Today in Australia there are over 4,106 younger people who are forced to live in nursing homes with people in their 80’s, because there is simply no alternative housing for them. There is an urgent need to significantly increase the range and scale of housing for people with disability.
Residential aged care separates younger people from their community, family, friends, partners and children. Younger people with disability should have the ability to live in a home that meets their needs and allows them to continue to actively participate in the community, and to build and maintain relationships with family and friends.
Established in 2017, Summer Housing’s mission is to expand the range and scale of diverse housing options for people with disability living in, or at risk of admission to, residential aged care, particularly younger people.
Summer Housing’s vision is to see all people with disability and complex care needs have the opportunity to live in high quality housing that enables them to live as independently as possible, enhancing their health, wellbeing and participation in the community.
Take a look at who we are and what we do in the video below
An innovative idea
Summer Foundation Ltd, established in 2006, is a not-for-profit organisation with a mission to create, lead and demonstrate long-term sustainable changes that stop young people being forced to live in nursing homes because there is nowhere else for them. Summer Foundation commissioned two housing demonstration projects for younger people with disability living in, or at risk of admission to, nursing homes. Beginning with two apartments in Abbotsford, Victoria in 2013, the Summer Foundation replicated this success with 10 more apartments in the Hunter region of NSW that launched in 2016.The role of Summer Housing Ltd
Summer Housing has been established to replicate and scale the initial housing demonstration projects carried out by the Summer Foundation. These new projects build on the Abbotsford and Hunter Housing Projects continue to refine approaches to design and technology. Summer Housing supports and promotes high quality housing design that enables independence and community inclusion. We have achieved our initial goal which was to commission at least 300 additional dwellings for people with disability. Summer Housing now has SDA dwellings in major cities across Australia including Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Adelaide, Canberra and Perth.