Community Housing Ltd was approached in early 1995 by a group of families and carers who needed accommodation for a specific group with intellectual disabilities. This included problems with balance, as well as aggressive behaviour when living in proximity to other people.
Support funding was so tight that the prospective residents needed to live in close proximity to one another, but have sufficient privacy to maintain peaceful neighbourly relations. Current group accommodation was of poor quality and the group arrangement created challenging behaviour requiring high staffing levels to maintain care.
Department of Human Services, family and friends of tenants, and a local community group.
The choice of design was to develop a small cluster of 4 one and two bed units connected to central staffing quarters that had immediate access to the separate units in the event of an emergency. A site was selected with a beautiful view to the east over pastures to a tree lined creek. The units were designed around a courtyard accessing the view. The courtyard encompasses a barbeque area and a private open communal garden.
The 2 front units and staff bedsit were built as one structure but angled to the road which helped to animate the form. Each unit has private open space. Bull-nosed bricks are used at the corners of the units, as well as a 200cm diameter round posts on the verandahs to minimize risk of injury to the residents. Bathrooms are wheelchair accessible. Much of the design is open plan with softened features should residents experience a fall.
The units were completed in December 1996, after an 18 month process including planning.
The tenant group has been stable. Vacancies are allocated by DHS from the regional disability support register. Community Housing Ltd has never had to evict a resident. Residents are offered the protection and rights afforded by the Residential Tenancy Act. Feedback from the DHS support staff is that the residents have benefited from the living environment with improvements in behavior cited. One of the more interesting aspects of introducing a different built environment to meet these tenants’ needs was a 70% reduction in the amount of staffing required as the tenants enjoyed a quieter more private life.