Northern Suburbs Housing Co-operative

Independent Units

Written by Gary on December 19, 2006 – 9:54 pm -

The co-operative currently manages 131 independent one and two bedroom units located on 38 different sites, one 10 room semi-independent accommodation facility and our office.

The majority of the independent living units are large homes that have been converted into generally two one bedroom self contained units.

As the two local government council areas that the co-operative provided accommodation in (namely the Prospect City Council and the Enfield area of the Port Adelaide Enfield Council) all had fairly large blocks, the co-operative has been able to build another one or two units in the “backyard” of most of these properties.

This “infill” development is separated from the house by landscaped car parking.

The co-operative also has some purpose built groups of two bedroom units.

All accommodation is on ground floors (there are no two storey developments), is close to shopping centres and public transport.

Rent is based on either household income or property value.

Rent which is based on household income provides an affordability guarantee – the lower the income, the lower the rent. Household Income is the gross income (that is, before tax) of each person residing in the house added together.

Rent which is based on property value is more commonly referred to as “Ceiling Rent”. The rent is comparable to “market rent” and ensures that that the co-operative’s rent on its properties are no more or less than that of private accommodation of a comparable standard.

That said, the rent is higher for higher valued properties and lower for lower valued properties.

The co-operative calculates the rent based on both methods and charges its members the lowest of the two calculations.

In additional to rent the co-operative charges a small levy on each tenancy to cover the cost for water usage.

Tags: Accommodation, Independent Units
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Broadview House

Written by Gary on December 19, 2006 – 9:48 pm -

The Co-operative has a unique development called Broadview House.

Permanent Residents

The development provides semi-independent, rental accommodation for elderly people, 55 years and over, who are on low incomes with limited assets.

A doctor’s assessment form will need to be completed at the time of application to ensure that the prospective resident is able to meet the requirements to care for their room with limited support.

A Housekeeper is employed Monday through Friday to prepare the two main meals of the day, lunch and dinner. The Housekeeper also cleans the common areas, does the weekly shopping for supplies for the house, assists residents with heavy laundry and is generally on call for emergencies.

At present, there is a shortage of affordable housing for elderly folk capable of looking after themselves and managing their own finances. Many elderly are isolated in huge houses or units too difficult for them to manage, some are paying high rents, others are simply lonely and in need of some help, but they are not ready for the usual alternatives.

They don’t require a nursing home, they need a homely, residential environment where they can retain most of their independence, yet still stay involved in their local community.

We believe Broadview House offers these things and much more.

To create Broadview House, two ordinary house’s were purchased and with the assistance of an architect and some Local Government Funding, the houses were joined with a common area, dining area and communal kitchen.

However, from the street you would not be able to see it. The emphasis on the whole development has been non-institutional. Each resident has their own private, spacious, carpeted room with ensuite bathroom and air-conditioning.

The development also has lovely spacious landscaped gardens, both front and rear. Residents are all supplied with their own personal alarm pendant, which provides for 24 hour access to doctors or ambulance.

Residents have free access to the whole of the facility, except for each others rooms, including the laundry, and all residents have their own key to come and go as they please.

All that the Resident has to provide is their own personal care items and to care for their own room. Residents are encouraged to be involved in the running of their house and decide on the House Rules which they must then all abide by.

The hallmark of Broadview House is friendship and mutual support with the aim of providing secure, private, comfortable, homely, and supportive environment for all residents to live in.

There is no ingoing donation to reside at Broadview House. The charge to reside at Broadview House is made up of two components – a House Fee and Rent.

The House Fee is set at 70% of the Basic Single Pension and covers light, power, all meals, heavy laundry, maintenance, gardening and basic household supplies.

The Rent is 25% of total gross income, including any Commonwealth Rental Assistance.

The Resident must also meet government and co-operative eligibility requirements.

Northern Suburbs Housing Co-operative does not receive any recurrent funding from Government for the ongoing management of Broadview House.

Respite Care

The co-operative has the provision to provide a short-term respite room at Broadview House.

The service is available for periods of up to four weeks per annum per person.

Bookings are required, and, there are no income, assets or needs restrictions. However, preference will be given to those most in need.

The room is available at 145% of the Basic Single Pension rate pro-rated per fortnight. This fee includes full use of all the facilities and all meals.

Existing co-operative members can access the respite room for 90% of the Basic Single Pension rate pro-rated per fortnight as they will still be required to pay rent for their existing co-operative unit.

For further details on booking the respite room, please click here.

Tags: Accommodation, Broadview House
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Accommodation

Written by Gary on December 19, 2006 – 10:14 am -

From March 1, 2000 all applications for community housing must meet two eligibility criteria. One which is set by Government, the other which is set by the Co-operative.

Government Eligibility Criteria

This assessment includes:

• Basic eligibility – applicants must reside in South Australia and not be the owner of any residential property when they move into a community housing property,
• An income test,
• An assets test, and,
• A needs test.

Co-operative Eligibility Criteria

This assessment includes:

• Being aged 55 years or over,
• Have reasonable health and be able to care for themselves and their unit, with some support from domiciliary care services, Meals on Wheels and Royal District Nursing Service (RDNS),
• Wanting to be involved and participate in the co-operative.

For those that are considering our Broadview House facility, the co-operative’s eligibility criteria is somewhat relaxed in that applications are considered from people who are semi-independent (ie they may be lonely or slightly frail), however, they must still be capable of caring for their own room.

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