A Co Derry mum who struggled to find an accessible home for her wheelchair-bound son has finally been able to secure a house for her family.
Una Donnelly, from Dungiven, has managed to secure one of the 23 brand new homes in Dungiven recently handed over to new tenants as the third phase of the Ard na Smoll development completed by Apex Housing Association.
The addition of the new houses, apartments and accessible bungalows brings the total number of homes in the Ard na Smoll area to 52.
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Ms Donnelly says she loves the new 4-bedroom bungalow provided for her family and says it’s particularly exciting for her 11-year-old son Sean who uses a wheelchair. After nine years of waiting for a suitable home, the Derry native said she can’t wait to move in and make it their own.
"Our new home is unbelievable. Sean has the freedom to move throughout the whole house easily. The doors and halls are wide enough to accommodate his wheelchair and his wet room is fantastic.
"We’ve been living in unsuitable accommodation for so long and that has always created worry for me about the difficulties we’d face in the case of a fire. I’m so relieved we’ll now be living in such a modern and safe home.
Ard Na Smoll was built over three phases between 2013 and 2022, with the most recent phase being built by Lowry Construction Ltd.
The development is close to the town centre and all the amenities it has to offer, with a children’s playpark also provided on-site. All homes in Ard na Smoll have been built to Lifetime Home and Secured by Design standards and feature front and rear gardens.
Carolanne O’Neill, another new resident of Ard na Smoll, says she’s very grateful to be moving into a brand new 3-bedroom house with her husband Martin and children Shéa, Odhrán and Aoibheann.
Earlier this year, we were forced to move in with family after our rented house was put up for sale. Since then, we’ve struggled to find suitable housing on the private rented market, so we’re very pleased to have been allocated this new house.
"We’re so impressed with the quality of the workmanship, and we absolutely love the views of the countryside and mountains surrounding Dungiven. In terms of the location, it’s perfect; within walking distance to school and central to everything in town."
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