A $23 million, four-storey social housing and specialist disability accommodation development has officially opened on the Sunshine Coast.
Churches of Christ Housing Services Limited and MP Jason Hunt cut the ribbon for 50 units at the Banksia Apartments at Little Mountain.
Funded in partnership with the state government, the 40 social housing units were designed to gold and platinum Liveable Housing Australia design guidelines, to meet the changing needs of seniors aged 55-and-over and First Nations seniors aged 45-and-over.
Churches of Christ general manager of housing services Gus Taddeo said the units would provide residents with homes that met their needs.
He said the opening of the residences signalled “a new chapter in the lives of many people who will call Banksia Apartments home”.
“The units provide seniors a place where they can age in place with dignity,” he said.
“An under-occupancy strategy offered singles and couples living in large public housing properties an opportunity to downsize.
“This helped us form the new community here at Little Mountain.
“Their choice to downsize also means more family-size homes are available for those waiting on the social housing register.”
Churches of Christ Housing Services also included 10 specialist disability accommodation units in the development.
“These provide a stable home to people with disability who need semi-independent living support but still want to be part of a community,” Mr Taddeo said.
“All of this is co-located within our existing campus featuring residential aged care, a community hub, café and aquatic centre.”
He said many seniors seeking to downsize from larger public housing properties would benefit from the move to smaller apartments.
“As people age, the maintenance involved with larger homes can become quite unmanageable, especially if the homes have not been designed with ageing in place in mind,” he said.
“Things like stairs inside the home, or even a step up into a shower, can become difficult, and a risk to navigate for an ageing demographic or people with disability.
“You also have to consider the maintenance of yards and gardens, which can be tricky to stay on top of as you grow older.”
Banksia Apartments tenant Wendy said she was excited to make the most of her new home.
“I have been very lucky to be offered a new unit at Banksia Apartments,” she said.
“I feel very safe and secure in my new unit and my family finally have peace of mind in the fact I can live out my life here,” she said.
Churches of Christ is one of Australia’s largest not-for-profit service providers, helping more than 25,000 Australians each year with retirement and aged care, foster and kinship care, family support, youth support, social housing and Christian faith services.
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