Shaping Directions with Local Charity

In 2007, a group of students from Carnegie Mellon University formed a partnership with Bedford, a charity which provides employment, training, accommodation and other services for 1,700 people with a disability or disadvantage in South Australia.

The intention of the group (‘BHCE’) was to help shape the strategic direction of Bedford Housing’s portfolio, by undertaking research and reviewing housing options for people with a disability. Since the time of the research and associated report, Bedford has embarked on a range of significant developments, a number of which were highlighted in the work of the group.

The need to devote resources to address the long term development of Balyana, a Bedford residential service in the Adelaide foothills, has seen an external consultant engaged to develop and draft a master plan for the site which is due to be completed by July 2008. The BHCE group has provided valuable insight and the community has also been engaged in the process.  

Bedford has also expanded its property staffing resources, employing a Property Development Manager with considerable expertise in housing and property matters. The need for a comprehensive and robust Housing Plan for Bedford has been a most important part of this role – the BHCE research report provided useful background material to help shape this Plan. It has also continued to explore more options for community housing and continue to work with the State Government and other stakeholders to develop a range of housing options for people with a disability in South Australia.

The work of the BHCE group provided a valuable ‘third party’ insight and resource into the environmental context in which Bedford Housing operates and the potential housing models that might be considered for the future.

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Content provided by Phil Farrow (General Manager Government and Sector Relations), The Bedford Group (June 2008)

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