Home is where Ethan's heart is
For single mum Ashlie Miles, finding an affordable quality home for her family of four was always going to be extremely tough.
But add in the specific accessibility needs of her oldest child - 22-year-old Ethan Ford, who lives with cerebral palsy -and the challenge seemed insurmountable.
While Ms Miles knew it was possible for Mr Ford to move into shared disability housing with the support of carers, she grappled with the feeling that it would not be the best option for her son.
"Ethan is incredibly family· oriented and he loves his younger siblings dearly," she said.
It was a meeting with the GR8 Disability Housing team at a home open which gave Ms Miles hope she could keep her family together in a home which accommodated Mr Ford's requirements.
However, it was not until a special type of National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) funding became available for Ms Miles that her dreams became a reality.
She applied and received funding for Appendix H Shared living arrangements, which enables individuals eligible for specialist disability accommodation to reside with family members who are not funded by specialist disability accommodation.
Once the arrangement was in place, it only took two weeks for GR8 Disability Housing to find the family a modern and highly accessible fourbedroom specialist disability accommodation home.
"I had been praying for an opportunity for our family to stay together," Ms Miles said. "We feel incredibly lucky, and Ethan and his siblings are super excited about their new home and all the memories we can make here."
For GR8 Disability Housing, helping Ms Miles and Mr Ford to find their dream home demonstrates the importance of tailored disability housing property management.
"The NDIS can be complex and every participant is different, so getting help to navigate the system and find tailored accommodation solutions is vital." GR8 Disability Housing Licensee and Director Stephanie Virgo said.
"Ethan and his family now have a wonderful new home with the accessibility features and assisted technology which is going to make daily life easier."
If you or a family member need suitable disability housing, call 9358 3400 or visit www. gr8disabilityhousing.com.au
