We know the right housing and support in the right location can increase a person’s quality of life and independence, while reducing life-time care costs.
The Summer Foundation developed 2 housing demonstration projects to challenge thinking around housing for people with disability.
The projects feature apartments peppered throughout larger mainstream residential developments, connecting people to their community. Clever communications and smart home technology ensure residents can enjoy their independence and privacy, while still having access to 24-hour on-call support.
Our first demonstration project was completed in 2013 in Abbotsford, in the inner eastern suburbs of Melbourne. It was a collaboration with the Transport Accident Commission and Common Equity Housing Limited.
The Abbotsford Housing Project has 6 fully accessible self-contained 1-bedroom apartments peppered throughout a 59-unit mixed private and social housing development. The multi-storey development is located in a prime inner city suburb within 500 metres of a train station, shops and community facilities.
Completed in 2016, our second demonstration project is in the Hunter region of NSW.
We purchased 10 apartments for people with disability and an additional apartment for support workers in a 110-unit private development, close to transport, shops and community facilities.
Smart home technology is a core element of the project allowing tenants to control their own environment and alert staff if they need unplanned or emergency assistance.
In 2017, we established Summer Housing to focus on the replication and scaling of these housing demonstration projects.
Summer Housing is a not-for-profit sister organisation to the Summer Foundation with an independent Board and staff. The 2 organisations continue to collaborate on areas of common interest.
Visit the Summer Housing website to find out more and see some of the housing that has been developed as a result of our housing demonstration projects.