disability services with the Department of Human Services and in receipt or able to obtain funding for direct support services such as HomeFirst, Support & Choice. DirectLife is hosted by the E. W. Tipping Foundation.

Contact information

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Yoorooga

Yoorooga is a small family governed service that assists people with disabilities to live in their own homes in the community. Yoorooga also aims to enable each person, like other members of the community, to determine their own accommodation option and lifestyle around what they really want and need so that life is personally relevant and meaningful. Participants must live in the West Gippsland Region and be eligible to register for Disability Services with the Department of Human Services. Yoorooga is hosted by the E. W. Tipping Foundation.

Contact information

Position currently vacant 
Auspice Agency: E.W. Tipping Foundation (Gippsland) (External link)
Address: 71 Victoria St, Warragul VIC 3820
Telephone: (03) 5622 7703
Area: Warragul/Drouin

Peer Relationships and Problem Solving Program

The PR&PSP assists young people in Mildura who are living at home or leaving Out of Home Care to learn the skills to help them prepare for independent living. The program teaches skills required inside the home, and outside the home such as shopping, using public transport, safety, how to problem solve, and building positive peer relationships. The program also assists with learning the processes involved in finding/applying for accommodation, and working with various agencies such as Centrelink. PR&PSP is hosted by Mallee Accommodation & Support Program.

Contact information

Rebecca Hemming
Auspice Agency: Mallee Accommodation & Support Program
Address: PO BOX 1686, Mildura, VIC 3502
Telephone: (03) 5023 3744
Email: rhulthen@masp.org.au
Area: Mildura

Choice in Living

CIL offers local people of the Alexandra district, with disabilities, the chance to live how, where and with whom they choose, and assists them to work towards the things in life that are important to them. CIL enables people to remain in the community where they have already established relationships and community ties, after their families are no longer able to support them in the family home. CIL can also be an early intervention solution so that people are not having to deal with deterioration or death of a primary carer, and at the same time finding themselves thrust into an unfamiliar living situation with people they don't know. CIL is working in partnership with Supported Housing Limited to build three units as some of the housing options for participants. CIL is hosted by the Dame Pattie Menzies Centre Inc.

Contact information

Robert Chaffe
Auspice Agency: Dame Pattie Menzies Centre Inc
Address: 2456 Goulburn Valley Highway, Alexandra VIC 3714
Telephone: (03) 5772 1888
Email: damepattiemenzies@bigpond.com
Area: Alexandra

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Access Accommodation Project

There are two Access Accommodation Projects - one based in Geelong and the other based in Wyndham (Werribee area).

Each project will assist people with disabilities in their area to find appropriate, safe and affordable private accommodation with supports activated and put in place to ensure the long term viability of the person's independent living. The projects have been successful in supporting people into private rental through providing testimonials to real estate agents and landlords. Both projects are hosted by CREATE Inc.

Contact information

Ellen Perkins
Auspice Agency: CREATE (Geelong) Incorporated (External link)
Address: Osborne House, Swinburne Street, North Geelong VIC 3215
Telephone: (03) 5240 2132
Email: ellenp@creategeelong.com
Area: Geelong and Wyndham

Living Distinctive Lives

Living Distinctive Lives is a small family governed project that aims to work towards assisting people, predominantly with intellectual and/or multiple disabilities, to live in their own home in the community. More importantly, it aims to enable individuals to have high degrees of influence over designing, creating and supporting an individual lifestyle rather than a professional agency-driven model that groups people together on the basis of having a disability within a predetermined program or structure. Each person involved in Living Distinctive Lives will, like other members of the community, be able to make decisions on accommodation and lifestyle based on what they really want and need so that life is personally relevant and meaningful. Living Distinctive Lives is hosted by Melba Support Services.

Contact information

Jo Walter
Auspice Agency: Melba Support Service (External link)
Address: Ormea Road, Mt Evelyn or PO Box 316 Mt Evelyn VIC 3796
Telephone: 0408 305 364
Area: Eastern Suburbs

Creative Housing Program

The Creative Housing Program assists adults with a disability (intellectual, physical, sensory and/or acquired brain injury) to live independently (either alone or with flatmates) in their community by developing their independent living skills and their connections to the community. The program promotes choice and aims to link people with the types accommodation of their choice along with the support and/or help needed to maintain their independence. The Creative Housing Program is hosted by UnitingCare Goulburn North East.

Contact information

Gary Foley
Auspice Agency: UnitingCare Goulburn North East (External link)
Address: 12 Rowan Street, Wangaratta VIC 3677
Telephone: (03) 5723 8000
Email: gfoley@unitingcaregne.org.au
Area: Wodonga, Benalla, Wangaratta

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Disability Accommodation Working Network (DAWN)

DAWN is a committee made up of people with a disability, parents/carers of people with a disability and a variety of service providers. It aims to address the long-term accommodation needs of people in the South Gippsland area in a strategically planned way. DAWN is hosted by Yooralla Gippsland.

Contact information

Megan Perks
Auspice Agency: Yooralla Gippsland First Base (External link)
Address: 5a Church Street, Leongatha VIC 3953
Telephone: (03) 5662 3255
Email: Megan.Perks@yooralla.com.au
Area: South Gippsland

Independent Accommodation Network (IAN)

The Independent Accommodation Network (IAN) is a free matching and referral service operating Victoria wide. Its aim is to link people with a disability with others who may or may not have a disability who are looking to share a flat or house. The network endeavours to match people with similar interests, goals, needs and aspirations so they are sharing in their ideal living arrangements. To date, 25 people with a disability have been successfully matched into their choice of independent accommodation. This has ranged from people living by themselves to two, three and four people sharing together in the private rental market.

IAN is also an information and resources service for potential residents, service providers and carers or families regarding suitable housing options in the community. IAN is hosted by Harrison Community Services.

Contact information

Jane Davoren
Auspice Agency: Harrison Community Services (External link)
Address: 1012 Little Burwood Highway, Wantirna South VIC 3152
Telephone: (03) 9887 1055
Email: ian@harrison.org.au
Area: Eastern Suburbs

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My Own Place

The My Own Place Project (MOP) aims to explore and develop a range of alternative and sustainable accommodation options for people with disabilities in the Geelong area through the establishment of links with housing and other service providers, clients and families. MOP has developed a website to provide people with disabilities easy access to listings of local modified and available housing. The site is also a valuable resource with listings of local real estate agents and links to relevant information sites. MOP is hosted by Karingal Inc.

Contact information

Louise Slee
Auspice Agency: Karingal Inc. (External link)
Address: Shop 9, 140 Pakington Street, Geelong West VIC 3218
Telephone: 0408 143 757
Email: caf@myown.org.au
Area: Geelong

Community Living Project

The Community Living Project (CLP) assists people with a disability to access and maintain more housing options through increasing choices for individuals through different activities and environments, stabilising accommodation and increasing options for alternative housing, promoting independence, developing opportunities for peer support and friendship networks, enabling participation in local communities, developing essential lifestyle plans, developing circles of support and developing a Community Living Circle. CLP is hosted by annecto - the people network

Contact information

Mickey Huckstepp
Auspice Agency: annecto - the people network (External link)
Address: Little David Street, Yarraville VIC 3013
Telephone: (03) 9314 0988
Email: Mickey.Huckstepp@annecto.org.au
Area: Western suburbs