The Summer Foundation has worked with Oscar Building and Stretchy Tech to develop a self-contained, relocatable unit that can be rapidly installed and moved from location to location to provide housing for people who require short-term accessible housing.
This one-off prototype unit will give the market an idea of what is possible.
After bad weather forced the scheduled June debut to be postponed, the first public display of the prototype will be held at the Melbourne Museum forecourt from Friday 26 July to Sunday 28 July, as part of the Open House Melbourne weekend. It will then be on show next to Geelong Town Hall from Wednesday 31 July to Sunday 4 August. The prototype will be open for public tours on each of these days. For opening times and details see here.
We know that a lack of accessible housing available at the right time and in the right area can leave people with a newly acquired disability stuck in hospital, rehab or being admitted to aged care. The prototype addresses the gap between leaving hospital or rehab and finding appropriate permanent housing.
The prototype looks just like any other small house – it has a living area, bedroom and ensuite, kitchenette and laundry. Assistive technology increases the occupant’s independence, safety and security.
The next step is to work with housing providers who can scale up the Rapid Interim Housing model and make this type of unit a reality for people with disability.
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