A fresh start can happen at any stage of life.
For the newest tenants of Cottage Homes, moving into affordable housing has meant much more than receiving the keys to a new home. It has brought relief after periods of financial pressure, renewed independence after years of uncertainty, and the opportunity to become part of welcoming communities.
Every journey is different, but each new beginning starts with the same thing: having a secure place to call home.
For Phil, that fresh start came after a significant rent increase forced him to leave the rental that he had called home for 10 years. He describes moving into Cottage Homes Toorak Gardens as a huge relief.
While the spacious unit and affordable rent were welcome changes, it was the people who made the biggest impression.
“Everyone looks after each other,” Phil says. “You feel safe, but you’re not in each other’s pockets. There’s always someone to say hello.”
His neighbour, Heather, has experienced something similar. After facing financial pressure from rising rent, she now enjoys having a place where she can settle while remaining connected to those around her. She has made her home her own with family photos and potted plants and loves cooking for others.
Sharing meals has become one of the ways Heather has formed friendships within her new community. One day, after delivering a home-cooked meal to Phil, he returned the empty container with a Cherry Ripe tucked inside as a thank you – a small but thoughtful gesture that perfectly captures the kindness that exists between neighbours.
At Cottage Homes Findon, Karen’s fresh start has been about rediscovering independence.
After moving from Queensland to Adelaide to be closer to family, she spent three years living with relatives. While grateful for their support, she missed having a place of her own.
Now settled into her Cottage Home, Karen has enjoyed putting things exactly where she likes them, decorating her unit, planting herbs on her veranda and getting to know the friendly neighbours around her. “I feel at peace,” she says.
Felicia also found herself needing a fresh start after years of moving between rental properties and a period living with family while recovering from back surgery.
Receiving the call from Cottage Homes was a moment she won’t forget. “It was amazing,” she says. “I felt like I could breathe.”
Even on her very first night, with only her bed assembled and boxes still waiting to be unpacked, she says the unit already felt like home.
Today, she enjoys chatting and laughing with neighbours, is looking forward to hosting family pizza nights, and has embraced the freedom that comes with having her own home again.
As the number of older South Australians face rising rents and housing insecurity rises, stories like these are becoming increasingly common.
For many, a Cottage Home offers certainty after uncertainty. It provides affordable rent, but it also offers something that can’t be measured in dollars – the chance to regain independence, build new friendships and settle in a secure home.
PICTURED ABOVE L-R: Felicia, Phil and Heather.