New SDA apartment complex opens in Cannington designed exclusively for people living with disabilities

A new disability accommodation facility has opened at Civic Gardens in Cannington, amid growing demand in Perth’s south-east corridor.

The Civic Apartments complex is one of the only developments in WA exclusively for people living with disabilities.

Perth-based provider GR8 Disability Housing developed the building with funding from Jack and Daniella Fischer, who recognized a gap in the housing market for high-quality disability housing.

General manager Perry Kleppe told PerthNow the process took about 2 1/2 years to complete.

“Everything is built to the National Disability Insurance Scheme high physical support certification so it can accommodate almost anyone with NDIS funding for specialist disability accommodation,” he said.

“Whether it’s really high-end or pretty basic, if they have the right financing, they can live in this building.”

The 17 apartments include seven two-bedroom, two-bathroom residences, eight one-bedroom residences and two facility units for support workers to provide 24/7 care when needed.

It is designed with special accessibility infrastructure for wheelchair users, such as wider door frames, adjustable kitchen countertops, larger light switches and flat floor surfaces.

Rent for the apartments is $258 per week and will include access to a shared rooftop area overlooking Canning River Regional Park and the Darling Ranges.

“This provides a lot of flexibility. There have been some real challenges in the past around the NDIS and how it is funded,” Mr Kleppe said.

“You may encounter a situation with a married couple where one spouse has a disability and until recently they almost had to separate.

“We developed this building so that half of it is two-bedroom, one resident, which allows those relationships to continue because the person living with a disability can live there with their partner, their best friend, or whatever.

“A lot of people want to live alone and there are very few opportunities for that in WA because everyone has built two or three houses, so it’s a different direction.”

Despite one in five Australians living with a disability, there is a persistent shortage of affordable housing projects with accessible infrastructure.

More than 100 people are provided with disabled accommodation under the NDIS in Canning, but 45 of these people do not have access to this service.

“The City of Canning is pulling its weight pretty well, but I’m pretty sure there’s no accommodation left,” Mr Kleppe said.

“About 1,200 people in WA currently funded for SDA do not live here.”

Mr Kleppe said it was important to build SDA in the right areas, such as the City of Canning, to accommodate most people in need, but identified land availability and lack of funding as major challenges.

“When the NDIS was introduced to WA there was an influx of investors and builders who were probably delivering significant numbers of homes in inappropriate locations where there was no demand,” he said.

“Suddenly there was a lot of vacancy on these properties in inappropriate locations and this was then reflected as a risk to the lenders and all the lenders backed out.”

Lauren Davis became paralyzed three years ago following an aggressive and rare spinal tumor and experienced firsthand the lack of accessible SDA housing.

“When you become disabled later in life, a lot of things change and you have to worry about everything. I realized the last thing I had to worry about was something as stable as housing,” the 32-year-old actor said.

Ms Davis had to fight for the right to receive SDA funding, living in five homes over two years before finding her first SDA home.

“I didn’t like moving around as a completely disabled person before; try doing it on wheels,” he said.

“Housing is a basic human need…just because I acquired a disability does not mean I am less deserving or less deserving, and unfortunately that has been my experience.”

Ms Davis moved into the GR8 SDA home in Baldivis six months ago and said she already felt her quality of life improving.

He even regained some movement in his arms and legs.

“Homes that are actually built for a purpose are amazing. They make such a big difference and it’s really played a big part in helping me regain a lot of my independence and being able to do so much more,” she said.

“I’ve only been on the journey for three years now, but… I started out as someone who couldn’t move from the neck down, and now I’m back up again. I can drive independently, I live independently. The ability that GR8 Disabled Housing has given me has expanded my freedom even further.”

Ms Davis said developers should consult people living with disabilities when designing disability accommodations to properly understand what is required.

“Unfortunately, there are a lot of companies and people who build these homes with no idea of ​​what’s needed behind them. That’s what makes the difference,” he said.

“The first house I moved back into after I became disabled was a standard house. During the six months we lived there, I could not use the bathroom and toilet because the doorways were not wide enough. You feel like an animal.

“Having homes like (Civic Apartments) is so imperative for people in the disability community to not only have a place to cram in, but to have a place where they fit in.”

The building is in a prime location for community engagement, close to the Westfield Carousel, public transport and essential services.

The Civic Apartments project is expected to fill a significant gap in this market and will now begin a registration process with the NDIS, expected to take several weeks, to verify that all requirements are met.

Following this, GR8 Housing will begin marketing to tenants.

Mayor Patrick Hall said this development was a welcome addition to the city as WA had a serious shortage of suitable housing for people with high physical support needs.

“Cannington is one of the most connected areas of our city. These new residents will have access to everything they need to live independently and participate fully in community life. This is not always the case with specialist disability accommodation,” he said.

“Any development that addresses this deficiency is a step in the right direction and the people who will call Civic Gardens home deserve housing of this quality.”