NDIS changes allow Logan’s Brendon Woolf to move to dream home

A Logan man will be one of the first in the state to take advantage of new National Disability Insurance Service payment guidelines which will allow him to move into his own apartment.

Ready to move: Logan’s Brendon Woolf, Steve Soberon from Opalyn Constructions and Cr Tony Hall inspect the Neridah St building site.

A Logan man will be one of the first in the state to take advantage of new National Disability Insurance Service payment guidelines which will allow him to move into his own apartment.

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Brendon Woolf, 35, was this week given a tour of his new home, which is under construction at Neridah St, Loganlea.

He will be the first resident to move into one of the 10 new units, and one of the first in the state to pay using new NDIS guidelines which came into effect last month.

The Loganlea units are 10 out of 443 specialist disability places under construction in Queensland, up from 99 places last year.

The guidelines, which came into play on July 1, determine who is eligible to have their accommodation paid as part of their NDIS plan.

They also set out which types of dwellings are applicable and how much payments will be paid to providers.

Mr Woolf said he was excited to be moving into his own pad after living with his father John.

When he was approved for the accommodation, Mr Woolf thought he would have to move a great distance from his dad.

But this week he was delighted to find his new home is less than 10 minutes away from his dad.

Participant Brendon Woolf, Steve Soberon from Opalyn Constructions and Cr Tony Hall inspect the new building at Neridah St, Loganlea.

“I have watched able-bodied friends move out of home and I believe that regardless of whether you are disabled or not, you should have the opportunity to live independently,” he said.

“It is a great stepping stone for those wanting to live independently as it gives families peace of mind, knowing we will be looked after, and that the residence is approved by an occupational therapist before we move in.

“My dad was nervous at the start, he is old school and has my safety and care as his priority, but he knew eventually the day would come for me to move out and that he will not be around forever. This property is the perfect solution.”

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Mr Woolf said keeping his existing networks around him and finding a place close to public transport was vital to ensuring he and other participants could live normal lives.

His message to other participants in Logan with disabilities was one of hope.

Demand for specialist disability accommodation has risen across southeast Queensland, prompting a massive 447 per cent increase in development projects in Queensland between since December 2018.

But despite the surge in building, there was still a huge deficit for the accommodation in Logan according to Specialist Disability Accommodation Supply in Australia March 2020 report.

It found 152 people required the accommodation in Logan but only 29 dwellings were being built this year.

Adapt Housing, which co-ordinated the boutique apartment project in Loganlea, said the 10, one-bedroom apartments and two, onsite overnight accommodation units for service providers, would be completed late this year or early in 2021.

Only four of the apartments have tenants ready to move into the complex on completion.

Adapt Housing CEO David Whitelaw said many with disabilities were unaware they could now use the NDIS to pay for their accommodation.

“Many residents living in Logan, who qualify for specialist disability accommodation, may not be aware that they can access brand-new specifically designed, local housing for very little cost under the NDIS,” he said.