First ACT house handover

Homes for Homes has handed over the keys to the first home in Canberra funded with its support, which will provide safe and secure housing to older women.

Last year, Homes for Homes awarded almost $500,000 to fund a range of social and affordable housing projects, including $200,000 towards the purchase of a home by Havelock Housing Association.

On 2 August of this year, the keys to the new property were handed over to two tenants.

The property represents a significant milestone in the Homes for Homes journey to help solve the lack of social and affordable housing in Australia, the gap of which is projected to grow to one million properties by 2036.

Homes for Homes National Marketing and Partnerships Manager Louise Gray said with women over 55 the fastest growing group of homeless people in the country, initiatives such as this help to curb the issue of homelessness in Australia.

“Often [women over 55] have been caregivers at home or raising children or caring for elderly relatives and have very little superannuation,” she said.

“If a relationship breaks down and their income has decreased and they can no longer afford to rent in the market, they get very little support and are in a position where they’re forced into the margins.”

The property is specifically designed to offer the benefits of separate living spaces, while offering a shared environment to decrease living costs and enhance social interaction.

Havelock Housing Association will own and manage the property and tenants, offering long-term tenure at affordable rental rates, and will collaborate with support providers to provide tenants with ongoing support as needed.

The handover is the second in the history of Homes for Homes, following the completion of a property in regional Victoria built by Habitat for Humanity, which was partly funded by Homes for Homes.