Apartments in Wickham designed for NDIS participants are offering residents a sense of independence many have not had before.
The 24 specialist disability accommodation (SDA) units within the Eaton no Union and Stella no Hannell complexes are among the first of their kind in the inner-city.
Zach Lloyd, 21, moved into the Eaton building in July. He said living in an apartment tailored to his needs had made life much easier. “The apartment and the complex are totally wheelchair friendly,” he said.
“There are lifts and automatic doors, so it is easy to go to the common areas and community garden. The shower is amazing and little things like having a mirror at my height make a difference. The moving up- and-down kitchen bench is my favourite feature.”
Third Group included the apartments, which are managed by its SDA arm Insitu Housing, in the two developments as part of a push to deliver 150 SDA units along the east coast by 2025. Almost 100 have been completed or are under constriction.
Specialist disability accommodation is for National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) participants with extreme functional impairment and high support needs.
To access the housing, they must have SDA approved in their NDIS plans.
Insitu Housing executive Rosie Trantham said Third Group was aiming to provide SDA close to city centres or transport and amenities.
“We want to change the future of housing for people with a disability and be one of the largest suppliers of SDA housing,” she said.
