Source: Our House media release.
A MAJOR expansion of one of the Northern Rivers’ most important support services for patients and families has taken a significant step forward, with the submission of the Development Application (DA)to Lismore City Council for Our House 2 imminent.
For more than a decade, Our House has provided affordable, purpose-built accommodation for people travelling to Lismore for medical treatment. What began as a vital community initiative has become an essential part of the healthcare support network for regional families.
Today, Our House welcomes more than 1,500 guests each year, up from around 1,000 annually. Guests travel from across the Northern Rivers and surrounding regions, including the Clarence Valley, Kyogle, Richmond Valley, Glen Innes, the Tablelands and coastal communities.
Demand for the existing 20-unit facility continues to outgrow capacity, with accommodation regularly fully booked during weekdays. Approximately 25 per cent of accommodation requests cannot currently be met due to a shortage of available rooms.
“Our House has become so much more than a place to stay,” said Our House Chair Dr Chris Ingall.
“It has become part of the support network that helps people access healthcare. When families are already facing the stress and uncertainty of illness, the last thing they should have to worry about is where they will sleep or how they will afford to stay close to their loved one.”
To meet growing demand, Our House has secured the neighbouring property and is progressing plans for Our House 2, which will deliver 30 additional purpose-built accommodation units.
The expansion will help more patients, carers and families stay close to medical treatment while strengthening the support services surrounding Lismore Base Hospital and specialist healthcare providers.
The project has received strong community support, with Our House working alongside Lismore City Council, Janelle Saffin MP, Northern NSW Local Health District and the wider community as it progresses through the planning process.
State Member for Lismore and Minister for the North Coast Janelle Saffin said: “I’ve backed Our House every step of the way, securing establishment funding for the charity’s existing health accommodation facility when I served as Federal Member for Page –and what a tremendous value-for-money investment it has been.
“I’m committed to lobbying for significant funding for the Our House 2 project because this expansion will have measurable and lasting benefits for the wider Northern Rivers and Northern Tablelands regions, and for our public health system.
“Our House is truly regional in its reach; currently supporting more than 1,500 guests a year as loved ones receive specialist treatment for cancer or chronic health conditions or need palliative care.
“By postcode, while 18 per cent of those guests are from localities closer to Lismore, 25 per cent come from Tenterfield and the Northern Tablelands, 44 per cent reside in the Clarence Valley, and others are from further afield.
“Having an additional 30 rooms conveniently located close to Lismore Base Hospital will benefit many more patients and their families when they most need practical support and reassurance.”
“Our House 2 is about planning for the future,” said Our House General Manager Ruth Harrison.
“We want to make sure that when someone has to travel to Lismore for treatment, they have somewhere safe, welcoming and affordable to stay, and that families can remain together during what can be an incredibly difficult time.”
The need for additional accommodation is expected to grow in coming years. The Healthy North Coast Health Needs Assessment 2025-2028 highlights significant demographic change, including strong growth in the region’s older population and increasing demand for healthcare services.
For many regional patients, treatment requires lengthy travel and extended stays away from home. Our House helps ease that burden by providing more than accommodation alone. Its Social Dinner Program serves over2,000 free meals each year, creating opportunities for guests to connect and support one another. The organisation also assists visitors to navigate the Isolated Patients Travel and Accommodation Assistance Scheme (IPTAAS) and other challenges associated with travelling for medical care.
The project represents a significant investment in the future health and wellbeing of regional communities and will help ensure more patients and families can remain close to essential healthcare, regardless of where they live.
Our House is seeking support from government, philanthropic organisations, community groups and corporate partners to help bring the Our House 2project to life.
“This is an exciting moment for Our House and for the Northern Rivers,” said Dr Ingall.
“We knew there was a need 14years ago, but not how important Our House would become to the community. Our House 2 means more patients and their families can stay close to the care and support they need.”
Our House 2 at a glance
- 30 additional purpose-built accommodation units
- 1,500+ guests supported each year
- 25% of accommodation requests currently unable to be accommodated
- 2,000+ free meals provided to guests each year
