Affordable Housing for Disabled Person

Mental Mickey

Hi

This is my first time on this board in ages!! I'm posting this message in the hope that I'll be able to talk to someone in the same situation as myself......?

I am a 32 year old man with a physical disability(Spina Bifida to be exact). I currently live at home with my parents(one of whom is dying of cancer), my brother & sister.

My parents moved into my home a year before I was born. As a result, I have been living in totally unsuitable accomodation for my whole life!!!!! It's only since my mother became ill that I have been thinking about what the f**k's going to happen to me in the future!!??

The house I live in is completely unsuitable: I need help to get in/out of the house(up a step), I sleep downstairs on a couch because I am unable to get upstairs(I am too big for someone to carry me), I have no access to a toilet,bathroom,shower(don't ask me how I manage, I just do!).

My father is very aprehensive about getting anything done to the house for fear of costs/shifty builders,etc......??

I have thought about putting my name on the housing list for Affordable/Social Housing, but I have heard that it could take years to get approved!!!???

Is there anyone out there who has recently gone through the process of applying for a grant/affordable housing??

I can't live in a house much longer where I'm unable to move around freely!!??

Feel free to contact me through these boards or on my e-mail address: wheelz97@hotmail.com. Cheers!!!

Victor

You should be able to get a council grant to modify the house for your needs. I think it works on a 50:50 basis.

Mental Mickey

Are you sure about it being 50:50??? The only grant I know of, is the Disabled Persons Grant which is worth a paltry 20,320k/90% of the grant??? I've got the latest issue of Spokeout(the IWA magazine), and there's a feature on accessible housing, and one of the guys in it says that the least amount that it would cost for adaptions is 60k!!!?? He also said that the waiting list for housing for people with disabilities is huge!?? He was waiting for 8 years before he got his place!?? I can't wait that long......read my original post!!!

I'm goin to bed now(on the couch).....be back tomorrow.....

Moonbeam

Maybe if you post your quesiton to http://boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=384 there will be a few people there with experience.

I can't believe you have being living in a house that hasn't been adapted your whole life,there are definately grants available for adapting the house to your needs depending on the situation,your financial situation and what your needs are.

Have a chat with your local health board.

Mental Mickey

Hi Moonbeam.

I'm not being smart/cheeky here, but have you ever tried to deal with your local health board?? They're a complete and utter bloody joke:mad:!! The last time I checked, there was a TWO AND A HALF YEAR WAITING LIST to be seen by one of their Occupational Therapists!!!??

Also, the details I gave about my Mother's illness don't tell the whole story....she's got schizophrenia too....so she is EXTREMELY wary about letting people into the house....??? There are only a few people that she trusts......?

I also read in an IWA magazine that you would get very little building works done to a house for 60k!!!!!

It's like I'm going around in bloody circles, but getting nowhere fast.....:(

jdivision

OP, I think there' s a special affordable housing scheme for people with disabilities. I think it might be called Part M under the Planning and Development Act, that's going off the top of my head though

Moonbeam

Mental Mickey, yeah I know what they are like to deal with.

My firends Fiancé is stuck in totally unsuitable housing for the past few years,and on a huge waiting list to get somewhere suitable.

But perseverence does pay off:)

Mental Mickey

I've been living like this for at least 10 f**kin years now, and am fed up with it!!! I sent an e-mal today to a Private Occupational Therapist who I spoke to about this issue a number of months ago, so hopefully he will be able to give me some advice.......?? It's like I'm staring down into a black hole with nowhere to go....??

BTW, does your friend have access to a toilet? Can he/she get in/out of their house unaided, cos I can't!!! And I don't have access to a toilet either.....!!!??

Rev Hellfire

I'm currently in the process of getting my house converted (downstairs made wheelchair accessible plus wet room), should be getting the finical approval in the next week or so. All in all its taken about 2-3 months to get to this point.
The costings we got are nowhere near 60k, they're below 20k.

I did hear talk of the grant been dropped (but no idea how true it is, maybe frankfruter would know, they're a mine of information) so may just apply anyway.

Mental Mickey

Thanks Rev Hellfiire.

I hope to God it does get increased......? We live in an old(ish) house and it needs some other work too.....??? But as I said before, there are other problems at home......

Thanks for all the suggestions

Animalistic

Are you on the housing list Mickey?
I'm a lone parent and have been on the housing list 2years. My 2year old daughter was diagnosed with CP at 18mths and before she was officially diagnosed and I didnt have the medical letters and such to back her condition I was due to be waiting at least 5-6 years for housing. Currently I am in a two story house which is actually totally unsuitable as it is halved downstairs between my place and the flat next door..so there is no crawling space for herself and there is no safe garden either.
This year our application was reviewed and I was told i may only be waiting 12mths for disabled access housing and that i have been radically "bumped" up the list.

I suggest you go down to your housing department and make an appointment with the housing officer.

Mental Mickey

Hi

Mental Mickey here again!!! I have now decided to apply for Affordable Housing. I had a chat with my Family Support Worker in the Spina Bifida Association last night, and she said that this would be the best option for me....?

As you all can see from my previous posts, my present living conditions are totally unsuitable, so this is the only way to go......??

Thanks for all your input.

Wish me luck!

penana

Might it be worth having a chat to your local TD? I know some of them can be pretty useless, but there have to be some good ones around, too.

Frankly, I'd not hold out much hope if s/he is an FF Member, but perhaps someone in Labour or FG might lend a caring ear.

Never hurts to try, anyway ... good luck and God bless. [from a fellow "crip" <:pac:> ]

carpejugulum

penana wrote: »

Might it be worth having a chat to your local TD? I know some of them can be pretty useless, but there have to be some good ones around, too.

Frankly, I'd not hold out much hope if s/he is an FF Member, but perhaps someone in Labour or FG might lend a caring ear.

Never hurts to try, anyway ... good luck and God bless. [from a fellow "crip" <:pac:> ]

pretty useless = fair
good ones = parish pump politicians

Victor

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