Media Release by Senator the Hon Jan McLucas

Building Innovative Accommodation for People with Disability

Joint Media Release with:

  • The Hon Julia Gillard MP, Prime Minister
  • The Hon Jenny Macklin MP, Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs Minister for Disability Reform

Twenty-one organisations across Australia will share $60 million to help build community-based accommodation for adults with severe or profound disability.

People with disability need access to a range of supported accommodation models that will allow them, and their carers, to participate as valued members of their communities.

The Supported Accommodation Innovation Fund will help address a shortfall in supported accommodation and respite for people with disability.

It will encourage innovation and drive change in the way supported accommodation services are provided.

Negotiations for funding agreements are in progress with the successful 21 organisations, which will be responsible for 27 projects, providing 169 new supported accommodation and respite places across the country.

This is 19 more places than we originally committed to delivering.

The new places will be available to people with severe or profound disability.

Some of the places will be provided for people with ageing carers or people in rural and remote communities, and there are specific projects that will be provided for Indigenous communities.

The new innovative accommodation includes a vertical village with an accessible gym, and homes designed with leading edge technologies based on world’s best practice in sustainable housing, including home automation with motion detected lighting, and electronic devices to enhance hearing and speech difficulties.

This initiative will also help reduce the number of young people with disability who are cared for in nursing homes, or those at risk of placement in residential aged care.

These projects, which are to be completed by June 2014, build on the Australian Government’s $100 million capital injection in 2008 to build more than 300 supported accommodation places, which are on track to be delivered this year.

For more information on the Supported Accommodation Innovation Fund go to www.saif.govspace.gov.au or for a list of successful projects see attachment.

Organisation State Project Title Funding (GST excl.)
CatholicCare Canberra and Goulburn ACT Gungahlin Living In Networked Communities (LINC) Program $1,200,000
Affordable Community Housing Ltd NSW Ryde Area Supported Accommodation for Intellectually Disabled $3,733,598
Affordable Community Housing Ltd NSW Grandview Project $2,080,327
Compass Housing Services Co Ltd NSW Hunter Villages $7,371,200
Endeavour Industries Ltd NSW Edgeworth Gardens Residential Development $2,937,000
Housing Plus NSW Dubbo Supported Accommodation Project $1,815,909
North Coast Community Housing Company NSW House to Home $637,500
North Coast Community Housing Company NSW House to Home $600,000
North Coast Community Housing Company NSW House to Home $600,000
The Disability Trust NSW The WorkAble Living Project $800,000
Life Without Barriers NT Alice Springs Respite Centre $1,302,728
Cootharinga North Queensland Qld My Home is Smarter, Greener and Accessible! (Cootharinga Housing Innovations) $840,450
Kyabra Community Association Qld Three Resident DMD Home Fitzgibbon $729,119
Kyabra Community Association Qld Three Resident Home, Wynnum $764,011
Synapse (Brain Injury Association of Qld Inc.) Qld Wabu Gadun Bulmba Gurriny Mukanji $4,592,720
Community Accommodation and Respite Agency (Cara) Inc. SA Addressing unmet need and personal development through Regional Farm Stay Respite $740,908
Centacare Tasmania Tas Supported Accommodation Drake Street $577,000
Kingston Uniting Church in Australia Tas Kingston Uniting Church Residential Community, Rowallan Park $2,801,650
Active Property Services Management Ltd Vic Active Whittlesea, New Beginnings $1,041,060
Community Housing (Vic) Ltd Vic Heidelberg Key Ring $1,612,220
each Housing Limited Vic Building an Independent Future $2,465,800
each Housing Limited Vic Independent Living Venus Bay $710,690
Haven Vic Cairo $4,100,000
Housing Choices Australia Vic Gateways and HCA Innovative Housing Model, Greater Geelong $2,064,971
Housing Choices Australia Vic Supporting Pathways for Disability Accommodation in Bairnsdale $1,556,740
Mission Australia Housing Vic Lardner Road Mixed Purpose Unit Development $1,939,000
Yarra Community Housing Ltd Vic Dual Disability, Housing and Support $1,930,631