New homes, new hope: $500,000 granted to tackle homelessness in Victoria’s hardest-hit regions
Awarded as part of its ninth grant round, on Monday 13 October Homes for Homes announced $500,000 of funding to three social and affordable housing projects that will provide safe, secure housing for Victorians experiencing homelessness and disadvantage in the Mornington Peninsula and wider Victorian surrounds.
The funding is made up of $250,000 of contributions made by developer SP Setia from sales of their Uno project in Melbourne’s CBD, and $250,000 of co-funding from philanthropic partner Danks Trust. This co-funding from Danks Trust doubles the funding available in this grant round for social and affordable housing projects.
Congratulations to the following successful projects:
- Kids Under Cover to install a semi-independent studio in the backyard of a residential care home. This model helps young people gain independence while staying connected to the supports that prevent them from entering homelessness at a critical stage of life.
- Women’s Property Initiatives (WPI) to deliver four 1-bedroom homes for older women and three 2-bedroom homes for single mothers in the Mornington area—two groups experiencing some of the sharpest rises in housing insecurity.
- CatholicCare Victoria Housing to help deliver 49 one- and two-bedroom homes in Swan Hill for people over 55 and their families, ensuring older Australians can access safe, permanent housing and age with dignity.
Recipients were awarded their funding and shared details of their projects at a presentation hosted by the Mornington Peninsula Shire. Each project works to a Housing First model, providing wrap-around services that offer vulnerable Victorians not just safe and secure housing, but the stability needed to rebuild their lives.
“Housing creates transformational change, and we’re thrilled that with this grant round we can provide more Victorians with the opportunity to have safe and secure housing. I congratulate our funding recipients and know they will create an immediate and lasting impact on the lives of many,” said Steven Persson, Chief Executive Officer, Homes for Homes.
This milestone also marks ten years of Homes for Homes’ innovative funding model, which turns property sales into bricks-and-mortar change. With co-funding from philanthropic partner Danks Trust, the impact of this grant round has been doubled.
“A charitable trust established in 1928 to provide ‘relief of poverty’, the Danks Trust is delighted to help bring these housing projects to life. Distributing Danks Trust funding to specialist housing providers via Homes for Homes’ independent housing grants process, creates efficiencies for the sector and amplifies our impact. We commend Homes for Homes and Australia’s social and affordable housing sector as we all strive for a nation where everyone has a safe and secure home.” said Andrew Danks, Trustee, Danks Trust.
Our sincere thanks go to the Mornington Peninsula Shire for hosting the event and for their pivotal decision to donate land under a 30-year ground lease for the WPI project. This level of civic leadership shows what is possible when local and state governments, community housing providers and Homes for Homes work together: practical, scalable solutions that meaningfully increase the supply of safe and affordable homes.
Since 2015, Homes for Homes has channeled almost $3 million into 28 housing projects nationwide, supporting housing outcomes for more than 400 people. With the support of developers, trusts and the community, Homes for Homes is building a sustainable solution to end homelessness in Australia.
Homes for Homes innovative model raises and grants funding for the creation of social and affordable housing through donors, both individuals and developers, agreeing to register their property, which enables a tax-deductible donation of 0.1% of the property’s sale price or monthly rent to be donated to Homes for Homes. These donations are pooled and are granted to community housing providers to increase the supply of social affordable housing across Australia.
Thank you to the Danks Trust, SP Setia, Mornington Peninsula Shire, grant round recipients and wider Homes for Homes community for their support in bringing this grant round to live and creating more social and affordable housing for those living on the margins.