A new apartment building in Queensland will provide specialist disability accomodation for people aged under 65 who would otherwise be living in residential aged care.
It is the first of 120 new high-need independent living apartments across 10 locations that MS Queensland is building as part of a new project called “Project Dignity 120”.
The first apartment building located in Springfield is underway and due for completion in April 2018.
MS Queensland CEO Lincoln Hopper said the project came about in response to the housing crisis and demand for suitable independent living accomodation.
“Sadly we’re in the grip of a housing crisis, so if you have a disability and you need this type of housing, there’s simply not enough available so we’ve got people asking us to build this as fast as we can and our mission to build 120 is really a response to that,” Mr Hopper said in an interview with The Queensland Times.
“Last count there were just under 1300 people aged under 65 living in residential aged care, so if that’s a symbol of the size of the problem we’re taking a step into the future and doing that for 120 people at least.”
“We call this Project Dignity 120 for a really obvious reason and we’re hoping that this restores dignity, independence, choice and control over their circumstances and that’s probably one of the greatest things we can do and that will change over time for them.”
“For the younger people especially that will mean they can get back into life, employment, community and family, so we’re really excited about the exceptional future hat the bricks and mortar provide.”
“Today we’re here celebrating the construction of that, but are hoping that this building actually leads to the construction of a fantastic outcome for these people at the same time.”
Springfield Land Corporation CEO for CBD Development, David Henry said the new building is just the beginning of specialist housing in the area.
“It’s the start of specialist housing based around Health City, so MS and a whole lot people through the NDIS scheme, particularly in Queensland, there’s a huge shortage of suitable accommodation for people with those sorts of life threatening issues,” Mr Henry said.
“This is the first type of this kind of project and we’re very fortunate to be the first in Queensland and for this to be based at Health City in Springfield.
The development is being built by Kane Construction Queensland.
