De’s story: A Queens’ Walk in the Garden
Throughout her life, De has experienced an array of housing options. After many years living with her mother in a private rental in Melbourne, De sought independence and sharing houses with others by and large worked for her. “It was nice to be with company and nice to know that there was someone to chit-chat to,” she said.
But when De later found herself facing serious mental health concerns, she decided to move into accommodation where she could have access to 24- hour mental health support. “The service helped me deal with some of the issues I was going through in my life.” But in the end, it didn’t work out. “It just wasn’t what I thought it would be. It was an empty place emotionally; everyone was dealing with their own mental illnesses. I thought it might be nice to feel supported and make some friends, but it just didn’t work out that way.”
It was during a holiday visit to Hobart several years ago that De fell in love with the city and felt an immediate sense of home. She decided to leave Melbourne and her chequered history of housing and instability, even leaving her job selling The Big Issue, to try to start a new life across Bass Strait. Landing in temporary accommodation in a backpacker’s hostel in Hobart, De was determined to find the right home to start her new chapter. She eventually found Housing Choices’ Queens Walk property. It was the right decision.
In the beginning, De had some apprehensions, particularly with
residents living in such close proximity to each other. Much to her surprise, however, De found a real sense of community. “One of the most important things I’ve loved about being at Queens Walk is that sense of safety. Housing Choices treats safety as a very important thing,” she said. “Even though it’s run by an organisation that
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