News and Events

HousingFirst’s Community Development Team had a busy year with some exciting new projects, including the very popular art exhibition and photography competition.

Read the full report: Building Community 

Enjoy this slideshow presentation of all the fun at our 2015 Christmas parties.

Joy Gunn, pictured, says "All my Christmases have come at once." Joy is a resident of the newly open Wominjeka Apartments in Essendon.

PPHA’s new 60-unit community housing development in Mount Alexander Road, Essendon was opened on 1 December to the tune of “On the sunny side of the street”, played with gusto by saxophonist Justine Jones, a PPHA tenant from St Kilda, and guitarist Pat Lajoie.

A Super Idea - HousingFirst backs Community Council of Australia’s proposal to give members the option of investing in low-cost housing

Karen Barnett, the CEO of Port Phillip Housing Association, has called for super funds to get behind the Community Council of Australia’s proposal to give members the option of investing in low-cost housing, as happens in France.

Opening of Wominjeka Apartments, 1064 Mount Alexander Road. Essendon

“Community housing is a life changer. Before we were existing - now we are living.” That’s the conclusion of Anne Bonanno who has just moved into PPHA’s new 60-unit community housing development in Essendon with Graeme Billinghurst.

St Kilda activist Richard James, who died in late September at the age of 84, will be commemorated in the name of the next Port Phillip Housing Trust development.

Two recent community grants, from the City of Glen Eira and the RACV will provide exciting new opportunities for our older tenants in McKinnon and for rooming house residents in Port Phillip.

Home is Where the Art Is, is a new exhibition of works by artists living in PPHA housing. The PPHA Artist Collective has developed the show, being held at Gasworks Art Park, with financial support from a City of Port Phillip Community Grant.

PPHA is pleased to announce the completion of their Mt Alexander Rd Essendon development, PPHA's first foray into the City of Moonee Valley.

PPHA took out multiple awards at the 2015 Australian Housing Institute Awards in Victoria on Thursday 23 July.
Out of 5 nominations PPHA had outstanding success winning in 4 categories.

The PPHA Community Development Team has received a number of grants to deliver a range of community development activities.

The City of Port Phillip awarded three grants

A St Kilda community housing advocate, who developed a profitable social housing business providing affordable accommodation to low-income households, has won the Social Impact Award at the 2015 HESTA Community Sector Awards.

Karen Barnett — of Port Phillip Housing Association — was recognised for her 25-year commitment to Victoria’s community housing sector and contributing to the development of local, state and national housing policies.

PPHA recently teamed up with Secondbite to deliver the Foodmate program, an eight week journey to food independence for the residents at Ravelston Rooming House.

Each week participants on the program were taught the skills required to source, prepare and enjoy fresh healthy food on a budget. Participants were also taught food safety, food storage, and were introduced to stall holders at South Melbourne Market who gave them great shopping tips.

Each week the participants received a weekly hamper of fresh produce for them to practice the skills they had learnt in the session.

The residents at Ravelston enjoyed the social aspect of the program as well as a new approach to healthy eating and the health benefits they have noticed since completing the course.

PPHA are now rolling the Foodmate program out to other rooming houses starting at Woodstock. 

Congratulations to Karen Barnett who last night received the award for Outstanding Achievement at the Powerhousing Australia Conference. The award recognises Karen's achievements over 25 years at the helm of PPHA and her ongoing committment to the broader sector at both a State and a National level. We at PPHA are proud to have you as our leader.

PPHA will be present at a free, accessible information forum about housing options for people and families affected by mental illness who live in the Cities of Stonnington, Port Phillip, Glen Eira, Bayside or Kingston.

    Wednesday 22 April 2015 5.30-8.30pm

     St Kilda Town Hall, 99a Carlisle Street, St Kilda

• Hear from housing service providers and families who have explored options, about the first steps to identifying appropriate housing
• Connect with organisations which can offer support to your family
• Talk to staff at information stalls
• Seek answers to questions about your personal situation

Refreshments are available throughout the forum.

The Town Hall is accessible via train (Balaclava Station) and trams (Routes 3, 16, 67, 78).

Parking on the street is limited and subject to availability.

If attending, please RSVP by 17 April 2015.

Contact: GROW on 1800 558 268 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Please advise when you RSVP if any assistance is required with an interpreter, respite and/or transport is required.

The forum is presented by the Inner South/Bayside Mental Health Network.

                   Parking Map                   Venue Diagram

THE AUSTRALIAN, MARCH 23, 2015 

HELP for victims of domestic ­violence will be given priority in a $230 million federal program to support the homeless, as the Abbot­t government ends a standoff with the states by making a new commitment to fund the ­services.

Have you ever heard people say that 'Community Housing Organisations do not house many people on low
incomes?' Or perhaps someone said that they heard that 'because Community
Housing Organisations have higher income eligibility criteria for tenants than public
housing they mostly 'cherry pick' the people on higher incomes?' 

The Community Housing Federation of Victoria has released this paper backed up with evidence to expain exactly who Community Housing Associations do house. Follow the link to read the paper in full and you will discover that the assumptions are not based on the facts.

Who Do We House?

PPHA is excited to announce that it has received a $20,000 grant from Australian Ethical.

Australian Ethical is an ethical superannuation firm that donates 10% of pre-tax profits to their grants program. superfund members vote for their community grant recipients. The Growing together project was shortlisted from hundreds of applications, and was one of only two $20,000 grants that were available.

Growing Together is a community garden project designed to create social connection and build capacity with PPHA rooming house tenants.

Rooming house residents participating in the project have the opportunity to build skills in communication, team-work, negotiation and conflict resolution, whilst also learning about food cultivation and gardening. By participating in the project, it is hoped that tenants trust and confidence in themselves and each other will increase.

Many rooming house residents have been long-term unemployed and would like the opportunity to work, but do not have the confidence or skills needed to re-enter the workforce. Growing a community garden together provides an opportunity for people to not only grow food, but develop a skillset and a sense of connectedness with each other. In the process, this will assist tenants in improving self-esteem, having the confidence to take the necessary steps to employment and regaining control over their lives.

A Productivity Commission report has shown that Victoria’s state’s social housing funding dropped by more than half between 2010 and 2014.

Victoria’s spending on social housing has plummeted in recent years, with New South Wales, Western Australia and Queensland now spending more each year, the Productivity Commission has found.

Figures released by the Productivity Commission show that NSW spent $1.9bn on social housing in 2013-14, WA spent $714m and Queensland spent $488m.

But the Victorian Labor government said the figures were evidence the previous Liberal administration “tore the heart” out of social housing.