'I can't wait to start living like other adults'

A man living with muscular dystrophy has smashed his £30,000 fundraising target to help buy his own home.

Calum Grevers, 28, wants to achieve the rite of passage of living independently from his family.

Facing a three-year wait for a suitable council house, he decided to use a shared-equity scheme open to people with disabilities, as well as first-time buyers and the over 60s.

He launched a crowdfunder for a deposit and essential adaptations – and he’s now reached the target.

The computer science graduate from Edinburgh said he was delighted with the response, especially at a time when the pandemic has hit many people’s finances.

He’s wasting no time in finding a suitable property for his needs, while continuing to speak out about wider issues around accessibility and the housing shortage.

He hopes to be in his new home by the end of the summer.

“People have been very generous, it’s quite amazing,” he said. “I’m going to document the whole process of moving in, the adaptations I’m putting in, and the impact it has on my daily life.

“There is still a shortage of ground-floor flats that are accessible enough to get my wheelchair in.

“Considering I’m at the age of 28, I just want to live independently like most adults.”

Charities believe more needs to be done to help others such as Calum find their own homes.

Olivia Lindsay, head of casework at Housing Options Scotland, said: “Most people think that getting a house is just the next step in your life – when you are a late teenage or into your 20s, that’s just something you do.

“But hopefully Calum’s story is showing that it’s not just quite as easy as that if you have a disability, that there are a lot of things to consider in terms of accessibility. But hopefully it’ll also provide some positivity and some hope.”