We worked with Lucy Rutlage and her family to help Lucy buy her own flat. The support we provided was funded by the Thomas Pocklington Trust and was part of our now defunct visual impairment pilot project ‘My Home – Insight’. This pilot project would later become our Making Moves service, which supports young disabled people to live independently.
I heard about Housing Options Scotland through my social worker, who made a referral for me to speak to one of their brokers.
I was looking to explore options to get my own flat. We looked at options to rent first of all, but then we realised together that it would be possible for me to buy. I needed somewhere with disabled access, close to where my mum and dad live. Housing Options Scotland and their mortgage specialist Ian Haughey helped me to access the Scottish government shared equity Low-cost Initiative for First Time buyers (LIFT) scheme, where the flat is co-owned between me and the Scottish Government. The team helped me to get a mortgage using the LIFT scheme and then supported me all the way through the purchase process until I moved into my new home.
Before I got help from Housing Options Scotland, I was finding it very hard to find accessible properties that might be suitable for me. The flat that they finally found for me is accessible, close to my home and close to my Mum and Dad.
Since I’ve moved in, I’ve become more independent and I can organise my support a bit better. It gives me the chance to live my life the way I want to.