Jane's voice - the need for suitable homes

I moved to my one-bed bungalow about four years ago. It’s not very big, but just right for me, and it is a lovely place to live. I’m surrounded by trees and in the summer there are lots of animals about, squirrels, birds and hedgehogs. So many blue tits visit the garden, and I like to make sure I have food out for them.

I’ve planted bulbs, seeds and flowers over the few years since I moved in. I’m an artist and I like to sit outdoors and draw all these things, especially through the summer.

But as things are, I can’t get out into my back garden and I certainly can’t get across it to the shed because the ground is sloping and very uneven, and no good at all for the wheelchair I have to use. My living room, which is perfectly okay for me normally, is now crowded out with various pieces of disability furniture and aids because I have nowhere else to put them. They would fit in the garden shed but, of course, I can’t get to it.

And until I have more space in the living room, I can’t safely begin to walk again. There isn’t room for me to move about with a walking frame and certainly not in a wheelchair. So for the moment, I’ve been in a convalescent home for some months now waiting for the back garden to be levelled.

I certainly don’t want to move. I love my home, and I have such good neighbours around me. While I’m here, they are looking after my mobility scooter which is parked just outside my front door, making sure it’s secure and well covered. One of them does my lawn. We’re a friendly community and although there’s not been a great deal I can do in return, I like to cook and bake little treats for them when I can.

The point is that a home is much more than bricks. It’s the people and the surroundings. With just a little help and a few adaptations, I could be back in my own home and mostly independent again. Until then I have to sit and wait and hope that the work on the garden can be done soon.

To find out more about the ongoing work of the Housing Made for Everyone (HoME) coalition or to register your support, contact [email protected]