Specialised disability and seniors housing in Crows Nest

The organisation has partnered with the Queensland Government on the housing project, which has attracted more than $435,000 in government funding.

“We are proud to be working in partnership with the government to help people with disability to access long term accommodation,” says Churches of Christ in Queensland chief executive officer Dean Phelan.

“This development complements our other seniors and supported living services in the local community including Crows Nest Retirement Village and the recently refurbished Crows Nest Aged Care Service.”

Queensland Disability Services Minister Coralee O’Rourke says as part of the Elderly Parent Carer Innovation Initiative (EPCII) the purpose built homes will help to address the shortfall in appropriate accommodation for people with disability who lived with ageing parents.

“Investing in these types of projects goes a long way towards giving older parent carers more certainty about the long-term care options for their son or daughter with disability,” Mrs O’Rourke says.

“Finding appropriate housing can be a real issue for people with a disability in our regions, which is why we are proud to work with community organisations like Churches of Christ to deliver suitable and supported options.”

The project is expected to be completed by April next year, and has been jointly funded by Churches of Christ in Queensland who invested an additional $270,000 on top of the capital funding.

Once built, the two homes will incorporate innovative technologies including emergency response devices such as sensors, pendants, watches and networked smoke alarms, to ensure the residents feel connected at all times.

Mr Phelan says that EPCII is a real win-win, providing elderly parents with a real sense of security and hope for the future.

Under the EPCII model, the Queensland Government has worked in partnership with service providers to deliver more than $26 million worth of innovative projects throughout Queensland, creating more than 120 places for adults with disability.

For more information about EPCII visit the Queensland Government Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services web page.