Finding Professional Allies in the Housing System

The past 2 years I came into ACCESS to quite a bit of Resources for my Well-being. I know that all I will describe is largely based on chance. It’s also about meeting the right people who can advocate and navigate complex medical and governmental aid services. I’m well aware that things worked out well for a specific reason. Advocates placed government services in a position as the single obvious roadblock. This created potential legal ramifications, creating pressure from multiple angles. These services were specifically from people who navigated these complex systems as their day job, Advocates.

I would not have achieved any of what I have now without finding professionals. They essentially came into bat for me. That is the point, I live with disability, very often batting just won’t be something I can do. If ever in even remotely difficult situations, in any of the medical and governmental systems, find your batters. Most especially if you have any severe health related difficulties particularly mental. These systems, in my experience, tend to assume your incompetence. I had to find people with the professional skill that that response is a professional insult to. Therefore, it’s taken more seriously.

2022-23 was a big, super weird, and scary breakup. It resulted in moving out to a friend’s place as an emergency. I was also wait-listed for my first surgery for endometriosis. Time was ticking. At this time, I was not on the disability pension. A friend stepped in and said to stay there. I had no choices at the time. It was the safest option, so that’s where I went. The day before surgery I moved in with another friend properly. The previous place was never meant to be a long-term solution. It was outside of the city, affecting my access to appointments. It also had a flight of stairs that would be entirely unmanageable post-surgery. The person themselves is awesome. But where I moved into from there…holyyyyyy that was scary in different ways.

It was not good, but the options available? nothing else. There was, No house security, not even fly screen on windows fully operational from the outside…on the street. Unless you found a piece of wood or something to tension it shut. Which still that’s not house security people, you need lockable windows and screens. I don’t believe its current building or rental code either. The house itself was falling apart at the seams. The housemate went through their own mental health event. I’m sure losing their job exacerbated it. understandable, however, the environment became scarier and more dangerous with no security being addressed and increasingly erratic behaviors. Keeping in mind I had surgery, the day after I moved in, on my internal organs. On top of the rest, costs were not adding up. Mental health and Anxiety Ramping up to the extreme.

Side note, its related: colloidal silver products are not safe to consume. period. all colloidal silver is teeny tiny flakes of silver in solution. You retain a small percentage in your body every time you take it, it adds up before you know it. Whilst the residue/Deposits are permanent, you’ll likely be okay with the small level if you stop taking it immediately. This certainly requires a doctor to look into it/check. You’re literally drinking silver. If you’re using it as some kind of flu tonic, that WILL build up in your system and is PERMANENT. if your skin has started turning blue its likely too late and your organs are well and truly failing. Many symptoms appear as your body begins to shut down. It tries to expel as much as it possibly can. DO NOT CONSUME ANYTHING WITHOUT CURRENT MEDICAL RESEARCH AKA ASK YOUR DOCTOR BEFORE YOU TAKE ANYTHING. Even things like certain natural products can affect how medications work also. Tell your doctor about anything you may be consuming for medicinal purposes, please and thank you, it is very important. There are herbs that interact with serious medications like blood pressure tablets. Check. Even a quick google will tell you about the silver though.

It takes closer to a year for recovery for that surgery, not weeks. With that being said that surgery was only specific to one area. I’m still on another wait list now for another surgery requiring specialist surgeons. and it grows back…

I found a social worker that could do house calls. Frantically working towards getting into emergency assistance and on lists. I had already applied for public housing and DSP by this point. From there I found the homeless catchment for my area who then referred me onto a LGBTQIA+ housing company. Boarding houses Aren’t safe in many places particularly Trans specific boarding, often a target of attack. This information freely given by housing worker who worked closely with me trying to find a solution. Further to this, semi-permanent addresses may even take you off a housing list….I know. it’s bad. The homeless aid system very much fails and far too often.

It’s important to note that no prior intervention was available to stop becoming homeless. Being Homeless post-surgery was when people decided it was serious enough. That I was even “eligible” for assistance. So, Got out of that house and back to stay with friend in previous place further out of city again. Legend. When these things happen there is no savings or anything like that. You’re homeless till you figure out the next step. With government assistance/pensions, you can’t just move, the money doesn’t exist.

I went to meet and discuss everything with a Queer Housing Advocate. It was the best thing that ever happened and where I think the scales really tipped in my favor. They were great with ADHD and helped me navigate paperwork. Including where to sign and discussing what each document was for. They consolidated all relevant medical paperwork I needed. I mean I have so much medical paperwork that’s a pretty big feat in itself. They found a newly completed social housing building within 6-ish? months. So quick! Gave the building company all my paperwork on my behalf, which I had signed consent for. These LGBTQIA+ companies completely understood what was going on and what I was asking for. If I got some shoe-box apartment, I would be ecstatic. It’d be MY shoe-box apartment not reliant on any other persons.

Whilst recovering from the ordeal, getting some rest and security while I worked with professionals also. It hit the roadblock. DSP sitting pending for over a year by then. application attempt number, no idea, because apparently, I HAD to get surgery to prove I was seeking appropriate treatment. The thing is, nobody was agreeing to do certain tests like a simple laparoscopy, still, for 10 years. Then surprise. They did open me up it was an absolute shit show with Stage 4 Endometriosis. That means, it’s sticking together my organs and now INSIDE other organs and tissue. My next surgery is basically my intestines and rectal passage and around them, my tubes lol. (Dwarf voice “I’ve got Endo, in me tubes, yes I’m riddled! I wouldn’t risk it, I really wouldn’t.” The Hobbit troll scene. ). Also a lot of the treatment refused to people with a baby maker, under the age of 35. That’s a whole other kettle of fish. This effected the ability for the company to officially offer an apartment to me with a move in date. I was already crying a lot by that point. everything was finally being taken seriously. Even with a roadblock that entirely halted process. This was not a shoe-box apartment size, it has big main room, bedroom and bathroom, all disability friendly. I finally had people here saying no, you are fully eligible for this apartment. If you fit the criteria, you fit the criteria. My housing officer/advocate said leave it with me. Sooo close. Closer than I’ve ever been to housing security as an adult.

I don’t know how they did it but phone calls and emails back and forth between them eventually was fruitful. The approval of both Housing and the disability pension being approved both occurred December 2023.

I. Was. A. Mess. We Did It. I sat on that apartment floor. I made rice in the rice cooker plain with a can of tuna mixed in. I ate it with my hands out of the rice cooker bowl lmao. it was a gift from an ex’s parents a while back that I absolutely cherish. I didn’t have any utensils let alone bowls etc. I was so happy. For the first time ever, it was quiet. I wasn’t being perceived by anyone. I had my own space that I never had to let anyone into that I didn’t want to. I grew up in a family of 6 in a small country town where everyone knew where everyone lived. With a Heckin amount of ongoing trauma. I lived in a dorm for university. I have only ever been able to barely afford a share house situation.

On the job-seeker pension and studying was when my health really started to tank. The Jobseeker being far less than DSP. Rental market and bill prices, not considering medical and food etc., are currently HIGHER than the pension itself. Big problem. For me though The DSP is more money than i have ever lived off. Thus, quite a bit got a little easier comparatively.

I also adopted a kitten with a rough start named Greg once I was more set up. Now 1 years old and settled right in and fairly sure the one ginger cat single braincell roster skipped him. hahaha Parkour Cat without sticking landings which I swear is on purpose… all 4 limbs just spread wide flinging himself into the air. Like “meh it’ll work out, i can drag myself up with one paw/arm”. Or he’ll just yell for assistance hanging on cat tree not 3 feet off the ground… pfft hahahahaha silly. You can see him on Instagram.

The only reason Housing was feasible is the social housing itself, had a capped rent at a percentage of income. It’s a long-term lease. That freed up what was alot of money to me, a couple hundred a month for just that. Which as you may guess, is a medical appointment. I’ve set it all to automatically deduct from my pay before it hits my account. The government service essentially manages my income. They pay my bills directly from my income. What I actually receive is my income after all bills are paid. This has helped me tremendously. I know immediately, okay, this is what I got left after housing and amenities are totally sorted. Integral to my successes and managing some ADHD difficulties and Anxiety inducing tasks. If you receive any kind of pension from the government, I highly recommend asking. Ask if these options are available to you. Many I believe would benefit, if obtainable, for a wealth of reasons.

Once those two things were approved, I really started to have more bandwidth. I began working more focused on my health and wellbeing as a whole. Through all of this I was receiving therapy, including EMDR, this process from start to finish was 10 years. I realized a while back that I would need consistent support through life. I also knew I needed professional voices providing explanations and coping strategies. Suddenly, I have the capability to not just focus on one area of my health at a time. The Endo was the most serious issue. Realistically, I couldn’t further transition or get regular support for ASD/ADHD and Anxiety. I could only afford to focus on one thing at a time in the public medical system. These other issues were clearly all over the place during these times and affecting my health. I 100% did need support. I could finally actively partake in a more holistic approach to my health with the help of my GP. My life has shifted dramatically.

I think the take-away here is finding professional advocates for yourself. Social workers, therapists, a good GP, housing workers, whatever is specific to your needs. It absolutely shouldn’t not work the way it still currently does. I’m not saying any of what I’ve gone through and others like me go through is okay, it’s abhorrent. Whether it’s disability, Housing, Low income, these systems of Aid are heavily flawed. Not adequately designed to divert resources where needed, because those resources may not actually exist in appropriate quantity. Hopefully that makes sense, it’s a symptom of higher (state and federal) things we won’t get into here. It ties into infrastructure being inadequate aka., the housing doesn’t exist. BUT that’s the reality of the situation, that’s the current system we have in Australia. I’m aware other countries have their own versions but also that many do not.

Will leave it at that for today as an update more on housing side of things and basically 2023. During these events I’ve very infrequently had the mental capacity, or even just means to work on my business. Next time, I’ll talk about other changes I’ve made in my life and the positive impacts they’ve had. Which essentially brings us to 2024 until now. With professional advice and close monitoring, some drastic improvements in some areas of my health have been achieved. I’m constantly gaining a greater understanding of my own health and how conditions interact. In the next post or two hopefully I shall catch up a little. At the same time as always, a great exercise in self-reflection and where I’m at.

I’m really happy to be gaining back some of the momentum id lost in life. Chronic illness be chronic. I have however, found more strategy and tools to manage these conditions to have a greater quality of life. Don’t worry I will share, I just would like the understanding that anyone’s health is super specific to them. So anything that has worked for me, may be an absolutely terrible idea for others. It’s integral you seek professional advice before making any large changes in your life. Most especially testing any kind of health management and treatments. This is also True for Changes in your life outside of your control physical and mental capacity irrelevant. For example, big impacts like losing jobs, mobility, long term relationship breakdown etc. There are therapist that specifically work with those things. You’re more than eligible. You don’t need to have a mental illness previous or current. This is how you give yourself a better chance at not developing one, when having trouble processing a difficult circumstance. Therapy is for everyone. If you can afford or get access, just having a therapist you see every 6 months is a good idea. Ideally to easily make an appt, should any life events happen you need support for/during. Making that process infinitely easier for future you. Coz shit happens.

STAY SAFE.

Thinking of those who do not have access. Of those without the opportunity to receive any of what I’ve been lucky enough to gain. I’m so sorry I can’t, really, help you. All I can implore you to do is try find Advocates for yourself. A professional in the field, medical, housing, social, LGBTQIA+….. Track. Them. Down. First stop Social Worker, who is your first link into being referred onto the specific people you need help from. If that one doesn’t work, send them back to find more, it’s their job. You have a voice, all of it is Human Right. You deserve a roof over your head, food in your belly and access to healthcare. Humans are community creatures, we do need support. PRESS THE ISSUE.

Love, Fox.