Barb went from experiencing housing insecurity to finding long-term stable housing thanks to a Homes for Homes grant, and now she has a world of opportunity at her feet.
Barb is one of over 350 Australians who have been supported by a grant from Homes for Homes – a social enterprise dedicated to increasing social and affordable housing in Australia, and a PEXA community partner.
Through the Homes for Homes grant program Barb has been given the opportunity to live in a ‘Youth With a Mission’ (YWAM) home that helps young women to transition to long-term stable housing. YWAM, which is based in Townsville, North Queensland, received a $50,000 grant from Homes for Homes to upgrade its existing accommodation, enabling young people aged 17 – 25 to build their independent living skills as they re-engage in the community.
Barb’s story
Securing a job was not easy for Barb before moving to YWAM house. Now that she has found stability, she feels more focused to achieve her career goals, has found a sense of purpose and has gained confidence through the new friends she’s met.
“Living in this house, I feel energised as I see others around me involved in activities that I want to join and I get encouraged to leave the house as people ask me to go out with them,” she said.
Homes for Homes is on track to raise up to $1 billion for social and affordable housing in the next 30 years and has already granted more than $1.8 million to 21 projects, providing housing for over 350 people.
PEXA is proud to have supported these initiatives, and is set to invest at least a quarter of a million dollars in the program over the next 3 years, solidifying a decade of collaboration by 2026. The partnership underscores PEXA’s commitment to addressing housing affordability and homelessness, in line with our purpose of ‘Connecting People to Place’.
Looking ahead, Barb is planning to pursue further childcare studies and complete a diploma, enabling her to gain skills to work in Australia and abroad. “I used to dream about being financially stable with my own place. Now that it’s happening, I really want to travel around the world and check out all sorts of cool places,” she said.
Ending homelessness one property at a time
In addition to their grant program, Homes for Homes has adopted an innovative approach to pooling funds through property sales, to give back to the community. For properties transacted via the PEXA platform, property owners are encouraged to donate 0.1 per cent of their property sale price, or rent, to support community housing providers. For example, on a sale of $750,000, that’s a fully tax-deductible $750 donation which is transferred during settlement, making the act of gifting seamless and impactful.
Speak to your clients today about registering their property for a Homes for Homes donation and help more people like Barb to access secure housing.
For more information on Homes for Homes or to register a property, visit homesforhomes.org.au.
