A place to call their own

Dylan Thomas is now living independently in a block of disability-friendly units in Shellharbour, NSW.

A program in the coastal New South Wales town of Shellharbour is helping Indigenous youth with disabilities into their own homes.

Dylan Thomas finally has a place to call his own, thanks to a new independent living program designed specifically for Indigenous youth with a disability.

The 22-year-old from Broken Bay is one of the residents of a block of disability-friendly units in Shellharbour that is allowing him to live by himself for the first time.

Thomas, who has received a local NAIDOC Young Achievement Award for his community work, first heard about the independent living units last year.

“I heard about this place when all the aunties and uncles in the community rang me and told me to get my name on the waiting list for these units which were being built,” says Thomas.

“I have an intellectual disability and have been living with my mother so it has been a great experience to learn to live by myself. The best things about being in this place are having my own space to settle down and grow up a bit and the fact that it’s especially for Aboriginal people.

“Some of the young Koori blokes I know have been living on the streets and it’s good to see they now are safe, have a unit to themselves and are living with other Kooris who understand the problems they face.”

The Shellharbour Aboriginal Community Youth Association manages the units. The association’s coordinator is Malcolm Gliddon, a Noongar man from Western Australia who has lived in the Illawarra for over 20 years.

“We also look after units for elders and for young Aboriginals but we wanted to prioritise housing for young Indigenous people with a disability because of the particular issues they face,” says Gliddon.

“We’ve been able to help some young Kooris to live independently amongst their friends, which has made a big difference to their lives. This is a pilot program, so if everything runs smoothly, which it has so far, then the government says it will build more places.”