A Home of Your Own: Choice, Control and Planning for the Future

What does it really mean to have a home of your own? In the first of our two-part housing special, we hear from Paul Alford, a long-time self-advocate and member of the Inclusion Ireland team, about his journey from institutional living to having a home and life of his own. Paul spent more than 32 years living in institutions, where many everyday decisions — from when he ate to how he spent his money and where he could go — were controlled by others. In 2016, after years of advocating for himself, Paul moved into his own home. Paul talks openly about the excitement — and challenges — of getting the key to his own front door, learning to live independently, building connections in his community and choosing the support that works for him. We also speak to Fiachra O'Connor, Human Rights Advocate with Inclusion Ireland, about some of the barriers people with intellectual disabilities and their families face when trying to plan for future housing and supports. Fiachra discusses why planning early matters, the importance of starting conversations about future housing before a crisis happens, applying for social housing support and finding out what supports are available locally. Most importantly, this episode explores a simple idea: independent living does not mean doing everything by yourself. It means having choice and control over where you live, who you live with, how you live your life and the support you receive. THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT \- Paul's experience of living in an institution for more than three decades \- His fight to move into a home of his own \- What having his own front-door key meant to him \- Choosing his own support and learning new skills \- Building friendships, relationships and connections in his community \- Why independent living doesn't mean living without support \- The barriers facing people with intellectual disabilities who want to plan for their future \- Why families should begin conversations about future housing early \- Where to start when looking for housing and supported-living options    HOUSING AND SUPPORTED-LIVING RESOURCES  - Inclusion Ireland: Housing Resources Our housing hub brings together information for people with intellectual disabilities and families about independent living, housing with supports, service models, funding, finding residential services and starting to plan for the future. Explore Inclusion Ireland's Housing Resources  - The Right to an Ordinary Life: Choice, Belonging and Community Living Inclusion Ireland's resource explores what genuine community living looks like and introduces our Three Choice Test: *Do I have a choice about where I live?* *Do I have a choice about who I live with?* *Do I have a choice about how I spend my time?* Read The Right to an Ordinary Life and our housing resources   \- Housing and Supported Living – Inclusion Ireland Find out more about Inclusion Ireland's work to make the right to independent living and community inclusion a reality for people with intellectual disabilities. Housing and Supported Living campaign \- Applying for Social Housing Support Information from the Department of Housing on eligibility for social housing support, how applications are assessed and how to apply through your local authority. Applying for Social Housing Support – Gov.ie \- A good place to start If you or someone you support is thinking about future housing, don't wait until a crisis happens to begin the conversation. Think about what a good life would look like, explore housing options with your local authority, talk to your service provider or local HSE disability service about the supports you may need, and make sure the person at the centre of the conversation has a real say in the decisions being made. A home is about much more than an address. It is about choice, belonging, relationships and having the support you need to live your life on your own terms.