Secure Housing Australia held an open day at its Specialist Disability Accommodation in Seymour on Friday, August 8, inviting along the many people who helped make the build possible.
Photo by
Billie Davern
Secure Housing Australia recently unveiled its Specialist Disability Accommodation in Seymour, and it’s a house unlike many others of its kind.
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What makes the property so unique is the fact it looks the same as any other on the street.
Lysa Hough, one of the four counterparts of the Secure Housing Australia team, said it’s important the house feels like a home.
“One of our big key features is that, when you pull up to our house, it shouldn’t look any different to any other house on the street,” Ms Hough said.
“We like to pull up to our house and think, ‘I’m home,’ everyone is the same.”
Secure Housing Australia specialises in purpose-built forever homes, creating modern properties that meet the needs of those living within.
Within the house, you’ll find a spacious layout, automated blinds and doors, accessible sinks, and, above all, a private space for each occupant.
“We do it a little different because we want to make sure that when people move in, that they’ve got their own space,” Ms Hough said.
“What we promote here, through our business, is independent living.
“It’s not always possible, but if it is possible, you should be able to move around your house freely and be able to access everything within the house.”
On Friday, August 8, the Secure Housing Australia team invited the different stakeholders who work on the number of projects across regional Victoria to the Seymour property as a way to say thank you.
The home, built for three participants with a separate room for an overnight carer, is bright and spacious.
With one of the bedrooms furnished with items donated from Country Care in Shepparton, the home was displayed in a way which demonstrated how the space can be personalised for each individual.
Yvonne and Jim Bowman’s son lives in Secure Housing Australia’s first property, built in Bendigo.
Photo by
Billie Davern
Healthscope Independence Services senior operations and partnerships manager Charley Samarani, who works to provide the support services for those living within the homes, said the properties had received much praise.
“We’ve been really impressed with the builds, and the size of the builds,” Mr Samarani said.
“We’ve had great feedback on the size of these properties, the functionality of them, and the quality of the builds have been incredible.
“Coming into a home, where you’ve actually got that one-on-one support, you can really see a big difference.”
Karina Ces, who leads the SDA property management team, said the space was fantastic.
“The house is built to be able to give as much independence as possible,” Ms Ces said.
“Whoever moves in will be very happy.”
Jim and Yvonne Bowman, whose son lives in the first Secure Housing Australia home, built in Bendigo, attended the Seymour property to show their support to the team.
The Bowmans said their son’s house ticks all the boxes.
“He is very happy there,” Ms Bowman said.
“Last week, Jim was over there, and he turned to his father and said, ‘you can go now, Dad.’ That’s like winning the lottery.”
Mr Bowman, who at first was taken aback by being “ordered out,” said, “I felt really satisfied that he’s happy.”
“The bottom line now is that if he’s happy, we’re happy,” Mr Bowman said.
Secure Housing Australia is now working on its second build in Shepparton, as well as a number of other properties around regional Victoria.
Ms Hough said it was all about making independence accessible across the board.
“What we do is try to make this house your home, I think that’s the biggest thing for us,” Ms Hough said.
“This should be your forever home, you shouldn’t have to move again.”
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