The aged care provider is partnering with the Central Queensland-based community-driven group of organisations to provide 10 affordable homes in Rockhampton.
The Shelter Collective identifies underutilised or unused property to repurpose as housing for vulnerable people, with the projects focusing on four outcomes:
- Repurposing underutilised property.
- Facilitating construction training pathways.
- Negotiating education and employment outcomes for tenants.
- Increasing supply of affordable housing options for vulnerable people groups such as women over 55+, single parent families and young people.
The ‘Arc-20’ project, renamed ‘Cooinda’, renovated 10 cottages on the grounds of Apollo Care’s PresCare Alexandra Gardens aged care community in Kawana, a suburb of the city in central Queensland.
In addition to affordable housing, tenants have been offered training and employment opportunities as care workers, cooks or cleaners at the adjacent PresCare community.
“The Cooinda project offers an extra level of financial security and independence to the women living here while also addressing the number one issue in aged care – staff attraction and retention,” said Apollo Care’s CEO Stephen Becsi OAM.
“The cottages were earmarked for demolition to make way for additional residential aged care facilities, but now the cottages have found a second life. Plus, we still have enough land for expansion, and the women who needed secure housing and employment have been provided with a life-changing opportunity.”
The Collective raised almost $1 million in cash and in-kind donations of goods and services from local individuals and organisations for Cooinda, and it’s now raising money for a mobile outreach bus. Cooinda is one of four projects for The Shelter Collective.
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