The Brisbane Housing Company’s redevelopment of the derelict Nudgee State Primary School into a mix of affordable housing, private home and land packages and a community centre is nearing completion.

Due to be finished by mid to late November, the site, located on the corner of Earnshaw Road and Approach Road, will feature affordable housing consisting of 43 one, two and three bedroom units and townhouses. Additionally 41 home and land packages will be made available for sale through Ausbuild.

Brisbane Housing Company Development Manager Bill McClanachan said the Company expected the first tenants to be moving in by early December.

“It was important that we worked closely with the local community and took on board input from them on this project because many of the residents have a close connection to the school,” he said.

Mr McClanachan said the heritage listed building at the front of the site has been fully refurbished and made into a community centre, while the two streets and two parks have been named after the former school’s house teams; Patonga Rd, Billara Rd, Loongana Park and Camira Park.

“The heritage listed building which is now a community centre was purchased by Multicap from the Brisbane Housing Company and will act as an important hub to assist with the delivery of a range of services to those with a disability.”

Mr McClanachan said the Company has also offered additional office space to other community stakeholders free of charge.

“This was about giving something back to the community and keeping their link to the former school. The building will also feature two offices, one for the Banyo RSL and also one for the local army cadets,” he said.

Earlier this year the Brisbane Housing Company has been awarded Queensland’s top affordability award for its Nundah project; Oxenham Apartments at Danby Lane, at the Urban Development Institute of Australia Awards.

BHC and the Residential Tenancies Authority will jointly fund a project aimed at improving the accessibility of information to its tenants who have literacy and sight impairments and may therefore find it difficult to understand their rights and obligations under the Residential Tenancies Act.

BHC Operations Manager Samantha Evans said the project would enable the Company to produce the information in an audio format for its tenants.

“We’ve found a number of tenants who have taken the step into more permanent accommodation from boarding houses sometimes experience a significant level of stress that comes from not being able to fully understand the requirements of the Residential Tenancies Act,” Ms Evans said.

Ms Evans said although BHC will pilot the project, the design will not be specific to the company.

“We anticipate this medium to be equally applicable to any tenant within Queensland,” she said. 

Those tenants who do not have access to audio equipment to listen to the CD will be provided guidance on where they can use the CD including local libraries and community hubs. 

The Brisbane Housing Company (BHC) has received a welcome boost in its campaign against homelessness with the Brisbane City Council awarding the Company funding from the Inner City Homelessness Trust to provide boarding room starter kits to its new tenants, whom are escaping homelessness.   

The kits are a vital link to help people move off the streets and into stable accommodation. Many homeless people do not own everyday basic items such as sheets, pillows, blankets and toiletries and this grant enables BHC to provide them with these essentials. The current funding will assist 28 new tenants.

One of the Brisbane Housing Company’s (BHC) key service providers has been recognised for its work with people with a disability at the Queensland Disability Action Week awards.  

The Open Minds’ Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) support service was chosen as the winner of the Community Organisation Category for its work with residents at BHC’s Alford St premises in New Farm, Brisbane.   

BHC CEO David Cant said the Company was thrilled to hear Open Minds had been recognised for its work at a state level.  

“Open Minds is a fantastic organisation and this award not only highlights the amazing work which they do, but it showcases the innovation in affordable housing that the Brisbane Housing Company provides,” Mr Cant said.   

Mr Cant said the Open Minds service was a rehabilitation and transitional accommodation facility which promotes independence and achievement in rehabilitation and recovery.  

The Open Minds’ Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) support service was chosen as the winner of the Community Organisation Category for its work with residents at BHC’s Alford St premises in New Farm, Brisbane. 

BHC recently housed its 1500th resident in one of the 17 apartment buildings it has developed since incorporating in 2002.

While the organisation identified a rapidly increasing demand for affordable housing stock many years ago, the current crisis of accommodation means BHC is working closely with both government and private industry to fast-track development.

BHC CEO David Cant said the company was working to nearly double the 590 apartments we currently manage, to build a target of 1020 apartments by the end of the year 2010.

“Delivering affordable housing is a rewarding experience for the Company particularly when tenants express their enjoyment of their homes,” David said.

BHC resident Kevin Sullivan said living at Hartopp Lane has been an incredible change. 

“I love my new home and the fact that I can be an active member of the community.  This is real living at an affordable price and I don’t know where else I could have found an opportunity like this,” Kevin said.

The Brisbane Housing Company (BHC) has taken out the state’s top affordability award for the third time in four years at the 2008 Queensland Urban Development Institute of Australia (UDIA) Awards.   

BHC was awarded the top gong for excellence in planning, urban design and innovation for its 67 apartment development at Danby Lane, Nundah.  

BHC’s Tom Burns Place development at the Kelvin Grove Urban Village was also named as a finalist.  

BHC CEO David Cant said the award was a tremendous honour for BHC to receive.  

“Our company is built on creating safe and quality environments for those who need housing for a variety of reasons and this award reaffirms BHC’s commitment to providing high quality housing to those people,” Mr Cant said.  

Mr Cant said the award was a small step towards normalising affordable housing to the wider community. 

“These people are workers on low income, struggling to make ends meet with the soaring cost of living or people who have experienced some type of hardship in their life.  

“It recognises that BHC not only provides affordable housing for those in need but we do it with award winning designs, strategies and policies.”  

“The community’s perception about affordable housing is starting to become positively geared. This award acknowledges that we are working hard on providing quality housing that is thoughtfully and professionally planned, developed and designed.” 

UDIA Queensland President Brett Gill said “the Nundah development shows it is possible to produce affordable accommodation of high quality, designed with care and creativity to meet the needs and aspirations of its occupants.”

The Brisbane Housing Company (BHC) has taken out the nation’s top planning award after receiving the Urban Planning Achievement Award for it’s creation of an affordable housing project in the Kelvin Grove Urban Village.

BHC received the award from a ceremony held by the Planning Institute of Australia (PIA) last week. It was awarded for their outstanding contribution to the current urban planning practice.

BHC CEO, David Cant, said the award was a great achievement for the company and highlighted BHC’s commitment to providing high quality affordable housing.

“This award recognises that we not only provide affordable housing for those in need but we do it with award winning designs, strategies and policies,” he said.

Mr Cant said the award was a small step towards normalising affordable housing to the wider community.

“The community’s perception about affordable housing is starting to become positively geared. This award acknowledges that we are working hard on providing quality housing that is thoughtfully and professionally planned, developed and designed,” Mr Cant said.

BHC was established with the support of funding from the Department of Housing and Brisbane City Council, and is an independent not-for-profit organisation that works closely with local charities, service providers and all levels of government to deliver affordable housing.

BHC recently housed its 1500th resident in one of the 17 apartment buildings it has developed since incorporating in 2002.

Mr Cant says while the organisation identified a rapidly increasing demand for affordable housing stock many years ago, the current crisis of accommodation means BHC is working closely with both government and private industry to fast-track development.

“We are working to nearly double the 590 apartments we currently manage, to build a target of 1020 apartments by the end of the year 2010,” he said.

Brisbane Housing Company’s portfolio of apartments include studios through to 3 bedroom apartments that cater for a diverse population of people, and are also positioned close to services and transport in Paddington, Kelvin Grove, Newstead, Fortitude Valley, New Farm, West End, Camp Hill, Yeronga and Bowen Hills.

To view BHC’s Urban Planning Achievement Award, visit the online PIA publication at this link:

Scroll to 43-44p of the viewing section or page 20 on the document.

The Brisbane Housing Company will construct a $15.25 million mixed-use development in Brisbane's Fortitude Valley. Brisbane Housing Company CEO David Cant said the Church Street site would be transformed into a multi-level development featuring affordable housing and a community centre.

Mr Cant said the Red Cross and the Brisbane Youth Service would most likely take up occupation in the building, operating a Learning and Development Centre.

"It's quite a complicated scheme in terms that you have got two services with definite requirements," he said. It is expected that the Learning and Development Centre would occupy the two bottom floors of the building, with remaining floors to feature about 48 studio, one and twobedroom apartments.

There would also be an outdoor roof area. Mr Cant said half of the residential component would be offered to rental tenants who need to access the services at the Learning and Development Centre, while the remaining half would be offered as "general rental" under the affordable housing banner. BCA is negotiating with the Queensland Department of Housing to buy an adjacent site.

"We acquired one site between Church Street, Ann Street and East Street from the council a couple of year ago and were now in the process of acquiring an adjacent site," he said. A development application would be lodged with council after finalising the acquisition.

It is expected BCA will pay about $2.85 million for the site, while construction costs for the development would be about $10 million. He said it was hoped the development would be completed in 2010. "This is the most ambitious project we've undertaken." Mr Cant said.