Secure housing allows Lisa to look towards the future

3 Aug 2022

With 80 per cent of homeless adults in Australia having at least one diagnosed mental health condition, services like St John of God Casa Venegas in Sydney’s west help clients who are living with a long-term mental health conditions and are homeless (or at risk of homelessness) move towards an independent and fulfilling life in the community.

Lisa* was provided safe and affordable housing with Casa Venegas in March 2021, leaving her home following a domestic violence incident. Having experienced ongoing physical and mental health issues, Lisa’s symptoms worsened after losing her home, negatively impacting her overall health.

Lisa’s key worker at Casa Venegas worked closely with Lisa to assist her to access financial assistance and services to improve her general and mental health. In addition, Lisa was supported to navigate and apply for NDIS services.

In time, with improvements in her health, Lisa gained the confidence to work on her personal goals.

“One of my long-term goals was to secure permanent housing that allowed pets, so I could keep my cat Daisy with me,” said Lisa.

Caregivers at Casa Venegas helped Lisa progress towards this goal and it wasn’t long before Lisa was offered permanent accommodation through community housing.

With the continued support from the Casa Venegas team, Lisa and her cat Daisy transitioned seamlessly into a two bedroom, leafy apartment in her preferred location, close to her community and existing support networks.

Shortly after moving into her apartment, Lisa’s application for NDIS was approved. Now, she not only has permanent housing in her community, but regular NDIS services to assist her to maintain her independence and engage in meaningful activities.

What’s next for Lisa? “Now that Daisy and I are settled in to our home, I’m looking forward to returning to casual or part-time employment and being able to give back to my community by volunteering,” said Lisa.

*name has been changed.