Purpose-built home helping locals with a disability navigate the rental shortage

Four Sunshine Coast women will soon be living in the prize home of their dreams, but they won’t have to win the lottery to claim it.

The $1.2m fully accessible purpose-built home at Buderim is part of the Endeavour Foundation’s My Home, My Life initiative, which aims to help address the accessible housing shortage across Queensland.

With the current housing and rental affordability crisis making it harder for people with a disability to find a home, it will make a life-changing difference to the life of Tessa Bates and her friends.

As a long-term Endeavour Foundation advocate and volunteer, Garry Bates has advised the charity on the needs of people with disability and their families for more than a decade.

Being the brother of Ms Bates, he said the new home would bring a lot of benefits to his sister.

“It’s a welcome benefit for Tessa because she’s losing her mobility and these homes are being designed to enable people to access all the areas of the home,” Mr Bates said.

“Tessa will be in a bigger and brighter room and thanks to the extra space, she’ll be able to access her personal cabinet with all the things she likes, such as listening to music, reading and watching DVDs.

“This new home with a larger common room will mean they can bring support services into the house, which is important for people who struggle to access support services in the community.”

Endeavour Foundation CEO David Swain said the landmark $45m My Home, My Life initiative was life-changing for its customers.

He said the home included extra wide corridors and doorways, adjustable benchtops in the kitchen and reinforced bathroom walls to allow for rails and hoists.

“There’s a real need for fully accessible housing – not just here on the Sunshine Coast but all over Queensland and Australia,” Mr Swain said.

“We’re proud of the home that we’ve built for Tessa and her friends, and we hope they’ll be able to enjoy many more activities together here for years to come.

“Endeavour Foundation believes everyone should have a choice of who they live with, so we’re thrilled to see Tessa and her three friends choosing to move together and keep their friendship going.”

Endeavour Foundation is building new fully accessible homes across Queensland and has a range of vacancies available. Visit endeavour.com.au or call 1800 112 112.