Geraldton woman relishing the freedom and independence that comes with owning a home

Geraldton woman Jaimi Symons can now watch her favourite shows in peace after the community helped her secure the keys to her own home.

Originally from Dongara, the 23-year-old living with Down syndrome was eager to move to Geraldton to be closer to support services and a bustling CBD full of opportunities to make new friends.

The process of finding a house, securing finance and moving in took about five months, but Ms Symons said it was worth the wait.

“It is fun, I like living by myself,” she said.

“I can watch Home and Away without my brothers annoying me.” Ms Symons settled into her dream three-bedroom house by the beach about three weeks ago and is meticulous about keeping it clean and making sure her sister Claire’s plants are well-watered. She also has plenty of dog food on hand for when her mum’s furry friend has a sleepover.

Her father Greg Symons said the move would not have been possible without the patience of the homeowners and the support of the bank.

“After being rejected by one of the other banks, we wanted to say a big thank you to Lee Criddle and the other staff at ANZ Geraldton for going above and beyond, securing finance for Jaimi to move into her new home,” he said.