Minister for Housing Wendy Lovell opened the 12 units in Maryborough and said they would contribute essential housing and community services to the region.

Each unit is a one-bedroom home, purpose built for elderly and frail residents, and designed to provide connection to community services and resources as well as social activities.

Wintringham chief financial officer Michael Deschepper said it was great Ms Lovell had been able to visit for the opening.

"The project is essentially a redevelopment that's been made possible by a partnership with a philanthropic trust called the Alexander Miller Estate," he said.

"That's a trust that's been in existence for more than 100 years now.

"They had housing in Maryborough that was pre-existing on the site that we redeveloped.

"So in partnership with them and with the state government we redeveloped the 12 existing units that were there.

"We've done them up to contemporary standards for what's required in the 21st Century for housing vulnerable, elderly people.

"The units were 80-odd years old but, really, inappropriate for housing the elderly so our project was to get the capital funding from the state government.

"The trust provided the land and we just provided the expertise to do the redevelopment.

"Now we also have ongoing responsibility for the buildings."

Wintringham chief executive Bryan Lipmann said affordable housing, along with appropriate support, was the most effective way to prevent older people becoming homeless.