Housing Changes Lives: New accessible affordable home

The Logie family, Osprey Housing Association 

Kevin and Patricia Logie moved into their Osprey Housing Association affordable home in Stonehaven with daughter Jessica, 12, Oliver, six, Harrison, 22 months, and Reece, 4, who faces multiple medical challenges associated with Down’s syndrome and requires 24-hour care.   

They had been living in a property in Kemnay, where all three bedrooms and the bathroom were upstairs, and the front and rear gardens were reached by steps and bounded by low fences, meaning that Reece had to stay indoors. He also had to share a room with his siblings. 

The family’s new four-bedroom, energy-efficient semi-detached property gives Reece his own bedroom and wet room on the ground floor, with three further bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs. The garden has been fitted with boundary fencing, access is on the level, and the property is also sound-proofed, so the family no longer needs to worry about Reece potentially disturbing the neighbours. 

Mrs Logie said: “The new house is making such a difference to us. Now we can feel safe, because we’ve got the downstairs bedroom and wet room, and we’ve got level access to the rear of the house. 

“That’s taken the pressure off us as a family, and I can’t emphasise enough how happy and thankful we are to get this house.” 

As part of its Scottish Parliament election manifesto, SFHA is calling on all political parties to commit to a review of Housing for Varying Needs Standard, to mainstreaming standards of accessibility in all homes for homes that are suitable throughout people’s lives, and to increasing RSLs’ adaptations funding to £17 million a year.