Head Start Homes Spearheads Community Engagement in Wollongong LGA

In the heart of Wollongong Local Government Area, a beacon of hope and support shines for those dreaming of home ownership. Head Start Homes has been diligently working to increase engagement and provide innovative pathways to home ownership for the LGA's residents through its Wollongong Affordable Home Ownership Program which was made possible thanks to funding from the Wollongong Council and the Federal Government.

A recent highlight was a productive meeting between Alison Byrnes the Federal Member for Cunningham, and Stephen Woodlands, Founder and Managing Director of Head Start Homes who met to discuss strategies for increasing affordable housing opportunities within the region. This meeting underscores the importance of federal support in local development projects and the commitment of Head Start Homes working alongside government officials to achieve common goals. The conversation with Alison provided a platform to align objectives and ensure that the voices of Wollongong residents are heard at the federal level.

Our Wollongong Community Partnership Co-ordinator, Linda Bunclark joined our team in June this year and successfully commenced expanding the engagement pathways in the Wollongong LGA. Based in Wollongong, Linda has been regularly meeting with community members, organisations, attending interagency events, to further strengthen relationships and increase client pathways into Head Start Homes programs.

Jo Formosa, our Empowerment Products & Services and Partnership lead, has been part of crucial discussions towards building stronger partnerships with organisations such as lending institutions, increasing pathways for clients' opportunities seeking to purchase their own home in the local area.

In July, Stephen, Jo and Linda held a highly successful community engagement day. Having met with a number of local organisations, including corporates- St George bank; government and community service organisations. meeting with Chris Lacey and team at Multicultural Communities Council Illawarra (MCCI).

Our meeting with MCCI led to our inaugural Community Hub Event held at MCCI for members of the Karenni community, outlining the pathway to home ownership for aspiring home owners in this community.

Our second successful community engagement day was held in August whereby Linda and Jo continued to make connections with local organisations and grow and strengthen opportunities.

Meeting with Rachel Dyer, Operations Manager from Dress for Success, and Brett Fahey, Operations Director at Family Services Australia, demonstrated that whilst we may offer different types of services to community we are all very much aligned to breaking down barriers and empowering clients and their families.

Meeting, with the Department of Communities and Justice in the Commissioning and Planning Team, was fruitful in growing HSH’s engagement strategy with organisations in the housing and homelessness sector of the Illawarra and the extended offer to access meeting space in the One Place Service Centre at Coniston is something we look forward to accessing in the near future.

Neighbourhood and community centres are the hub in the community and that is certainly true for the local community centres at Bulli, Bellambi, Corrimal, Unanderra, Berkeley and Warrawong where opportunities to promote our program offerings and use of their facilities left us all with a strong sense of connected community and place.

As Spring approaches, Head Start Homes in collaboration with Aboriginal Housing Office will deliver our first road show Hub Event across the Wollongong LGA. Watch this space for further news and dates!

The Hub Events, are a great opportunity to share information, engage with community service providers, businesses, and aspiring local residents, who want to learn more about how we can support and work with them to break down their barriers into home ownership.

We are thrilled and humbled by the overwhelming responsiveness and generosity of so many local organisations and community members we have had the pleasure to meet, build connections with, raise awareness about our Wollongong Home Ownership Program, and be welcomed by so many, as meeting a need in the current affordable housing arena.

The collective efforts of Linda, Stephen, Jo, and the entire Head Start Homes team have not only fostered a sense of community but are also paving the way for a brighter future for many aspiring homeowners in the Wollongong LGA and look forward to continuing to collaborate with local organisations, and service providers to break down barriers and increase home ownership and affordable housing options for community.

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