FORTY social housing and 10 specialist disability accommodation units delivered by Church of Christ Housing Services Limited (CCHSL) and the Queensland Miles government have officially opened at the $23.1 million Banksia Apartments development on the Sunshine Coast.
The social housing units are designed to gold and platinum Liveable Housing Australia design guidelines to meet the needs of seniors aged 55 and over and First Nations seniors aged 45 and over.
CCHSL and Member for Caloundra Jason Hunt MP opened the development.
CCHSL’s general manager of housing services, Gus Taddeo said, “The units provide seniors a place where they can age in place with dignity”.
“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.
“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.”
He said An under-occupancy strategy offered singles and couples living in large public housing properties an opportunity to downsize.
“Their choice to downsize also means more family-size homes are available for those waiting on the social housing register.”
Around 43,000 Queenslanders were on the social housing waitlist in 2023.
This is CCHSL’s 15th major project and sixth development helping seniors seeking to downsize from larger public housing properties.
Taddeo said the specialist disability accommodation units provide a stable home to people with disability who need semi-independent living support but still want to be part of a community.
“All of this is co-located within our existing campus featuring residential aged care, a community hub, café and aquatic centre,” he said.
Banksia Apartments tenant Wendy said, “I have been very lucky to be offered a new unit at Banksia Apartments. 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”.
The opening of Banksia Apartments comes the same week as Queensland’s Miles government and local company Murphy Builders kicking off construction of 24 accessible social homes in Caboolture, also on the Sunshine Coast.
Three apartments in the new development are being built to platinum standard under the state’s Livable Housing Design Standard, nine to gold and 12 to silver to ensure they are suitable for people with a disability and seniors with mobility needs.
The homes form part of the Miles government’s Homes for Queenslanders plan, which includes 53,500 more social homes.
