Anglican Archbishop of Sydney, Kanishka Raffel, officially opened a new specialist disability accommodation (SDA) facility on the site of the former Holy Trinity Anglican Church at Beacon Hill on 28 March.
The new build, which consists of three specially designed homes for up to eight tenants, is the first to be delivered under Sydney Anglican Property’s Urban Renewal Pilot Program, which sees existing church property repurposed for much-needed community assets, while also supporting the ongoing ministry of the parish.
Chief executive officer of Sydney Anglican Property, Ross Jones, said the program is all about using the church’s property assets to serve local communities right across Sydney.
“We’re keen to identify needs within our communities and use the land we have to meet those needs,” said Mr Jones. “That could be disability accommodation like here at Beacon Hill, or it could be affordable housing which is a huge issue in Sydney right now, or it could be early learning and child care facilities. The possibilities are endless.”
Dave Lanham, Rector of Frenchs Forest Anglican Church (which includes Beacon Hill), sees the project as significant for the local church and the local community.
“We seek to serve and support our community in many ways and are stoked that we can provide new homes for some of the neediest members of the community,” Mr Lanham said.
“It was a challenge to work out how to best use the Beacon Hill site given that it was no longer suitable for Sunday gatherings.
“Through our partnership with Sydney Anglican Property, it will also generate ongoing income to enable the essential developments of our Frenchs Forest site, to grow with our community over the coming years.
“The outcome really is a win-win.”