Mackay social housing opens up on Palmer St in North Mackay
New social housing has opened to provide a home for the region’s ageing population and those living with disabilities — opening up larger properties for families.
Mackay
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Dorothy Shaw has called her English Street social housing complex her home for the past 38 years, but because of her changing health conditions, the unit was no longer accessible to her.
“I was on a high rise, and I had to go down low,” the 87-year-old resident said.
Her new home is a one-bedroom apartment on the ground floor of a 10 unit complex built across three two-storey buildings on Palmer St in North Mackay.
Mrs Shaw said she absolutely loved her new home and had felt safe and independent in its walls since moving there in August.
Many of the units in the building are gold or platinum standard, meaning they are able to facilitate people who are ageing or have mobility issues.
The Palmer St social housing complex is the latest development to come from a $36m investment which is set to provide a further 98 new social housing homes in the region.
Communities and Housing Minister Leeanne Enoch and Mackay MP Julieanne Gilbert officially opened the complex on December 14, naming it Mary Ann Sam Place in recognition of one Mackay’s top 10 pioneering women.
Ms Gilbert said more than 24 new social homes had either opened, were under construction or were planned for the Mackay Whitsunday region since the Queensland Housing Strategy 2017-2027 was launched.
Ms Gilbert on Tuesday announced a new West Mackay social housing complex, comprised of six units ranging from one-bedroom units to family orientated apartments, was expected to be complete in the near future.
But Ms Enoch said there was a distinct focus for new social housing to be developed for the state’s ageing population and those living with disabilities.
“Families who may have been in social housing for a number of decades and raised their families in a [high set] three bedroom property, but as they get older their families grow up and move on,” Ms Enoch said.
“Quite often we see these people just need a more suitable place to live which is what we are seeing here.
“Something that suits their needs — and then it frees those [larger] properties up for other families who we are trying to support.”
Ms Enoch said 10,000 affordable and social homes would be added to the Queensland housing market throughout the 10-year housing strategy.
“This includes the commencement of 7400 new social and affordable homes across the state over the next four years,” Ms Enoch said.
“This investment means we can house more vulnerable Queenslanders sooner.”
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