A place to call home helps Debbie find best version of herself

Published: 

21 April 2021 3:21PM

Debbie moved into the Irish Inn, an accredited residential service, 2 years ago after a few rough life events saw her experiencing a relationship breakdown, domestic and family violence and some time in prison.

“It has been good living here because it’s safe, it’s affordable and the owner, Pat, listens to you and respects the residents,” said Debbie.

Accredited residential services, like the Irish Inn, provide affordable accommodation options for people with a range of different housing needs, including some of Queensland’s most vulnerable. Providing accommodation for four or more people, residents rent a room and may share facilities such as a bathroom or kitchen. Some services also provide residents with food or a personal care service as part of their accommodation agreement.

Like other residents that live at the Irish Inn, Debbie, likes to add her touches to the place to make it feel like home.

“Pat lets me have some plants on the front balcony and have some solar lights to make the veranda look nice. I also put up lights and tinsel at Christmas time to make the place look festive,” Debbie said.

Taking pride in her room, Debbie says it’s the little things that count.

“I bought curtains, a doona cover, plants and other things to make this room my own and make it feel like my home,” Debbie said.

Being centrally located is also a positive for Debbie and she enjoys the neighbourhood.

“It’s a nice area and there are some lovely places to go for walks. I like to go for a walk to New Farm Park sometimes. It’s also close to amenities, so you have everything you need close by,” she said.

In addition to the walks, cooking healthy meals is a priority for Debbie and she uses the communal kitchen to cook up a storm.

“I like to pack all my meals with lots of veggies. I make things like savoury mince, steak and salad, spaghetti bolognese and much more,” she said.

Debbie also makes meals for another resident, David, as he doesn’t know how to cook.

“David and I get on well and I don’t mind helping him out by making him meals. He gives me a few dollars to contribute towards the ingredients and I make sure he has nice and healthy meals,” she said.

Debbie says that the dynamic of the Irish Inn works well because it’s well managed.

“I get on well with most of the people living here and don’t mind stopping to have a chat,” she said.

“Pat runs this place well and makes sure that the people living here respect the rules and other people that are living here.”

Looking towards the future, Debbie hopes that one day she may be able to get a 1 or 2-bedroom place to live in.

“I believe that we can all make something of ourselves if we have a good attitude and we try to be the best version of ourselves,” she said.