The passing of legislation paving the way for the $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund is a watershed moment for the retirement living and aged care sector.
Daniel Gannon, Executive Director of the Retirement Living Council (RLC), has lobbied Canberra incessantly, meeting Minister for Housing Julie Collins to plead the sector’s case as a solution to housing affordability.
He told The SOURCE the retirement communities are a housing solution whose time has come, but has it?
“There are some retirement village operators that have been held up for years by ill-informed councils prioritising ordinary medium-density residential apartments in place of these important age-friendly communities,” he said.
“Instead of holding back and delaying supply, councils should be increasing land availability, expediting processes for planning and building permits, and through minimum land allocations in undersupplied areas.”
Daniel’s demands don’t just start and stop with planning systems.
“The Federal Government should increase the asset free threshold for aged pensioners, allow retirement village residents to access the Home Equity Access Scheme, and continue to reform Commonwealth Rent Assistance,” he added.
The day may not be as bright as he hopes.
A lot of Not For Profit hands are already lobbying for the money – will Federal Government look kindly on retirement villages, which have always been seen as a State and Territory responsibility?
Time will tell.
