Achievements

Registration as a Housing Provider

VWHA is very proud to announce that from 25 August 2008 it is the thirteenth registered housing provider in Victoria. Registration will allow VWHA to access small amounts of Government funding and increase its housing stock. The registration status will also facilitate further partnerships with other non-government organisations and increase access to further philanthropic funding.

VWHA Wins Excellence In Practice Award

Australasian Housing Institute (AHI)Awards For Excellence

VWHA tenants have complex needs and require support in order to achieve their independence. VWHA in partnership with Melbourne Citymission recently developed a social housing program comprised of building six houses at Cairnlea in Melbourne. The houses are owned by VWHA, tenancy is managed by the YWCA, and support for the women and their families is provided by a Melbourne Citymission's support program for women.

VWHA housing data and feedback from tenants is starting to reflect the difference tenancy support makes to the stability and satisfaction of tenants and their capacity to reunify with their children and families and integrate into the community.

In its submission to the Australian Housing Institute, VWHA demonstrated that by adopting multidisciplinary partnerships and collaboration with key agencies there are sustainable benecits for women with complex housing and support needs. This model of service delivery is readily transferable to any social housing program in Australian society at a time when affordable housing is the subject of intense debate.

Other Achievements

Roxburgh Park Housing Project

VWHA successfully developed and project managed a mix of eleven 3 and 4 bedroom houses in Roxburgh Park in Melbourne's North West, for disadvantaged women and their families. The houses were built in a cooperative project partnership between VWHA and Homes 1 with funding from the Office of Housing.

Eleven houses are now providing secure and stable accommodation to eleven women and 26 children who were previously experiencing extreme housing stress. Some of these women were actually experiencing homelessness while others were on the verge of homelessness.

The houses are owned by the VWHA and since December 2007 are managed by the Women's Housing Limited (WHLtd) and are leased long-term to women in receipt of Centrelink incomes with rents set at no more than 25 per cent of their income.

The VWHA and YWCA (initial managing agents) worked with local support agencies to ensure that women and children who have connections, supports and links to the area were those who were accommodated in the properties. The local support agencies continue to have contact with the women and their children and provide a service as required. This arrangement facilitates the security and stability of the housing for the women as they experience new challenges in their life which in the past may have resulted in them becoming homeless and entering the homelessness system again. The housing is of good quality and this in itself contributes to the self esteem of the women and children.

This innovative project was VWHA's first joint project with a private developer and provides a model that will pave the way for similar commitments from others in the private sector.

Cairnlea Housing Project

VWHA worked in partnership with Melbourne Citymission to develop six houses at the Cairnlea Estate in Deer Park for women exiting justice facilities.

Land for the houses was purchased by VWHA with funding secured from the Office of Housing and Melbourne Citymission. The project consisted of six well-designed and integrated houses completed in 2006.

The houses were constructed in 2006 and are fully tenanted, providing accommodation specifically for single women with children or other dependents. The 2 bedroom arrangements assist women to re-establish parenting roles with their children.

Women exiting the justice system often face discrimination when looking for accommodation. The stigma and marginalisation associated with imprisonment is difficult to overcome. This project is designed to allow the women accommodated to have a chance to re-establish their lives in a positive environment where they have good quality secure, affordable housing and access to the support they need. This will certainly contribute to the prevention of homelessness for these women and generally assist with them becoming productive members of the community.

Tenancy management of the Cairnlea properties has been contracted to Women's Housing Ltd (WHLtd) and appropriate support services are provided to tenants through Melbourne Citymission's 'Support for Women Exiting Prison p\Program' which provides pre and post release support across Victoria. Ongoing case management enables women released from the justice system to stablise their accommodation, re-unify with their children and families and re-settle into the community.

The Cairnlea project illustrates some of VWHA's unique partnerships - with VicUrban, Melbourne Citymission, YWCA and WHLtd, for example, focused on increasing social housing stock by leveraging the expertise and resources available in the public, private and community sectors.