My home

Your right to live how and where you want to. Meet Sean and listen to his story about his home.

In this topic

This topic will help you identify:

  • Your right to live independently
  • Where and how you want to live
  • When you are ready to live independently.

There are six sections, including:

  • Introduction
  • My independence
  • My home
  • Being ready
  • How can the NDIS help me?
  • Additional resources.

Open each section to learn more

This information is not legal advice.

There are some decisions about your life that you might need to get legal advice about.

If you need legal advice, please contact your local state or territory Law Society or Community Law organisation.

You can also ask your family, carer, support worker, Provider or advocate to help you find a service in your local area.

It is my right to live independently.

I can live independently by myself or with others.

When I live independently, I have:

  • Control of how I live
  • Choice of who I want to live with
  • The choice of where I live
  • The information I need to make good decisions.

My home is the place I choose to live.

I have the right to:

Live on my own or with the people I choose

Live in the community of my choice and with the support I need.

In my home I:

  • Live the way I want
  • Feel safe
  • Have privacy
  • Make decisions.

My home is decorated with the things I like and are important to me.  It is where I spend time with people I like and love.

It is important to me that my home is:

  • Close to public transport
  • Near my work
  • Close to my family
  • Close to the people and community that support me
  • I decide where I want to live.If I need help to make decisions, I can ask the people I trust to help me:
  • Choose who I live with
  • Work out if I can afford the rent
  • Get the support I need.

When I choose my home I must decide if I want to:

  • Rent privately
  • Buy a house
  • Share a house
  • Rent a room
  • Live in public housing
  • Live in community housing
  • Live with family.

Everyone is ready to live independently at a different time and age.

I might talk to people I trust about being ready to live independently, but I will know when I am ready to live independently.

When I am ready, I will share my decision to live independently with my:

  • Family
  • Friends
  • Provider
  • Support Coordinator
  • Advocates

If I have NDIS funding, I can ask for coordination of supports in my plan so I can have a Support Coordinator.

The Support Coordinator’s job is to support me to reach my goals and help me to plan how I want my home to be.

They talk to me about all the different ways I can choose to live independently and help me to plan for the one that suits me best.

My plan includes:

  • If I want to live by myself or with others
  • The supports I need
  • Skills I have to live independently
  • Skills I need to develop
  • The type of housing I want to live in
  • How I will pay for my house
  • A list of all the things that are important to me in my home
  • The things I don’t want.

The NDIS website has a lot of information about housing and living independently.

The NDIS talks about housing choices for:

  •  Supported Independent Living
  •  Independent Living Options
  •  Specialist Disability Accommodation.

Activity: My Home

This factsheet will give you more information about different housing options.

You can do this activity by yourself or you can ask family and friends to help you.

Activity – My Home

Resource: My Home – Helpful links factsheet

This factsheet has helpful links that you can look at if you want more information about this module.

You can read these resources and links by yourself, or you can ask your family and friends to help you.

Resource – My Home – Helpful links factsheet

EASY READ – Manage your money
Source: Council for Intellectual Disability

EASY READ – Staying safe from house fires
Source: Council for Intellectual Disability

EASY READ – Setting Goals Workbook 2: Where do I want to live?
Source: Council for Intellectual Disability

EASY READ – My Life, Your Life, Our Life: A Guide to Creating Home
Source: Western Australia’s Individualised Services

My Life, Your Life, Our Life: A Guide for Flat-mates, Homesharers & Co-Residents
Source: Western Australia’s Individualised Services

Creating Home: Individualised Living
Source: Western Australia’s Individualised Services

Planning Booklet: HOME
Source: Western Australia’s Individualised Services

VIDEO: Planning for a good life – Home
Source: Western Australia’s Individualised Services

VIDEO: The Lives We Lead Home Life
Source: Western Australia’s Individualised Services

Curtin Individual Supported Living Manual 2nd Edition
Source: Curtain University School of Occupational Therapy and Social Work

List of Household Items Needed for New Home Setup
Source: ServiceSutra

Using SDA to buy your own property
Source: Summer Foundation

Mainstream housing options: A guide for people with disability, their families and supporters
Source: Summer Foundation