Ben is 47. Ben lived in group homes for 28 years before his dream of living in an apartment with a housemate of his choosing, in a bustling, metropolitan area came true.
Ben receives funding for an Individualised Living Arrangement through his NDIS plan and now lives in a Specialist Disability Accommodation apartment with his housemate Colleen. The apartment includes access to onsite support, providing 24/7 assistance if needed, as well as two hours of direct paid support in-home each day. Ben also receives paid support to undertake activities in his local community.
“While he was living in the group home, Ben was coming into the day services where my office was located,” says Court Walters, head of the Home and Living Team at Milparinka, a disability support organisation in Victoria. “We started talking informally and struck up a relationship. From that day on, Ben decided that it was my job to move him out.”
Ben grew up in a loving foster family from the age of two. His foster mum was a strong advocate for him, and his foster sister Linda continues to support him today as his guardian and administrator.
“Ben has never seen himself as anything but absolutely just Ben. With Mum’s advocacy and support, Ben went on to become the clever man he is today,” says Linda.
Ben’s foster mum found him a place in a Northcote group home when he turned 18 to ensure he had security over his accommodation into the future – though he’d come back to the family home every weekend and for holidays.
In the group home, Ben couldn’t choose what he ate every day, let alone who he lived with. He even had to share a room at first.
“He felt uncomfortable in the group home, and uncomfortable going to a day service with other people with disability. For the most part, he was just going from place to place that he didn’t want to be every day for 28 years,” Court says.
After working closely with Ben over time, Milparinka found Ben his apartment – complete with his preference for a city view and a stove with knobs to turn. And after putting out an ad for a housemate, Ben met Colleen.
“She’s injected this sort of vibrancy into Ben’s life that wasn’t there before,” Court says.
Colleen now lives full time with Ben in his apartment in Brunswick. They each have a bedroom and bathroom, and share the kitchen, living room and balcony. They also split the bills and the household chores. The costs associated with Colleen’s accommodation are managed by Milparinka, and in return Colleen is Ben’s housemate, companion, and connecti
on to the community.
Colleen understands the significance of the move for Ben.
“Everything felt really clear and open – there was no doubt. I was going to be living with a really cool person who was having this great independent life, and I got to share that journey,” she says.
Ben and Colleen have a natural rapport. While Colleen helps Ben with advice and prompting throughout the day, most of their time together involves cooking together, playing music and joking around.
“It’s a housemate friendship where we both get to be ourselves, and it’s friendly and kind and safe. It’s never just like ships in the night,” says Colleen.
Says Court, “Colleen really gets it. She understands what we’re doing and why and wants to share her life with Ben as a regular and genuine housemate in the community.”
Six months in, Ben loves waking up at 4.30 in the morning and going up to the building’s rooftop to watch the sun rise over Melbourne. He’s getting into the groove of relaxing and hanging out with Colleen in his own place.
The impact on reducing his anxiety has been significant. “He’s learning for the first time in thirty years how to relax and be still in his place. He’s just relishing being in a place he loves with a person he adores,” Ben’s occupational therapist Dianne says.
Ben is branching out, eating new things and socialising with Colleen. “Just being on the street in Brunswick together they’ll run into people each of them knows and share that community,” Court says
Some days, it doesn’t sink in for Ben that his dream has come true.
But then his sister Linda reminds him, “Ben, this is your house. You live here now, Ben – this is where you live.”