Seeking more housing for staff, the Not For Profit converted St Clair House at RFBI Coffs Harbour Masonic Village, 550km north of Sydney, into 15 apartments for staff working in facilities in the area, offering rent at approximately 50% of the market rate. When staff living in the apartments retire, they will be able to stay on in the accommodation.
The offer was taken up so quickly, RFBI CEO Frank Price told a podcast they now have plans to provide similar accommodation at 21 other locations.
They have a Development Application in place at their Edgeworth site, 18km west of Newcastle in NSW, for 12 apartments, and another DA lodged in Canberra.
The idea for ongoing staff housing came to Frank after they opened housing for older women at risk of homelessness in Bellingen.
"It was a roaring success to see the impact that it had, and the emotional attachment that these women had to a safe home," Frank said.
"But when you dig a little deeper and you try to work out how these women got to be in the situation where they're at risk of homelessness, what we discovered was that most of them held normal jobs and through no fault of their own - maybe it was a divorce, maybe it was that they became widows, some life-changing thing happened to them - they found themselves financially vulnerable.
"And I look at my workforce and my fear with my workforce is that at any point in time they could find themselves in that position. The fact is anyone, especially my older staff who are nearing retirement, when the income stops coming in and if they're renting, they could just as easily be one of these women or men who will find themselves homeless."
"The offer is to our 2,300 staff that whilst you're an employee of RFBI, you will have that safe haven. Should you retire once you're an employee of RFBI you will retain that safe haven. It has to be a long-term benefit, because we've received a long-term benefit. Our residents have received a long-term benefit, and when our staff need it the most, do we just let them go? We can't do that. I can't do that."
Frank said he believes that aged care operators with the financial capacity should do the same.
RFBI has 20 retirement villages, 22 residential aged care homes, and delivers home care services in NSW and the ACT. It was founded 145 years ago.
