Building Innovative Accommodation For People With A Disability In Southbank

Building innovative accommodation for people with a disability in Southbank

Wednesday, 04 April 2012 06:18

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Michael Danby
Federal Member for Melbourne Ports

People with disability will have better access to community-based accommodation and respite services through a $60 million Australian Government initiative.  

Federal Member for Melbourne Ports, Michael Danby has welcomed today’s announcement The Haven Community Group will receive $4,100,000 to help build supported accommodation at Southbank.

Mr Danby said Haven, working with MS Australia and Scope, is among 21 organisations set to deliver accommodation for 169 people across the country under the Supported Accommodation Innovation Fund.  

“This initiative, based at Cairo, on the site of the former JH Boyd Girls School in City Road, will provide people with disability better access to supported accommodation to help them live as independently as possible, Mr Danby said.

“People with disability, their families and carers need a range of supported accommodation models and these new places will help to meet the need.

The Supported Accommodation Innovation Fund is about encouraging innovation and driving change in the way supported accommodation services are provided.

Senator McLucas said the Australian Government wants to see people with disability have access to a range of supported accommodation models that will allow them to participate as valued members of their communities.

“A National Disability Insurance Scheme will give certainty to families and many ageing carers who worry about what will happen to their children when they are no longer able to care for the and would include expanding supported accommodation options available to families,” Senator McLucas said.

The Supported Accommodation Innovation Fund builds on the Australian Government’s $100 million capital injection in 2008 to build more than 300 supported accommodation places, which are on track to be delivered this year.

This in addition to $7.6 billion being provided to state and territory governments through the National Disability Agreement to deliver increased and improved specialist disability services.

Negotiations for funding agreements are in progress with the successful 21 organisations.

Projects are expected to be completed by June 2014.

For more information on the Supported Accommodation Innovation Fund go to www.saif.govspace.gov.au