New Salvos Housing in Chermside Opens for People At Risk of Homelessness

After two years of construction, The Salvation Army welcomes residents who could be at risk of homelessness at the new Salvos Housing in Chermside. The beautiful facility is funded by philanthropist Doug Cory.



The Cory Centre, located at the former Glenhaven complex, is a three-storey apartment with 21 two-bedroom units and five three-bedroom units for single parents with kids or families of vulnerable households. It has its own basketball and tennis court, a rebound wall, vegetable and flower gardens, a children’s playground, a common room indoors, and a library.  

The Salvos Housing in Chermside was designed as a contemporary residential complex that blends well with its neighbours. It is meant to be an inner sanctuary where the kids can enjoy their childhood. 

Photo Credit:  DA A005168702/Developmenti/BCC
Photo Credit:  DA A005168702/Developmenti/BCC

Mr Cory donated $5.5 million so that The Salvation Army can rebuild the Glenhaven complex for families. The businessman will never forget how the Salvos helped him, his eight siblings, and his single mum, Irene, when their family arrived in Brisbane. 

Photo Credit: The Cory Foundation
Photo Credit: Google Maps

Before this complex became a women’s centre, it was a motel with 13 units. In 1988, the Salvos bought the property for its charitable work.

Mr Lambert said the housing complex will no longer be called Glenhaven. 

“Internally, we’ve been calling it the Cory Centre because of the donor’s relationship with the project but there hasn’t been a designated name for it,” Tim Lambert, the Army’s senior development manager with the property department in Queensland, said. 

Photo Credit:  DA A005168702/Developmenti/BCC

“If you are an average person with an average job and you’re walking down an average street…you couldn’t tell the difference between us and anyone else. You should be able to live in the same street and have the same rules and show the same respect as everyone else. It’s meant to be a true blended community.



“It will have a mixture of men and women and it’s not a women’s crisis centre. It’s not a domestic abuse centre. It certainly will have people who have suffered all those things, but there will be enough separation and security for people coming out of those situations … but will have the ability to feel safe and secure within the complex itself.”

New Affordable Homes for Vulnerable and Low-Income Households Planned for Chermside

Brisbane City Council has received a development application for a multiple dwelling on a 4,158-sqm site at 1004 Gympie Rd in Chermside.

Lodged by The Salvation Army (Queensland) Property Trust, the proposal is seeking to build a three-storey residential building with 21 two-bedroom units and five three-bedroom units.

The development aims to provide housing choice for vulnerable and low-income households who are transitioning out of crisis accommodation services offered by The Salvation Army.



If approved, the applicant will include 1,427 sqm of communal open space at the ground level that will have a sports area, turfed lawn, and a variety of informal seating.

Prepared by DC8 Studio, the architectural design showed the central communal meeting spaces will be connected to outdoor space to provide added amenity and space for families in addition to their private home and balcony.

It will include an undercroft level for 20 car park spaces, with 16 of the car park spaces allotted for the residents and the rest for the visitors.

1004 Gympie Rd, Chermside (Photo credit: Google Street View)

The proposed three storeys exceeded the building height expectations in Gympie Road, as the subject site is located in a low-density residential zone where dwellings are predominantly one or two storeys in height.

TSA believes the additional height and density are required to maximise the amount of housing choice they offer to vulnerable persons.

The proposal has not received any public submissions yet but the applicant needs to provide further details regarding the DA based on the initial review carried out by BCC.

To know more about this proposed residential building, see Full DA- A005168702.