THE Queensland government has purchased a $4.1 million vacant aged care home to deliver temporary accommodation to people in need of housing.
Located north of Brisbane in Rothwell, the former aged care home will undergo a $1.6 million refurbishment program to be transformed into 18 units by the end of the year.
“Everyone deserves a place to call home, and soon this former aged care facility will provide a home for older Queenslanders experiencing housing stress. Moreton Bay region is one of the largest and fastest growing regions in the country. A property like this will allow people in need to stay within their community and connected to services,” said Steven Miles, deputy premier.
“This helps vulnerable locals into housing and helps to support them into permanent accommodation. This is just one example of the diverse housing solutions the government is delivering to help ease housing pressure and increase supply.”
The units will prioritise older Queenslanders, just as seen with other aged care facilities secured by the government over last six months, including the 58 units at Toowoomba, 37 at Clayfield and 28 at Redland Bay
Upon completion, staff from the department of housing and a specialised homelessness service will work onsite with residents to support them in obtaining longer-term accommodation.
“The housing challenges in Queensland and across the country are unprecedented, so we’re always looking at new and innovative solutions to get Queenslanders into safe and stable housing sooner,” said Meaghan Scanlon, minister for housing.
“This site is particularly exciting as we have been able to purchase both the building of the former retirement village and the vacant adjoining parcel of land that has potential for longer-term development opportunities.
The new accommodation is part of the government’s record $5 billion for social and affordable housing and housing and homelessness support, the largest investment in Queensland’s history, to help deliver 13,500 homes.
The state government also recent announced another three social housing projects underway in Ipswich, which will provide 30 new homes for Queenslanders upon completion, on top of a further 40 new social homes for Ipswich seniors wanting to downsize to smaller, more manageable accommodation.
“Not only do we have shovels in the ground building hundreds of homes through our record $5 billion investment in social and affordable housing, but we are purchasing existing facilities like this that would otherwise have been lost,” concluded Scanlon.
