Labor Blog

More supported accommodation for people with disability

Jenny Macklin posted Thursday, 29 July 2010

All Australians should be able to rely on having a secure and stable home, and live independently where possible.

For many people with disability, this can be a struggle. Australia needs more accommodation support for people with disability, and the initiatives Federal Labor announced today are a step in the right direction.

A re-elected Gillard Labor Government will provide capital grants to community organisations to build up to 150 innovative, community-based supported accommodation places for people with disability.

For the first time, Federal Labor will be giving community organisations the opportunity to apply for direct capital funding from the Federal Government for supported accommodation and respite.

Community organisations are uniquely placed to develop accommodation options that capitalise on local support and resources and meet the needs of people with disability in an inventive way.

Projects could include a modern renovation of an existing home so it can be used for supported accommodation, pooled resources to build a contemporary facility close to community and health services or expanding an established facility.

Extra accommodation places will help take pressure off ageing carers who currently have no certainty about what will happen to their children when they are too old to care for them.

Federal Labor has already made significant increases in investment in disability services including delivering more supported accommodation.

But the Gillard Labor Government understands that more needs to be done.

There are currently an estimated 36,500 people with a severe or profound disability on waiting lists for accommodation support and respite services in Australia.

A total of $60 million will be provided over the next four years for this initiative.

This is a modest addition to our existing investments but it will make a real difference in the lives of up to 150 people with disability, their families and carers.

Funding will be fully offset over the forward estimates consistent with the Gillard Labor Government’s commitment to return the budget to surplus in three years.
Tags: disability, housing, Macklin, support

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5 Comments

gingerburnett from Walsh Bay , NSW Saturday, 31 July 2010, 08:31

This is a step in the right direction but does not address the problem adequately. We really need a NATIONAL DISABILITY INSURANCE SCHEME, like Medicare (should do the same for parental leave allowance). The WHOLE COMMUNITY SHOULD SHARE IN THE BURDEN of our weaker members, not just the immediate family. Having disability in the family is extremely isolating and sheer hard work, you become a social outcast. Two of my children have profound disabilities, one is in his 30's, the other a teenager. I have had a lifetime of scrambling for services that are hard to locate. I am tired. For those who have children still at school be warned...there is virtually NO prospect of supported accommodation for your child as you age. You are on your own. By contrast, in Ireland (by no means an affluent country), by the time a child reaches 2 years of age, a life plan has been put in place and they are eased into independence gently. In Australia most with a disability are not placed into care till the parents die, it is terribly traumatic for the person with a disability. It is terrible for parents wondering where their child will end up.
winniev1954 from Caboolture , Queensland Friday, 30 July 2010, 11:30

This is fantastic and great but also what about those that do not need special accommodation how about a rais in the pension or even better tell center link to stop taking money out of the disability pension when you have a partner that works because beleive me what they take out just puts you right back to square one again, my wife pays tax and all it can be is double dipping.
Narelle from WAGGA WAGGA , NSW Friday, 30 July 2010, 07:30

This announcement/promise sounds good BUT is only for CAPITAL funding. That is bricks and mortar....where is the ongoing recurrent funding for support staffing coming from? State governments cannot be expected to bear the huge costs of the ongoing running of these facilities...we need a NATIONAL DISABILITY INSURANCE SCHEME.
kerryp from meadowheights , victoria Thursday, 29 July 2010, 21:29

The NDIS scheme is the only way to go. Yes it is great that the issue of Disability support is being looked at. I have a 20 year old Disabled son who lives with just me at home who attends an adult center during the day. I work 4 days a week so we dont live on the poverty line. I had always believed that as he got oIder I would be able to slowly move him into shared housing with other Adults. To my horror, to find out that the only way this would happen, would be if I died or handed him over to the DHS. So I guess I will be one of the thousands of the carers who hope to live to my 70s or 80s to see that he will be taken care of before I die.So I have another 20 to 30 years of every night before I go to bed that my last thought would be is to pray to god that he takes my son before me, then I will finaly be able to rest in peace at last. I know of an Adult who's mother turned him over to the DHS at the age of 23 he is now going on 28 and still grieves to go home. If this Adult had of been slowly eased into the system how much easier it would have been on him.
mfwylde from Glencoe , Qld Thursday, 29 July 2010, 18:29

This is FANTASTIC. Thank you for listening to the many Australians involved with the issue of Disability support and social inclusion. I'm so proud of my government today.. Cheers All