Can-Do-Ability: Answers and Solutions from my personal experiences of living with a disability

Disabled: Too Poor To Rent Accessible Properties

13 Oct 2009This article was also found on the www.SMH.com.au website. It talks about how people with disabilities live in lower income areas, they believe this is not an option but more likely they are forced to do so because they usually earn less and have higher living expenses due to disability.

The highest rate someone in Australia on the Disability Support Pension can receive is $569.80 per fortnight. I personally have lived on my own trying to survive on only this and it is almost impossible to pay for rent, car costs, food, bills ect. There would literally be nothing left over to have any luxuries that most people take for granted, like going out for dinner, having pay television or going to the movies.

Luckily for me, I have lived in a friends' granny flat for the past year where the rent is very low but am looking in the future at moving into a unit that is bigger, after looking around, there is practically nothing for someone in my situation to rent unless I had a higher income. For example, looking in St Marys in Western Sydney, if I could live anywhere, so not being restricted by stairs and tight spaces ect, then I could rent a 2 bedroom unit for $200 a week. Looking for something that would even come close to being wheelchair accessible, I would be looking at an extra $100 dollars a week, so that's $300 a week and it's a 3 bedroom villa which would be too big anyway. I don't even get the option to have a 1 or 2 bedroom place as most villa's and places with no stairs have 3 bedrooms, or are even more expensive than $300 a week.

I have always thought that there should be a real estate agency that finds property's just for people with special needs. In the past when I have tried to find somewhere to live, I have to call over 15 real estate agents before I can find a property that doesn't have stairs. If my disability real estate agency idea isn't possible, there should be some kind of government supplement other than the Disability Support Pension that assists disabled people with having to live in higher cost rental properties.

To view the entire article, click here - http and it will take you to the link.


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Previous Comments

MANISH from INDORE posted on 9 Sep 2016
Nice post, Thank you for sharing valuable information. I enjoyed reading this post. The whole blog is very nice found some good stuff and good information here Thanks for sharing...Also visit my page.Wheelchair in IndoreKeep Posting:)

wheelchairindia from indore posted on 18 Mar 2015
Hey, very nice site. I came across this on Google, and I am stoked that I did. I will definitely be coming back here more often. Wish I could add to the conversation and bring a bit more to the TA-BLE, but am just taking in as much info as I can at the moment. Thanks for sharing.Transport WheelchairsKeep Posting:)

Madeleine Sobb from Newcastle, NSW posted on 4 Feb 2010
I understand your frustration. I would absolutely love to move out of home but can't see that being possible within the next 4 or 5 years. Anyway check out: www.youngcare.com.au Youngcare are a great organisation, trying to fix this problem!!

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