Carman Way brings home Judge’s Award at UDIA WA Awards for Excellence

September 18, 2023

The Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) at 7A and 7B Carman Way, Bassendean was awarded the Judge’s Award at the UDIA WA 2023 Awards for Excellence.

Everyone deserves a safe place to call home. Yet, Western Australia is battling an affordable housing crisis. One of the most vulnerable sections of our community are the estimated 1300 people who require Specialist Disability Accommodation. Foundation Housing, as the largest state-based community housing provider, is proud to have fully funded two SDA homes in Bassendean. In support of our mission to provide affordable and secure homes to people on low to moderate incomes, we have been able to deliver a housing outcome that promotes independence, enhanced accessibility, improved safety and a more comfortable lifestyle.

Foundation Housing has demonstrated that affordable disability accommodation does not need to compromise on quality or finish. It’s why we:  

• Built to the highest-tier “High Physical Support” rating instead of the minimum “Improved Liveability” category, to accommodate for potential future needs. 
• Appointed a specialist SDA builder, Tricrest Constructions, to ensure the homes met exact requirements. 
• Worked closely with Activ – WA’s largest disability support provider – and the future residents to ensure their individual accessibility requirements were met. 
• Fitted homes with automated lights, gates, air-conditioning, blinds, alarms and video intercoms.
• Limited future costs by including 3,000L rainwater tanks, double glazing, solar panels and battery backup systems (also resulting in a seven-star environmental rating).

In presenting this award, the judges said that Carman Way “is an outstanding example of accessible and affordable housing in the disability sector, promoting independence, enhanced accessibility, improved safety and a more comfortable lifestyle for the most vulnerable in our community.”