National Homelessness Week - Action Now
Held annually in the first week of August National Homelessness Week raises awareness of homelessness in Australia and the importance of the delivery of social and affordable housing as a long-term solution.
The 2024 theme of ‘Homelessness Action Now’ is a call to build community, private sector and government support to help end homelessness across Australia.
One small but impactful organisation Women’s Property Initiatives (WPI) has recently acquired four new homes at The Village in Middleton Field to provide good quality, affordable longer term rental housing for women and children in the Daylesford region.
WPI is a not-for-profit community housing provider who has been creating new beginnings for women and children at risk of homelessness for over 25 years. Recent statistics from WPI show:
On any given night 122,494 people in Australia are experiencing homelessness.
Women are the fastest growing cohort of people experiencing homelessness in Australia – accounting for more than 80% of the increase in the number of people experiencing homelessness in 2021.
In 2023, more women than men in all age groups other than children under the age of nine sought assistance from Specialist Homelessness Services.
Approaching the task of providing housing first, WPI prides itself on managing a portfolio of well located, well designed and sustainable homes including a mixture of apartments, townhouses and houses to cater for the diverse needs of the women and children housed by WPI.
Alongside the provision of permanent affordable housing, WPI also offer access to support networks and ongoing advocacy, building secure futures for women and children in need.
Image: The Village townhouses in Middleton Field, Daylesford - external visualisation by Gabriel Saunders.
Located in Daylesford’s newest neighbourhood Middleton Field, the homes at The Village have been designed by Melbourne based sustainable architect Breathe.
Civil works at the site of The Village is underway with construction of the homes planned to commence later this year through a single appointed builder.
Hygge started working with WPI in 2020 towards the future delivery of essential new homes in regional centres including Daylesford.
Funding for the four homes at The Village has been secured by WPI through the Big Housing Build, an initiative of Homes Victoria – a government agency building and managing social affordable housing across Victoria and some of WPI’s generous partners.
The Hygge team are proud to be working with WPI in regional Victoria - an impactful and dedicated organisation committed to making a difference in ending women’s homelessness.
If you would like to find out more or donate to WPI during National Homelessness Week – do so here: https://wpi.org.au/donate-now/