A disability service provider on the NSW far south coast remains unable to open its new multi-million dollar apartments for clients, despite high demand for the units.
Julie Driscoll is one of the clients still waiting to move into Tulgeen's new $4.6 million apartments in Bega.
She moved from Sydney to the region in September last year in anticipation of them opening.
However, due to staff shortages, the facility has remained empty, leaving Ms Driscoll without a permanent place to call home.
"Julie's been living with me for five months and it's certainly putting a strain on myself," Ms Driscoll's sister Marie Farram said.
Ms Farram works for NDIS disability service provider Tulgeen in the Bega Valley and has also been supporting her sister at home since September.
She said the move from Sydney had been a long time coming.
"Julie has been in supported accommodation for about 35 years in Sydney," Ms Farram said.
"So, it's taken 14 years before this beautiful complex has been built."
"Due to the [pandemic], we lost a lot of staff which meant that this complex couldn't open."
Tulgeen's chief executive Duane Kelly said despite a high need for the purpose-built accommodation, there simply isn't enough staff available locally to support the clients.
"But gaining enough staff to have adequate supports for those individuals for those homes has been our biggest challenge."
Mr Kelly said the facility would need between 20 to 30 staff members on the books to help keep it running.
Many sectors have struggled to attract staff across the far south coast in recent months, with the ongoing housing crisis and COVID-19 partly to blame.
"There's difficulty in the rental market and with affordable housing," Mr Kelly said.
"Bega is a relatively small area and we've also had COVID-19, [which could] have impacted people's ability or willingness to relocate."
'No stone left unturned'
Tulgeen is actively working towards finding solutions to the ongoing shortages, including through new partnerships.
"We're building partnerships with various organisations such as TAFE in trying to garner interest," Mr Kelly said.
"We're leaving no stone unturned. We are also trying to look at alternative means of providing a level of short-term accommodation for people."
Bega TAFE community services teacher Steve Reed said the partnership will help bolster the skilled workforce locally.
"There’s a great opportunity here at Tulgeen and at other agencies,” Mr Reed said.
“The whole industry locally is struggling to recruit enough staff and so employment prospects for our graduates are extremely strong."
Tulgeen hopes to be able to start welcoming some of their clients, like Ms Driscoll, into the home by mid-March.
