Call the Sheriff – Dares Bones

IT has now been more than three years and Mark “Bones” Curtis is still unable to get a place to live in Maitland or Newcastle to be near the rehabilitation services he needs, to slow the march of the cerebral palsy that is crippling his body.

Bones said he has had enough of Compass Housing and will now stop paying rent until something is done.

“Let them take me to court, let them call the sheriff to kick me out, I’m not scared,” said Bones.

Compass Housing has proposed some properties, but they have been unsuitable in terms of disabled access or access to public transport.

Bones has also tried finding a place to rent privately and spent three days with his National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) case worker in Maitland, but with no success and he said only two agents responded to their enquiries.

Last year, Lisa Teirney from Compass Housing in Muswellbrook said Bones may be eligible for a purpose built house under the NDIS, however nothing has progressed.

Lee Watts manager of the Scone Neighbourhood Resource Centre has been trying to help navigate through the bureaucracy with Bones.

“We contacted the local Member’s office (Michael Johnson) and they asked for more information, which we gave them, but they already had it all from Compass,” said Mrs Watts.

“Scone is no good for him, there is no public transport, there is not the emergency access he needs or support services and his NDIS case worker is in East Maitland and he has to travel down to her, it’s not good enough there should be someone here,” she said.

“While it is dragging on he is deteriorating, so they need to get off their backsides and do something.

“If they haven’t got a place – create one it’s not that hard!” she said.

“It’s got to be happening in other rural towns too and I thought the new process with NDIS and case management was going to fix all of this, but it just hasn’t happened,” Lee Watts said.

Related stories:

• Editorial – System a Cruel Joke – November 20, 2017
• Left Waiting and Worsening – November 20, 2017
• Compass Buck-Passing but Light in Sight – December 14, 2016
• Restricted by Red Tape – December 7, 2016
• All Back on Track – February 10, 2016
• Giving Voice, One Word At A Time – February 1, 2016
• Bad Policy, No Bones About It – January 28, 2016