News and Events

I am pleased to advise that Haleh Homaei has been appointed HousingFirst’s new Chief Executive Officer.  

For those who have been around the housing sector for some time, Haleh is well known.  She joined Haven; Home, Safe’s (HHS) Executive team as Deputy CEO/Executive Director Metro following the successful merger between HHS and North East Housing in October 2014.  Prior to the merger Haleh was the CEO of North East Housing Service, a Housing Provider managing over 300 transitional and long term properties throughout Melbourne’s north and eastern suburbs.

She has over 20 years of experience in housing, 12 years of which were with the Victorian Office of Housing and the rest within the Community Housing Sector.   Haleh’s expertise is in the area of Social Advocacy, Strategic and Business Planning, Governance and Compliance, Leadership and stakeholder management.  She has a Diploma in Social Science (Housing Management and Policy) and has completed a Company Directors Course through the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD).  Haleh has been a member of the Australasian Housing Institute (AHI) since 1998 and was a Director on the National Board representing Victoria until mid-2015.  She has been a Board member of the Community Housing Federation of Victoria since 2009 and she is currently the Chair.

In addition to her work in housing, she has had international experience.  She was centrally involved in the momentum, negotiation and outcome of the United Nation’s Post-2015 Development Agenda where she successfully promoted the agenda of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste and a group of conflict affected and fragile states resulting in inclusion of their submission in the final outcome document “Transforming Our World; The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”.

The Board is excited to have attracted an excellent field of candidates and we look forward to Haleh joining us on 29^th August and working with the fantastic existing senior management team to ensure a strong future for HousingFirst, building houses for locals and developing successful communities.

Frank O’Connor

Chair, Board of Directors

HousingFirst Ltd

It’s been a productive three months in Community Development with many projects on the go. It can be hard to motivate and engage tenants in the winter months but as our programs show, it can be done. Here is a round-up of current projects, some new and some ongoing.

Building Community

HousingFirst’s third tenant art exhibition, I am art … and this is me, opens at The Laneway Artspace in St Kilda on 15 September and runs until 2 October.

PPHA welcomes the Victorian government’s budget initiatives in the areas of health, education, infrastructure and jobs and applaud the commitment of $572M to combat family violence including $152 million for a "housing blitz" to build new crisis accommodation and refuges to shelter survivors of family violence.

The PPHA Community Development Team has had a busy start to 2018.

Building Community January-March 2016

Read more about our current projects including Rooming House Riders, community gardening, slow yoga, art therapy and the Pocket Park Market.

Frank O’Connor, Chair, Port Phillip Housing Association Board, has issued this statement:

The Board is sad to advise that our long-standing Chief Executive Officer, Karen Barnett, has decided to retire after a long and illustrious career.

Rooming House Riders have taken to the streets. An initiative of PPHA’s Community Development team, Rooming House Riders is a tenant-led program to get PPHA tenants on the road, getting fit and having fun.

 The March 2016 Tenant Newsletter is now available.

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