National Homelessness Week, 2 to 8 August 2020.
- Featured
- In the community
Having an affordable, appropriate and secure place to call home is a fundamental human right. We believe that everyone should have quality, affordable and secure housing options.
A key area of focus for the Beyond Bank Foundation is to support and fund programs that address the affordable housing crisis faced by many Australians.
As part of National Homelessness Week, we’d like to share some things we’re doing to address housing affordability.
AnglicareSA’s Turning Point.
In 2018, the Beyond Bank Foundation partnered with AnglicareSA by providing a $75,000 grant to provide short term accommodation for single parent families experiencing homelessness through their Turning Point program.
AnglicareSA’s Turning Point program provides families in crisis with a fully-furnished home to help them get back on track. Families can stay in a Turning Point property for up to three months, while AnglicareSA support workers support them to find employment or training, access financial support, and keep the children engaged with school.
In the last two years, Turning Point has provided safe and stable housing for 84 families (104 Adults & 190 children) and for many, reduced prolonged homelessness. The program has helped 90% of the clients into their own rental or community housing.
Rentwell.
In 2019, YWCA Canberra launched an affordable property management service, Rentwell, to assist people experiencing housing stress by providing safe and secure rental properties in Canberra.
Beyond Bank’s Foundation Board awarded a $50,000 inception grant to help start this program.
Rentwell’s focus is to provide affordable rental properties to those at risk of homelessness, particularly older women and women with children.
Since May 2019, Rentwell has secured 30 properties and successfully housed 56 people.
If you are a property owner in Canberra and wish to provide essential support to people in need, please visit rentwell.com.au.
FirstSTEPS.
In 2019, the Foundation Board at Beyond Bank awarded FirstSTEPS, a new home ownership mentoring program, with a $50,000 grant to help the program get off the ground.
The program was designed to provide clients in social housing a pathway to own their own home by offering tailored workshops and mentoring from financial specialists.
Leisa Neylon, Regional Manager at Beyond Bank, volunteers in the FirstSTEPS program. “Coaching participants on getter a stronger understanding of their financial position and how they can achieve their savings and home ownership goals, is so rewarding,” says Leisa.
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