Home Services
The Home Services program provides information, advice and subsidised financial assistance (when eligible) with home maintenance, modifications and repairs to the home - to keep them in a safe, healthy and secure condition. The Home Services program provides assistance across Townsville with some of the practical housing related difficulties, experienced by frail elderly people and people with disabilities (and their carers) who wish to remain living in their home. The service also provides assistance with major modifications throughout Townsville, Bowen, Charters Towers and Mt Isa.
Assistance is provided to the community through three service areas:
- Home and Community Care (HACC) Home Maintenance Program
- Home Assist Secure Program
- Home Modifications Program
For further information, contact the Home Services Coordinator on (07) 4727 9000.
1. Home and Community Care Home Maintenance Program
What is the Home and Community Care Program?
The HACC Program is a joint Commonwealth, State and Territory initiative under the auspices of the Home and Community Care Act 1985. Nationally, the Commonwealth Government contributes approximately 60% of the Program funding and maintains a broad strategic policy role. It provides funding for services which support people who live at home and whose capacity for independent living is at risk or who are at risk of premature or inappropriate admission to long term residential care.
What type of Home Maintenance do we provide?
- Repair leaking toilets
- Replace tap washers
- Replace light bulbs
- Install smoke alarms
- Minor modifications (installation of grabrails, hand held showers, shower curtains, and the removal of shower screens)
- Lawn mowing.
Find out more about Home Services' lawn mowing voucher system.
Who is eligible?
- Older and frail persons with severe or profound disabilities
- Younger persons with moderate, severe or profound disabilities
- Carers of the above
- Residents of Townsville
- Living at home (including private rental properties)
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2. Home Assist Secure Program
What is Home Assist Secure?
Home Assist Secure is an initiative of the Queensland Government. Assistance, advice and information on home repairs, maintenance, minor modifications and security is provided for older people and people with a disability, who are home owners or live in private rental housing.
The Home Assist Secure Program provides free information and advice, and subsidised assistance, to eligible clients.
Free information includes:
The Home Checklist Book
- Provides practical advice about common home repairs, maintenance problems and solutions, home safety, legal and consumer protection issues, and sources of further specialised information.
Security Hints for You and Your home
- Provides information on how to make your home more secure and increase your personal security.
Subsidised Assistance (in project areas)
- Assists people who are unable to obtain alternative assistance with minor home and yard maintenance and repairs.
Home Security Assessments (in project areas)
- Staff trained by Queensland Police Service can inspect your home to help you decide on security-related repairs or installations and advise on personal security. This is an independent and unbiased service.
Are You Eligible for Home Assist Secure?
To be eligible for free information and advice, you must be a home owner or live in private rental housing, public housing, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander housing, or community housing and be:
- 60 years or over or
- Of any age with a disability.
In addition to the above, to receive subsidised assistance for work in your home, you need to be:
- In receipt of a Commonwealth Government pension or benefit
- A resident in an area serviced by a Home Assist Secure project and
- Unable to make use of alternative forms of assistance, such as family or friends, or other government programs eg Home and Community Care, Veterans Affairs, etc
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3. Home Modifications Project
The Home Modifications Project undertakes major home alterations and additions which assist in preventing people from moving prematurely into inappropriate institutional care. Assistance is provided within the Northern Health Districts of Townsville, Mt Isa, Charters Towers, Bowen and Ingham.
The project provides:
- Bathroom modifications, water lifts, stair climbers and ramps
- Advice and information on accessible housing
- Preparation of plans and specifications for alterations and additions
- Organisation of Occupational Therapy assessments
- Financial assistance towards modifications
- Maximum use of resources by operation of the 'no-interest repayment scheme for clients
- Implementation of Prioritisation processes, ensuring efficient co-ordination of building works and secure sufficient funding to reduce the waiting list for modifications
The Home Services Section is funded through two state government programs to provide assistance to the community:
- Department of Housing - Home Assist Secure Program
- Home and Community Care
For more information, please phone 4727 9000 or contact the Home Services Coordinator.
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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
