INDUSTRY NEWSNew South WalesNEWS

Disability housing provider launches unique disability housing prototype

Specialist disability housing provider DPN Casa Capace will commence construction of an architecturally designed, resident-centric home for people with disabilities this month. DPN Casa Capace aims to scale the model to more than 700 homes in five years, in partnership with institutional investors and disability care providers.

The Australia-wide homes will be worth around $1 billion and help meet the growing demand for Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) by housing 3,500 residents.

DPN Casa Capace is a registered provider with the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and part of the DPN Group, an award-winning property and financial services enterprise.

Its semi-detached housing prototype, which it is launching in Sydney, is designed for two to three NDIS participants with a disability, including those with complex needs, who can have each room tailored to their needs.

With each resident’s NDIS SDA payment funding their tenancy, DPN Casa Capace will partner with NDIS Supported Independent Living (SIL) care providers.

These will choose suitable housing locations and accommodate residents with disabilities and their carers in their homes.

The Northcott Society is the care provider and design collaborator for the first home, in south-west Sydney’s Oran Park.

Construction will commence February 2019 and tenants are expected to move in from August. The $1.5m Oran Park home is fully funded by DPN.

Sam Khalil, DPN Founder and Managing Director, says: “DPN is sourcing capital from institutional investors – and our supply chain has the capacity to build hundreds of homes each year, at about 70 per cent of the cost of previous Government-built homes and at a higher quality.”

“We are strong champions of the move away from the institutional image of a traditional disability group home. Partnering with developers like DPN Casa Capace shows that attractive, modern developments should be what the standard should be for disability housing,” said Lee Carpenter, Deputy CEO at The Northcott Society.

“As one of Australia’s largest disability service providers, including disability accommodation, we will provide support services for the customers in this exciting new development.”

Design and technology features

Featuring architect Aaron Stevens’ simple, clean and elegant design style, the single-level, semi-detached houses at first glance look like a typical family home.

Yet the homes are fully compliant with NDIS SDA design requirements, featuring oversized doors and corridors, larger and open-plan spaces to allow for mobility devices, and robust construction.

They will be fitted with customisable fittings, such as supports in ceilings to accommodate hoists and adjustable kitchen benches, sinks and basins for wheelchair usage.

The homes will also feature the latest in technology using Apple’s Homekit platform for privacy and control. Features include the option for remote-controlled lighting, blinds, doors, heating and cooling for each room, as required, to assist residents.

The NDIS estimates that 28,000 people will qualify to receive funding for SDA under the NDIS1. The Government currently sets a budget of $700 million a year for SDA funding and it is estimated that $5 billion worth of new housing is needed to meet this demand2.

Source
[1] Department of Social Services (2015), Housing and the National Disability Insurance Scheme submission to the Parliamentary Joint Standing Committee on the NDIS[2] National Affordable Housing Consortium (2016) Disability Housing Futures Working Group: Final Report
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