Dai Le (Fowler, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The simple act of jumping out of bed every morning and getting dressed is something we all take for granted. Earlier this month I had the opportunity to listen to people living with extreme physical disabilities about the challenges they face around their housing needs. Traditionally, these people have been lumped together into group homes because their families and loved ones simply cannot care for them.

I was therefore delighted with to meet with the COO of Vertika Village, Karim Amin, of United for Care—at their newly acquired properties in Goulburn Street, Liverpool. They are leading the change and developing new, innovative solutions for individuals living with physical and mental disabilities. Vertika Village in Liverpool is a brand new build that incorporates physical support apartments that provide support to families and people living with severe physical disability. Each apartment is designed to encourage, enable and empower individuals to thrive in an independent setting, with access to a professional team who specialises in providing complex care needs in a wraparound model.

During my visit I got to meet Roland, who suffered a stroke which left her permanently disabled on one side of her body. Traditionally, someone in Roland's situation would be required to go into a nursing home and live apart from her husband and children. However, United for Care were able to provide high physical support accommodation in Liverpool, which means Roland's husband can continue to go to work, knowing that his wife is being supported by qualified staff and that she has the wraparound support she needs. Can you imagine the psychological and physical improvement to this family's quality of life because of this incredibly innovative model of supported accommodation?

United for Care has been operating for just over 2.5 years in the disability sector. Their focus is on independent-living accommodation developed using assistive technology and by a thoughtful combination of individual and shared communal spaces. We need to develop policies that support ability over disability and empowerment over disenchantment.

I urge the government, in its Housing Australia Future Fund, to consider funding innovative housing solutions, which, if expanded, can alleviate the pressures on our hospitals while addressing needs in the areas of housing, disability, mental health, homelessness, domestic violence and potentially more. Together, we can change lives and make a difference.