Dubbo now has purpose-built Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) apartments designed for people who want to live more independently while still having access to the support they need.

The new two-bedroom, two-bathroom, fully accessible apartments are located within the highrise development at 1 Church St, close to the main street shopping precinct.

The Dubbo development is managed by Vera Living, with onsite concierge services and support workers provided by Steadway, a registered service provider with the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)

Steadway provides SDA and Supported Independent Living (SIL) in a range of locations including Sydney, the Central Coast, Lake Macquarie, Newcastle, the Hunter Valley, and now Dubbo.

Dubbo Photo News spoke to Steadway spokesperson Chris Hall about the development and what it means for Dubbo.

“Part of the reason why Vera Living chose to initiate the project in Dubbo was because of the group homes in the area,” he said.

“Some of these are not SDA homes, not up to spec for disability living.

“There was a gap in the market, and these apartments represent an opportunity for people to have fully independent living for themselves or living with a partner or carer,” he explained.

Mr Hall mentioned a case study where a married couple separated by functional medical needs were able to be reunited through one of the Steadway/Vera Living SDA facilities.

“There's going to be people across the Dubbo region that might be like that, where someone could have had a catastrophic event in their life, like a motorbike accident or a stroke, and they may have ended up in one of these group homes,” he said.

“It could be literally heartbreaking that they can't be together because one needs that 24-hour care. Whereas these apartments have an opportunity to reunite families and loved ones because they can literally have that second bedroom for the partner or carer to live in.”

Steadway provides onsite concierge services to support SDA residents in the development, including onsite shared supports and onsite overnight assistance.

It’s important to know that SDA facilities are not for regular renters. Steadway’s team can provide more detail about the available accommodation options at the Dubbo complex and eligibility criteria. Visit the website at www.steadway.com.au and click on “Dubbo”.