Aveo Group’s CEO opened the Property Council’s Retirement Living Council (RLC) Conference with a message to operators to sell themselves better.
Tony, in his first speech as RLC President, said operators do not sufficiently promote its affordability.
“We provide age friendly, purpose-built accommodation that is affordable for older Australians,” Tony said.
Over 640,000 Australian households are either homeless or experiencing housing stress, defined as spending 38% to 60% of income on rent, according to comparison site Savvy reports, which should interest retirement living operators.
Tony admitted there was a supply issue, but not a demand issue.
“We have a lot to be proud of and we have a great story to tell. At the Retirement Living Council we currently represent about 30% of retirement village operators through our membership.
“To tell our great story and advocate for the things that are important to us, we will need to grow our membership as well as increase the support we receive from our valuable partners.
“This will help us in our research and advocacy so that we can meet the needs of our ageing population and supply the housing that seniors need and will demand into the future.”
