At Habitat for Humanity Australia, every effort made is a step towards a world where everyone has a decent place to call home. The 2024 financial year has been a testament to the transformative power of shelter, community, and resilience serving 11,868 people. Below, we celebrate our achievements across Australian states, overseas programs, and the impactful Habitat Women initiative.
Our Australian Programs: Building Strength at Home
Empowering Families Through Housing Initiatives
This year, our local programs served as lifelines for families in need. We celebrated the launch of the Subsidised Housing Affordable Rental Program (SHARP). Thanks to our partners, SHARP provided stable, affordable housing to families ready to rebuild their lives. Two families now live securely under this initiative, including a young mother and her baby escaping domestic violence.
In collaboration with DV West, Habitat for Humanity Australia opened a 9-bedroom domestic violence refuge in Sydney, offering a safe haven for 1,000 Aboriginal women and children over 15 years. We are currently building our second refuge which will be a larger facility to provided more women and children with housing.
Volunteering with Purpose
Our Brush with Kindness (BWK) program supported 2,885 individuals and 26 community organizations, transforming shelters and communal spaces into welcoming environments. Volunteers lent their time to initiatives addressing the housing crisis and disaster recovery efforts, such as the now-concluded Bushfire Resilience Program, which supported over 300 vulnerable property owners. We would like to thank our 2,267 volunteers who donated their time to support our mission and five back to their vulnerable community and or communities overseas through our overseas volunteering program Global Village.
Overseas Programs: Extending Our Reach Globally
Building Resilience and Community
From Cambodia to Fiji, Habitat for Humanity Australia expanded its impact to tackle housing insecurity exacerbated by climate change. This year, our programs in Cambodia’s Battambang Province constructed eight resilient homes and empowered over 400 individuals through workshops on hygiene and gender inclusiveness. Meanwhile, in Bangladesh, fire-risk management training equipped 40 urban residents with critical safety skills.
Responding to Climate Challenges in the Pacific
In the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu, Habitat for Humanity Australia collaborated with local governments to assess housing challenges and design resilient housing strategies. This proactive approach will ensure vulnerable families across these islands are better prepared for climate-related risks.
Habitat Women (our Social Enterprise): Empowering Through Opportunity
Launched as a beacon of hope, the Habitat Women program has now graduated 65 women, 32 of whom completed training in 2024. These graduates contributed 500 hours of repairs and maintenance to specialist housing projects, gaining hands-on experience while giving back to their communities.
One inspiring graduate, Keils, transitioned from hospitality to construction through this program, finding meaningful employment as part of Habitat for Humanity Australia’s maintenance crew. Her story exemplifies how the program fosters confidence and equips women with tangible skills to navigate new career pathways. Read her full story in our Annual report.
Our Key Impact Figures:
- 11,868 lives transformed through housing, water, sanitation, and disaster resilience programs.
- 2,267 volunteers mobilised across Australia and the Asia-Pacific.
- 300 elderly and vulnerable individuals assisted through bushfire preparedness.
- 32 women graduated from the Habitat Women program.
- Over 136 activity days conducted within our Brush with Kindness program.
Stories of Hope | What your beneficiaries have to say
The Sydney Refuge
“Thanks to Habitat for Humanity Australia, our crisis refuge has become a beacon of hope for women and children fleeing domestic violence. One tenant shared that moving into her freshly renovated transitional home felt like the beginning of a healing journey.”
A New Home in Vietnam
In Vietnam, Mrs. Thuan’s family moved from a deteriorating shack into a sturdy new house. With support from our Global Village volunteers, this family now has a safe and dignified place to thrive. At 63 years old, Mrs Thuan told us “I have never lived in a brick house before. I am very excited and can hardly sleep at night.”
Looking Ahead
As we close this chapter of 2024, we remain deeply committed to scaling our efforts in housing security, resilience, and community empowerment. From affordable rental programs in Australia to international climate resilience projects, Habitat for Humaity Australia continues to drive impactful change.
Together, we build strength, stability, and self-reliance through shelter. Join us as we shape a future where everyone has a decent place to call home.
Read our full Annual Report 2024 here.
For more stories and to get involved, visit us at Habitat for Humanity Australia.