Housing

[Mumble]

Does anyone have any statistics on the housing situations of youngish adults with autism/AS - I know the "I Exist" campaign highlights I think it's 60% of adults living at home and I have to say I think this is awful but I'm not surprised. What about the other 40%?

 

I feel completely stuck at the moment - I really don't think I can cope with another year in student halls and anyway after that I'm going to need somewhere to live. Halls won't listen to my needs or make reasonable adjustments, the rules are a joke and are flouted constantly - if they have rules they need to be followed, else what's the point of having them? The halls management put up notices telling people to be quiet when coming in - these were outwardly laughed at and ripped down within two days. I just want somewhere I can live and work in quiet without being on the verge of sensory overload for the majority of the day and night.

 

However, I can't live with other people - I've tried before and it didn't work and it's unfair for other people to have to put up with me - but I can't afford to live alone I don't have the option of living with family.

 

What options are there? My supervisor has suggested housing associations but I don't know what this means or how you go about it or if I can afford it or if it is suitable for me. Where can I look for somewhere to live and can I get any help with it? Having huge trouble with the phone doesn't help. How will I know if I can cope with living alone? I have once before, but I was working in a boarding school just up the road from my house at the time 7:30am - 8pm 6 days a week so I had a routine including eating - I tend to forget to eat if I don't have that structure and I don't know how to cook for myself, and it was only a 15 minute drive from my Mum's house. Now I feel totally alone and really really scared that I'm going to end up homeless or in complete breakdown having to put up with halls accommodation which is rapidly dissolving into anarchy - people do what they want with no regard for others or for the rules. Another mature student is leaving, despite the financial cost of giving up his contract early, because he can't cope with the noise anymore and the management could do nothing to help.

[brooke]

my friend lives in a flat which is social housing (owned by council) so its a lot cheaper for her as she lives on her own too. Could you ring the local council and see if they could offer any help, or put your name on the list. They should be able to point you in the right direction. Im sorry i cant think of anything else. <'>

Edited February 9, 2008 by brooke

[Sallya]

Mumble, here's a link to shelter

http://england.shelter.org.uk/advice/advice-1005.cfm

s

xxx

[Kinda]

Hi Mumble

 

I fear this is not going to be easy nor will it be sorted out quickly. I think you have to put your request in writing as well as talk to the accomadation dept of the University and explain you have specific requirements. Also explain that these are not just to make your life comfortable but are specific health/special needs requirements that are to allow you exist and are necessary for your mental wellbeing and that in the hall your special needs requirment is not being met.

 

I think if you approach it from a health issue linking it to your special needs and its in writing they will find it very difficult to refuse you.

 

I think if you can explain and get to the right person in the accomodation dept they should be able to help, and I think they should also be able to help with the housing association. Not sure if you have a mentor or special needs adviser then they should be able to find out for you.

 

My son had choices in his university as to whether it was a noisy hall or quiet, and he started off in the "lively" hall then went to a "quiet" hall. In his last year he went into a shared house but he had trouble with noise etc but somehow he muddled through. I don't think for one minute you should muddle through.

 

PM me if you are having trouble and need help to take some of the load off.

Edited February 9, 2008 by Kinda

[bid]

We used to live in a Housing Association house. I know that our HA also provided supported housing for young adults with additional needs. I investiagted this, and was told my son would need a referral from SS to go on the waiting list.

 

You should be able to find the HAs in your area online, then go from there to approach those that offer supported housing.

 

Good luck <'>

 

Bid

[oxgirl]

A lot of private houses near unis rent out rooms to students, would something like that be suitable? You see ads posted all over the place in Oxford, rooms for rent, don't know if that's something you could look into?

 

~ Mel ~

[Mumble]

Thanks for your suggestions. I really feel trapped. I've tried living with a landlord/lady and I've tried (twice) to live in shared student accommodation but all have broken down in quite cataclysmic ways (twice I've ended up in hospital - I was thrown down the stairs by one landlord and kicked in the stomach by another student I lived with because of a disagreement over finances) because of my lack of social understanding, need for my own space, need for routine, particularly sensory issues - others music, temperature, lights, general moving around noise. I need control over my environment - I need to know that if I put something somewhere that's where it will be, I need not to have to deal with social issues where I live - I have to do that during the day and I really need to be able to come to a self-contained unit where I can shut myself away from the outside - I kind of have that in student halls in that I have my own room and I'm opposite the bathroom that no-one uses - but the noise issue is really bad.

 

These aren't housing issues I can just 'get over' so I have to work with them. But nothing exists that I can afford that fits these needs - as a student you're expected to share and that causes me huge levels of stress. I looked at housing association websites for the various London boroughs round here but I wouldn't be considered a priority - I don't have external support because I've been determined to do things on my own, but that determination backfires when you need support, because there's nothing there.

 

I think the noise in halls issue is probably a separate problem and I have no idea what to do anymore - I've written and cc-ed to all the people I can think of at uni and nothing's changed (it's got worse because one person thinks it funny so makes extra noise). The thing is, management don't care, security don't care, no one follows the rules. The rules seem totally pointless, because they say no noise should be audible outside of rooms, but I just walked past one of the deputy managers flats and there's noise blaring out, so why should the students follow the rules if the management don't?

[Kinda]

Mumble

 

If you tackle it by stating that the other students in the halls are breaking the rules you will get nowehere because the university believe the students get what they deserve and since its student on student so what in their opinion. They will not change and so you need to confront them on the specific health issue to you. I don't think they will be aware of how it affects you they will think of it just as an interference of your sleep pattern rather than a total invasion of your wellbeing with very serious consequences.

 

I think this is the angle you should engage with them on, don't internalise the issue and by this I mean you are entitled to help even if you are in the minority. You are entitled to being catered for as much as the rowdy students and while you may be in minority of one so what, you are not imposing your life style on anybody else. Lobby and force the university to sort something out, which believe me they can if you manage to get engaged in communication with the correct person. I would try going on the special needs requirement and that they aren't meeting your specific needs and put this in writing with a copy to the head of the university.

[zarathustra]

Mumble, I'm having housing problems as well at the moment. I have alot of the same issues as you. BUT! I got some excellent advice from a psychiatric nurse - he said get an advocate and a solicitor. This I've done and legal aid is paying for it. On your side is the Disability Discrimination Act and the Community Care Act. You should be given a social worker too. It's too much to do on your own. Look for Independent Advocacy in your area on the net. as a starting point...

[zarathustra]

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Edited February 9, 2008 by zarathustra