On the northern tip of the Gold Coast, Hope Island is a purpose-built housing project that exemplifies inclusive, accessible living. Learn how Accessible Homes Australia (AHA), with the backing of Bank Australia, is helping revolutionise specialist disability accommodation in Australia.
Back in 2023, Johanna was stuck – quite literally – in an unhappy living situation. “I couldn’t get out of my apartment,” says the Gold Coast resident living with multiple sclerosis. “I couldn’t use the stairs, and was very depressed.”
Then she made a call to Accessible Homes Australia that would change her life. “They brought me here to Hope Island, and I felt like, ‘This is the one.’ This felt homely.” After years of navigating inaccessible spaces and social isolation, she finally found a home that offered independence, safety, community and hands-on support when needed.
Hope Island is an AHA housing project on the northern tip of the Gold Coast. But more than that, it’s an example of how transformative it can be when inclusive design meets intentional community.
The Accessible Homes Australia story
AHA’s mission is simple: “To build great, accessible homes for people living in the community,” says founder and CEO Perry Cross AM.
Perry knew first hand the gap in accessible housing options, having himself sought appropriate home environments since a rugby accident at 19 left him a C2 ventilated quadriplegic. “There was no accessible housing market in Australia,” he says. “We thought, there’s got to be some answer to our housing problem for people with disability. So we set up our first apartment, which was my own residence, and it was so amazing. It was literally life changing.”
The success of his apartment sparked a bigger vision. “We said, ‘This is important – we’ve got to do more of this’,” Perry says. So they did. With the backing of Bank Australia’s impact lending team, AHA began designing and providing Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) homes across Queensland, working closely with tenants and care providers to ensure each space supported both autonomy and social connection.
Hope Island: A place to call home
Hope Island – AHA’s third project – is a shining example of the organisation’s vision. It includes ten high-support SDA apartments within a 105-residence apartment complex. Each apartment is purpose built to be fully accessible and tech-enabled, with features like automatic doors, fire safety and personal duress systems, adjustable benchtops, and plenty of room for people with mobility difficulties to get around. It’s well-located, with shops, transport and health services nearby. The complex also includes a pool, gym, sauna, barbecue area and business centre/community room – all accessible, shared spaces designed to foster community and connection.
In the building, there is also an eleventh AHA apartment occupied by a care provider offering 24/7 on-site support. “It’s care when you need it, and independence when you don’t,” says Tom Ray, AHA’s Managing Director.
For residents like Gail, who has MS and uses a wheelchair, the difference is huge. After living in unsuitable accommodation that was integrated with aged care, she longed for a home that reflected her vitality. “I could see that I could live independently here, but safely,” she says. “That was really important to me. I can be spontaneous here.”
Now, Gail lives in a two-bedroom Hope Island SDA apartment with her service dog, Jack. She has become heavily involved in women’s wheelchair basketball (taking up playing herself a few years ago), often has her grandchildren come to stay with her, and is an active member of the apartment complex body corporate committee. “I’m able to be a voice for the AHA tenants, but also for Accessible Homes Australia, as they’ve got a major investment in this building,” Gail says. “To be part of that is really special for me.”
For Johanna, who was a carer for 28 years before needing care herself, it’s the day-to-day elements of Hope Island that have made her life easier and more enjoyable. “I can have the care and feel independent at the same time,” she says. “I can move around. I’ve got room for my wheelchair, my walker, and my cats. I’ve had my family here for Christmas, we play bingo, have get-togethers…it’s a real community. It feels good. I’m in the right place.”
That feeling of belonging brings with it a sense of emotional safety. “Traditionally, people with disability are very isolated,” Perry says. “But when you live in a community where people actually care, it feels like you’re part of something in a genuine way.”
Better for tenants, better for the NDIS
The flow-on benefits of AHA’s model are clear. “One of the things you might notice when you talk to our tenants,” says Tom, “is all of them are very different, doing different and interesting things with their lives. A lot of those things they weren’t doing before they came to live with us.”
As Brianna Barry from AHA added, “When your home is safe and stable, you have energy to put elsewhere.”
Many of the tenants have experienced tangible health benefits since moving in. “Just the de-stressing of their lives, not having to worry about where they live – people start to look healthier,” says Tom. “Less stress, fewer hospital visits…it’s better for them, and it saves the system money, all as a result of having the right housing outcome.”
Living at Hope Island has also helped Gail financially. “I have saved a lot of money from my NDIS plan by having the amenities like the gym and pool here on site, so my plan is going further,” she says. “It's a win-win.”
Bank Australia and AHA: A partnership with impact
Through our impact lending team, Bank Australia has been an AHA partner since the beginning. “They helped fund the acquisition and building of Perry’s home, our first ever home,” says Tom. “They sat down with us as we scaled into larger precincts like Hope Island. They’ve been a partner since the first day.”
Nicole Chen, a Senior Manager of Impact Lending at Bank Australia, says this lending aligns with the bank’s values. “As a purpose-driven bank, we believe that supporting accessible housing goes hand in hand with responsible banking,” she says. “We were one of the first banks to lend into the SDA sector, and we’re proud to support projects that provide well-designed, well-located, and high-amenity homes for life.”
Together, AHA and Bank Australia are hoping to replicate Hope Island’s success in future projects, including a clustered SDA living village in Hervey Bay that’s nearing completion. “We want to provide more people with the opportunity to live independently,” says Tom.
As Perry puts it: “Housing is such a lifestyle change for people with disability. Just having a roof over your head for as long as you want it. It gives you confidence. It gives you freedom. That’s a life-changing impact.”
