Lismore medical accommodation charity Our House is planning 30 additional units as growing demand leaves it unable to meet approximately a quarter of requests for a room.
The charity provides affordable accommodation for patients travelling for treatment and family members supporting loved ones in hospital.
Its existing 20-unit facility near Lismore Base Hospital accommodates more than 1,500 guests annually, up from around 1,000, and is regularly fully booked on weekdays.
Our House has purchased the adjoining property for an expansion that would more than double its accommodation capacity.
Chair Dr Chris Ingall said illness already placed considerable pressure on families.
‘When families are already facing the stress and uncertainty of illness’, he said, accommodation was another concern.
The proposal was outlined in an Our House announcement published by Lismore MP Janelle Saffin on October 8.
At that stage, the charity said submission of a development application to Lismore City Council was imminent. The announcement did not confirm lodgement.
The proposed units would adjoin the charity’s Laurel Avenue premises, allowing more patients, carers and relatives to remain close to medical services.
Guests come from across the Northern Rivers and surrounding regions, including the Clarence Valley, Tenterfield and the Northern Tablelands. Treatment can require lengthy travel and extended stays away from home.
The charity is seeking funding from government, philanthropic organisations, community groups and corporate partners.
Ms Saffin has pledged to lobby for funding, having helped secure establishment funding for the existing facility when she was the federal member for Page.
Our House says an ageing regional population and increasing healthcare demand are expected to increase the need for accommodation.
Alongside providing rooms, it serves more than 2,000 free meals annually and helps guests navigate travel and accommodation assistance.
The charity is seeking community letters supporting its approaches to government for expansion funding.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
