Habitat for Humanity Victoria has continued to work towards building a world where everyone has a decent place to live.
We were pleased to assist Celeste and her 3 boys to move into their new home at our Crib Point Project in September 2023. In December 2023 we completed the final home in our major affordable housing project in Yea which allowed Simone and Haydn to experience Christmas in their own home. We are encouraged Prospect Rise, Yea is home to 21 partner families and 42 children. In January 2024 we welcomed Michelle, Stewart and their 2 boys as our second Partner family at Crib Point.
During the year we dug deeper into the data from our 2023 Partner Family survey, assisted by Pitcher Partners. Through a survey conducted with the help of Pitcher Partners, we were pleased to observe our partner families experience significant changes since moving into their Habitat for Humanity homes, including:
• A significant reduction in the percentage of household income used on housing costs
• A strong improvement in their sense of housing stability
• An increase in employment levels and;
• A decrease in reliance on government support payments
We also observe a noticeable improvement in wellbeing across our partner families. We are encouraged to see them move past the struggle to survive and put down roots in their community and begin to flourish and thrive.
We completed Phase 3 of our Storm Damage Recovery work in partnership with Yarra Ranges Council after the violent storms in June 2021. We are pleased to have assisted nearly 200 residents to improve their housing situation after the storms. Cr Sophie Todorov, Mayor said “Your organisation’s hard work and determination not only facilitated the clean-up process but also played a crucial part in restoring a sense of normalcy and hope within our community. Thank you for your outstanding support and for making such a profound impact on our community.”
Our Home Repairs and Brush with Kindness programs have engaged many volunteers across the year. We have developed strong partnerships with several not-for-profit organisations working in the housing sector. We are pleased to support them to maintain and improve their grounds and facilities to add amenity and support their residents with stable and affordable housing outcomes. Our volunteer teams have also supported families to improve their housing and shelter when they have been unable to do so themselves.
Our ReStores (our social enterprise selling donated goods from the public and businesses) in Kilsyth South and Rosebud have not been immune to the impact of the economic conditions of the day. They continue to contribute funds to support our affordable housing programs. We appreciate the enormous contribution made and the 130 volunteers who are engaged each week across our ReStores. We are striving to find a place in our local circular economy as we encourage our supporters to reduce, reuse and recycle items; rather than dump in landfill.
We are looking forward to the year ahead as we plan to Build scale to improve access to secure, sustainable and affordable housing and influence others to support our endeavours to help reduce inequity in our housing eco system.
To learn more about our work in Victoria, or to get involved, visit habitatvic.org.au