Anglican Retirement Villages (ARV) has just applied to council to develop the Cecil guesthouse in Lurline Street into 24 self-contained rooms at a cost expected to exceed $3.6 million.

According to Graham Worsley, from ARV, the re development will be sympathetic to the original building and the old manager’s accommodation next door will be used as a respite centre.

Rooms will be offered mainly to lower-income seniors.

ARV began providing affordable accommodation for elderly people years ago by converting an old pub in Chippendale in Sydney into units and are currently converting another pub in Leichhardt.

Meanwhile, the Uniting Church is just about to open Raynton House on the corner of Lurline and Waratah streets, as an affordable housing for older people.

Renamed Petalura, after a local species of dragonfly, the building which began life in 1912 as The Carlton guesthouse has undergone a $5.2 million refurbishment.

By providing affordable housing options in Katoomba, UnitingCare was hoping to help the increasing number of older people in the area who were suffering from housing stress allowing them to remain connected to the local community according to UnitingCare Ageing director of independent living, Helen Wood.

Funded by UnitingCare and local congregations of the Uniting Church Petalura will receive ongoing operational funding from the Federal Government’s national rental affordability scheme.

A decade ago Blue Mountains Council adopted a policy to promote the provision of diverse and affordable housing options catering for the changing housing needs of the community and have welcomed the reuse of these old guesthouses.