Four women living with disabilities have received the gift of a lifetime with a brand new house for them to share.
The new build, nestled in a quiet suburb of Toowoomba in southern Queensland, was funded by a large donation from a local philanthropic family, as well as funding from the Endeavour Foundation.
It means the four National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) recipients will be able to live mostly independently, one of them for the first time in her life.
Making themselves at home
The freshly painted walls won't stay clear for long, with new resident Angie Davis already planning to paper them with her favourite Disney characters.
"I've got posters of Frozen, and Tinkerbell, and a lot more posters to come," she said.
"I love my new bedroom and I'm glad we've got more bathrooms."
Angie and another housemate Susie had already known about their new home for a few weeks before its unveiling, giving them plenty of time to decide who might be the best cook in the house.
"Candice knows how to cook, but the only thing I make are sandwiches," Angie said.
Another of the new residents, Alison, is moving out of home for the first time.
"I am packed and ready," she said.
"I'm looking forward to making a girls' night, making hot food, putting the knives, forks and plates on the table.
"It's so good to make our own life and make nice friends."
Loading...Dance parties on the cards
The house was purpose-built and will allow the women to live mostly independently, with everyone getting their own room.
Each woman pays rent and board from their own incomes, which includes money for groceries and furniture.
Meanwhile, NDIS funding levels the field by paying for things that a person without a disability wouldn't be expected to pay for.
Wrapped into that is assistance from a local disability support provider Warrina Services.
Emily Hewitt is the support coordinator for two of the women, Angie and Candice.
She said the pair could hardly contain their excitement once they heard they'd be getting new housemates.
"They had come from a lovely little home, but it wasn't accessible for them," she said.
"I think it will just be a beautiful home for all of them and I just see it being fun and positive.
"We've seen a few of them doing little dances and things already, I think they'll have little dance parties."
Branching out to other new builds
The total cost of the house was $1.1 million, with $500,000 from a local family that has chosen to remain anonymous.
There are also plans for five new homes around Toowoomba, in addition to the six already built by the Endeavour Foundation.
The organisation's executive general manager of home and community Leanne Rutherford said a mixture of duplexes and townhouses would cater for different living arrangements for locals with a disability.
"People want to have the choice over who they live with," she said.
"Our dream is to ensure that everyone has a safe, secure and affordable place to call home."
While that dream is a long-term project, Angie's is coming true right now alongside her three new housemates.
"We'll all end up like sisters now," she said.
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