Community News

Westside Housing, St Vincent de Paul Society SA and Shelter SA are working together to bring Homeshare to South Australia and we have an exciting update for you!

Abstract submission is now open until 16 February 2025

Women and children escaping domestic violence will soon have a safe home to heal, recover and rebuild, as work commences on a new refuge in Port Stephens. The refuge – the first of its kind in the Port Stephens local government area – will provide six units so that at any given time more than twelve women and children can access safe and secure housing. The joint venture, built by Hume Community Housing (Hume Housing) and delivered by Port Stephens Family and Neighbourhood Services (PSFaNS), will provide wrap-around services to assist women and children live a life free from violence. The project, made possible by the $7.2 million investment by the NSW Government under the Core and Cluster program, promotes independent living by providing self-contained accommodation around a central ‘core’ facility providing support including access to services including counselling, legal assistance, education, and employment support. Brad Braithwaite, CEO of Hume Community Housing said the partnership between PSFaNS, Hume Housing and the NSW Government will ensure that women and children in Port Stephens experiencing domestic and family violence can find a safe home and the supports they need. “Domestic and family violence is the leading cause of homelessness for women and children. If we are going to address domestic violence we must invest in housing, Mr Braithwaite said. “Access to safe housing should never be the reason why a woman or child stays in a violent, abusive home. Hume is proud to be partnering with the NSW Government and PSFaNS to deliver and asset manage this independent living refuge and core facility.” “At Hume we believe everyone should have access to a safe, secure and affordable home.” Tailored support services will be delivered by PSFaNS to help victim-survivors rebuild their lives and heal from trauma. PSFaNS has 35 years of experience providing support to people fleeing abusive relationships including staying home leaving violence, specialist homeless program, Aboriginal programs, financial counselling, emergency relief, and legal support as well as child and family casework. “Women and children in our community have suffered the immense and unjust hardship of not ever having access to a local refuge,” Sue Pollock Manager of PSFaNS said. “Alongside of this, for many years, they have been advocating so that traumatised women and children do not need to uproot their entire lives and support systems – schools, jobs, friends and family, everything they know – and leave the area for their safety.” “In particular, the Worimi community have strongly advocated and supported this process. Women in Karuah Aboriginal community have been working hard designing and sewing soft furnishings and outdoor planting ready for the refuge completion so women and children entering into a culturally safe place." The Port Stephens refuge is earmarked to be operational by early 2026.

Expressions of interest are now open for the acquisition and management of 13 new build-to-rent residential developments across the Perth metropolitan area.

YWCA Australia is proud to launch the ‘ Women’s Liveability Assessment’ , a free online audit tool that helps community housing providers, governments and other housing providers to ensure their housing meets the unique needs of their women residents. The Women’s Liveability Assessment covers four key domains of impact – Safety and Security, Participation and Connection, Agency and Health and Wellbeing, drawn from YWCA’s Women’s Housing Framework. It prompts housing providers to consider how residents are supported after experiencing trauma, assisted to build skills and access employment opportunities and ensure housing meets residents’ family and caring responsibilities. According to data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, women make up the majority of social housing, including community housing, residents across Australia. The development of the Women’s Liveability Assessment was led by Libby van der Waal, YWCA’s General Manager, Housing Operations, with sector partners CHIA Vic, Community Housing Limited and Women’s Property Initiatives. “What sets this tool apart is that it takes a holistic approach, considering physical spaces and locations alongside support needs and community connections,” said Ms van der Waal. “After seeing the positive outcomes for our residents, we wanted to support other housing providers to see that same impact.” Karina Carroll, from Women’s Property Initiatives, welcomed the opportunity to participate in the development of the tool. “Women and women led households have unique needs and the assessment enables community housing providers to think about those needs, when they are designing new homes. Women’s Property Initiatives are embedding the use of the free online audit tool in all future projects”. Kate Dodd, from Community Housing Limited, is looking forward to implementing the tool to track the organisation’s current impact with real time data. “This data-driven approach enables us to implement direct actions quickly, leading to immediate improvements in the services we offer our residents. The tool is versatile across different environments, addressing specific domains critical to our operations.” The tool includes a number of questions in each domain, and housing providers are given a score per domain and overall. Each question provides Actions for Improvement to improve policies, practices and processes to better meet the needs of women. The project was funded by Homes Victoria. Media Contact: Kathryn Brennan, YWCA Australia M:0408 429 655 E: kathryn.brennan@ywca.org.au

Housing Choices has partnered with Catherine House Inc to deliver the New Generation Catherine House project, a groundbreaking $32.6 million initiative to support women experiencing homelessness with supoort from the SA Housing Trust. This purpose-built development will include 52 social housing apartments, offering both 24/7 crisis accommodation and longer-term housing options - ensuring women have safe, stable places to stay as they rebuild their lives. This state-of-the-art facility will feature a Women’s Respite and Recovery Centre, training spaces, craft and cooking areas, meeting rooms, and a secure outdoor garden. Since its founding in 1988, Catherine House has been a vital refuge for women, and Housing Choices is looking forward to strengthening its partnership with Catherine House established in 2020 with this new project. The new building will commence in the first half of 2025 with an anticipated move in date for women at the end of 2026.

Housing Choices WA is pleased to partner with the WA State Government and DevelopmentWA to deliver 30 new social and affordable homes in Busselton, 195 kms south of Perth, WA by the end of 2026. The $19million residential project is funded as part of the WA Government’s Housing Diversity Pipeline (HDP) and its commitment to increase new housing supply in the South-West. Housing Choices WA will develop the modern, accessible and environmentally sustainable homes and provide tenancy, property and placemaking services once the project is completed. Housing Choices CEO David Fisher said: “We are excited to be creating a vibrant, new residential community in Busselton, as we have done successfully in other locations across the State. “Our partnership with Development WA will provide safe, secure and affordable homes for people in the Busselton area who may be on rent assistance or a pension, as well as lower-income earners whose jobs are essential to the local community.” Located opposite Churchill Park and in walking distance from Busselton’s vibrant Queen Street hub with easy access to public transport, shops, services, and amenities, this architect-designed development by Fremantle-based Cast Studio will feature 20 one-bedroom and 10 two-bedroom apartments. The apartments will be built to Silver Liveable standards and a minimum 6-star NatHERS ratings. Planning and design of the project is consistent with the City of Busselton’s Planning Strategy, which seeks to increase high quality affordable housing in the area. Thirty-one (31) off-street carparks are included in the development, along with carefully considered greenspaces, verge landscaping and communal areas for residents. Housing Choices WA is an independent not for profit community housing provider that manages homes and communities for over 3000 Western Australians in the Perth, Peel, and Southwest regions. Housing Choices WA will lodge a planning application by end of November 2024 with the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage, using the Significant Development Pathway, a major initiative of the Cook Government’s planning reform program. Further information about the project will be shared with Busselton residents through the planning process managed by the Department of Planning. Listen to the ABC South West Radio Interview with Hannah Harvey below:

Housing Choices has launched its new five-year strategy with a renewed vision: to ensure that everyone in Australia has access to a safe, affordable home and the opportunity to thrive. As demand for social and affordable housing continues to exceed available supply, community housing sector’s role has never been more vital. Housing Choices Australia's new five-year strategic plan provides a clear roadmap for the organisation setting ambitious goals to scale up social and affordable housing supply, enhance service delivery, foster sustainable partnerships across all levels of government, community, and private sector, and strengthen organisational capacity to deliver long-term value to its residents, stakeholders, and partners. Our three strategic aims are: More Services and Better Services More Homes and Better Homes Vibrant, Resilient and Resident-Focused Organisation To learn more read here- 🔗: Our Five-Year Strategic Plan | Housing Choices .

Following the significant insights gained from the 2022 ‘State of Affordable Housing on the Central Coast’ report, Pacific Link Housing has released an updated statement emphasising the continued and urgent need for accelerated efforts in the provision of affordable and key-worker housing. Wal Edgell, Chairman of Pacific Link Housing, stressed the necessity for rapid intervention. “The deepening housing crisis on the Central Coast demands immediate action. Governments at all levels must improve their efforts significantly to meet the immediate demands and to establish long-term, sustainable housing solutions for our community.” The 2024 statement details a significant mismatch between the demand for affordable housing and the existing supply available for residents across the Coast falling into the affordable and key-worker income categories. This shortage, along with a long-standing undersupply of social housing in the area, has contributed to a 60% rise in homelessness over the past year based on the NSW Government’s Statewide Street Count, providing further evidence of a housing market in crisis. Ian Lynch, Group CEO of Pacific Link Housing, shared insights on the challenges experienced. “As the Central Coast’s only locally based Tier 1 Community Housing Provider, Pacific Link Housing is acutely aware of the increasing hardships faced by individuals and families. Our updated report not only reflects on the progress made but also reiterates our call to action for increased funding and streamlined approval processes for social and affordable housing projects specifically.” The statement proposes six strategic actions targeted at national, state and local levels to mitigate the housing crisis effectively. It calls for increased collaboration and expedited measures to ensure that more affordable housing can be delivered swiftly and efficiently. Local leaders and stakeholders including Regional Development Australia Central Coast, Business NSW Central Coast, Darkinjung Local Aboriginal Land Council, the University of Newcastle, UDIA Central Coast, Central Coast Council and the Central Coast Local Health District have again supported this paper, and are united with Pacific Link Housing’s commitment to resolving this critical issue and calls for action, that will benefit the whole community.  While some limited progress has been made since 2022, with funding beginning to flow and policy reform happening at all levels of government, greater urgency and efficiency, along with reduced red tape in the delivery of affordable housing is required.