Delta Housing Be Mine Society

Networking for Housing Solutions in Delta

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Are you feeling confused about how to plan for a home?

The puzzle home was created to help individuals, their families, and friends through various stages in planning for a home, the ultimate dream.

“Having a home means more than just a roof over your head,” says Karla Verschoor, Executive Director, Inclusion BC. “It means having choice and control, financial security, and being a part of a community that celebrates diversity and inclusion.”

The value of inclusive housing from Community Living BC on Vimeo.

Hear the voices of people Community Living BC serves sharing their thoughts on the importance of inclusive, affordable housing.

To learn more, visit www.KeyToHomeBC.ca

1. Connect with CLBC

If you haven’t already, contact Community Living BC (CLBC). A Facilitator (Social Worker) will be assigned to help you. This is how funding for housing support is provided. It normally takes a number of years to secure this kind of funding, so it’s best to start early.
Visit the CLBC website for more information on how they support adults with intellectual disabilities. https://www.communitylivingbc.ca/

2. Creating a Housing Plan

There are a number of resources for building a housing plan. A housing plan will help you or your loved one with a disability to determine what your ideal life would look like. It will also help you to stay on track and be sure all the parts are in place when you’re ready to move into your own home. Some resources you can use are:

CLBC’s ‘Key to Home’ Housing Plan Tool: https://keytohomebc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Final-Housing-Plan-Web.docx (The Plan is a Word Document that will automatically download to your computer.)
Video examples of individuals who have their own homes: https://keytohomebc.ca/
Vela Canada, based in Langley BC, is a free service for people who use Individualized Funding though CLBC or have a Microboard. Vela’s facilitators will help you put together a sound housing plan that can be used to present to CLBC.
Family Support Institute (BC) often runs webinars on housing issues and are a good general resource: https://familysupportbc.com/
A comprehensive collection of Housing information. Check out the links and resources: http://www.myhomemycommunity.ca/resources

3. Social & Helping Network

The average person has about 150 people in their circle of family, friends, and acquaintances. A typical person with an intellectual disability has only 25! That’s six times fewer people to be there for them, to have connections for getting jobs and for socializing with. It’s important to make an effort to expand our unpaid network of friends, so that when parents are no longer available there will be a strong, interdependent group that helps each other out and shares the happy and tough moments of life.

PLAN (Planned Lifetime Advocacy Network) Begun in BC, PLAN is a pioneer in the movement to build lasting social networks: https://plan.ca/
‘Empowering Ability’ (Ontario) is a company that has lots of resources for life planning, including housing and building personal support networks. There are many free features, and they also run an in-depth Life Planning course that is fee based. https://www.empoweringability.org/

4. Work on Living Skills

What will you do when ‘supermom’ is no longer there to make your dinner or do your laundry? A big part of living on your own is taking on the responsibilities of shopping, cooking, planning your week, and yes, cleaning your room! You will feel much more confident if you know how to do as many of these things without help. Remember, these aren’t things you can learn overnight, so it’s good to start doing them right now while you have help available.

Skills for Living in Your Own Home: https://keytohomebc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Skills-for-living-on-your-own.pdf
Five Steps to Grow Your Loved Ones Independence, by Empowering Ability: https://www.empoweringability.org/independence/
Sources Life Skills Resource Centre: https://www.sourcesbc.ca/our-services/community-inclusion-services/
DCLS(Delta Community Living Society): https://www.dcls.ca/servicepage/community-inclusion/life-skills and https://www.dcls.ca/static/tsawwassen-connections
Milieu Family Services (based in North Delta): http://milieu.ca/adults/
CLBC L.I.F.E. – Based Service (LIFE = Learning, Inclusion, Friendship and Employment: https://www.communitylivingbc.ca/provincial-projects/l-i-f-e-based-service/

5. Make a Financial Plan

A sound financial plan is absolutely vital – both for the short term and the long term. This is a complex piece which often involves the parents’ wills and maybe a trust. At the least it will be important to do up a budget for living expenses, rent, etc. and a plan for how this will be paid for.

A short piece on financial planning from CLBC: https://keytohomebc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Financial-Planning.pdf
CLBC Individualized Funding Program: https://www.communitylivingbc.ca/how-do-i-get-support/individualized-funding-option/
Plan Institute (a separate organization from PLAN) was created to help families to navigate all the aspects of financial planning for loved ones with disabilities. They provide expert help and run online courses on wills and estates, the RDSP (Registered Disability Savings Plan), Representation Agreements, and more: https://planinstitute.ca/

6. Move In!

This is the fun part! By now you will have lots of life skills under your belt, a network of friends and supports built, and a sound financial plan. If you want to have a roommate you’ve figured out that part too. And hopefully you’ve started collecting the things you will need to set up your new place, like dishes and towels and some furniture.
It’s also time to finalize the place you will be living – whether it is with another family, on your own in an apartment, or with a caregiver in a townhouse or condo.
There may be some scary moments as you move apart from your family or current caregivers, but we bet you will be thrilled when you have your own key in your hand and step through that front door for the first time. It’s time to celebrate!

Delta Housing Be Mine Society

The Delta Housing Be Mine Society is a non-profit society. The community of Delta is south of Vancouver in BC, Canada.

Mission Statement: Within the community of Delta, to create supportive, affordable and inclusive housing options for adults with varying abilities.

Vision: Inclusive homes that embrace diversity.