Wesley Community Housing tenants maintain this property and community garden in partnership with the Community Greening Program at the Royal Botanic Gardens.
From our earliest days, Faith Housing Australia has been motivated by a commitment to care for others and share resources in community service. The values that led to the establishment of Faith Housing Australia (formerly called Churches Community Housing and Churches Housing Inc) continue to motivate and inform all that we do.
Second from left is Father John Usher, then director of Centrecare, a Catholic social services agency; third is Reverend Harry
Herbert head of the then Board of Social Responsibility of the Uniting Church. Fifth from the left is John Nicolades, and seventh
is David Annis Brown, formerly with the Youth Accommodation Association and later with New South Wales Social Welfare
Workers Union (John Nicolades and Robert Mowbray, pers. comm., 2018).
Photo courtesy of Shelter NSW from their publication Champions of Change – read it here.
Churches Community Housing was established in the 1990s as a peak body to assist the NSW government and the faith sector to work together to develop partnerships for new community housing.
Initially established as part of the NSW Ecumenical Council, it was supported by many of the great faith advocates of that era, notably Rev. Harry Herbert, Fr. John Usher and Mr John Nicolaides. The late Mr Derek Yule was appointed as the Founding CEO.
When Churches Community Housing was established, it immediately engaged in passionate advocacy to increase the supply of community housing and to prevent homelessness – a cause that continues to this day. It also operated as a housing provider, directly delivering services to those in need of housing.
In 2010 Churches Housing Incorporated and became a membership association and peak body representing faith organisations, churches, and other places of worship. We also moved to represent others who are supportive of our mission to increase the supply of social and affordable housing for those in need of it. This included crisis and transition housing and specialist disability accommodation.
The direct work of providing community housing and tenant services was separated and registered as an independent Community Housing Provider, called Ecclesia Housing. Ecclesia Housing later incorporated as Amelie Housing – St Vincent de Paul’s special project housing arm.
Some of our Members at a round table with Landcom.
In 2010 Churches Housing Incorporated and became a membership association and peak body representing faith organisations, churches, and other places of worship. We also moved to represent others who are supportive of our mission to increase the supply of social and affordable housing for those in need of it. This included crisis and transition housing and specialist disability accommodation.
The direct work of providing community housing and tenant services was separated and registered as an independent Community Housing Provider, called Ecclesia Housing. Ecclesia Housing later incorporated as Amelie Housing – St Vincent de Paul’s special project housing arm.
Some of our Members at a round table with Landcom.
Churches Housing Inc was renamed Faith Housing Australia. In our fourth decade of work, we remain true to our Christian foundation and history, but our new name points to our more inclusive approach as we work with our society’s broad faith communities – the individuals, the families, and the many and varied faith-based organisations.
All of us, seeking to deliver on our common purpose – providing safe, adequate and affordable housing for all.
FHA continues to be an association of members who believe that access to safe, adequate, healthy and secure housing is essential for any human to flourish.
Faith Housing Australia believes it is critical that social policy settings ease inequality and disadvantage. The starting point to this, is the provision of social and affordable housing. This in turn supports a much broader suite of economic and wellbeing drivers in the fight against poverty cycles and homelessness and for access to safe, healthy, secure affordable housing.
With the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, the right to adequate housing joined the body of international, universally applicable, and became a universally accepted human rights law. Accordingly, adequate housing is universally viewed as one of the most basic human needs.
The significance of a secure place to live for human dignity, physical and mental health, and overall quality of life, is at the heart of the work we do. We work with our members and in partnership with the NSW government to provide social and affordable housing in our State.
In the past decade our members have delivered over 4,000 new homes across NSW and upgraded many existing social housing assets. They offer so much more than a dwelling place and distinguish themselves through the wrap-round services they also provide.
Members of Faith Housing Australia have a remarkable 30-year record, delivering well beyond the hopes and mission originally initiated by the NSW ecumenical council in its earliest days.
We are inclusive in our effort to bring together members of all faiths, any community and organisation, place of worship, religious leader, and individuals, businesses, partners, and supporters. Together we work as a faith sector in unity of purpose for the ‘common good’ though our vision.
Today our membership includes:
Any individual, organisation, foundation or program committed to housing justice
Faith-based organisations from any faith group.
Families and individuals aligned to our values and purpose.
Registered community housing providers or in the process of registering for such.
Those who are working or have worked in the community housing sector.
Those who work in professions related to it – for example architects, planners, community place-makers etc.
Those who support the mission through philanthropy as an individual or organisation.
A brief timeline of highlights from Churches Housing Inc to Faith Housing Australia
Join Faith Housing Australia and play a part in our mission
Faith Housing Australia is not a housing provider or a direct support service.
If you are seeking emergency accommodation, visit Link2Home.
