The City of Sydney will be supporting a new aged care facility to reduce older residents experiencing homelessness.

An award of $1.5 million grant to not-for-profit group HammondCare was announced this week, where it will support the construction of the new aged care facility in Darlinghurst.

The new residential aged care home will offer an “affordable aged care for the inner-city homeless population” by housing up to 50 people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

According to the City’s Homelessness Unit, 15 percent of people sleeping rough or in short-term accommodation were over the age of 55, with older residents experiencing homelessness increasing continuously in 2015.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore said there was a real need for long-term, stable accommodation and care for older men and women in the greater Sydney area.

“The City of Sydney is committed to supporting older members of our community, especially people facing challenging care needs and who might otherwise fall through the cracks,” the Lord Mayor said.
“We’re supporting this important new facility to ensure disadvantaged people are not discriminated against and are treated with kindness and respect,” she added. 

The new five-storey facility will be providing a long-term, specialist and advanced care for older residents with complex needs, to aid them in gaining independence and secure stability in their lives.

Moreover, the facility will provide private rooms, as well as common areas on each floor.

HammondCare Chief Executive, Dr Stephen Judd, said “HammondCare is absolutely delighted to have the City of Sydney partner with us on in this much needed project, providing residential aged care for older people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness”.