Impact Report 2024—2025

Aroha’s struggle for home, culture and stability

Person with arms crossed against a wall, showing strength and resilience.

Culturally informed homelessness support guided Aroha’s path to healing and home

After years of unstable housing and systemic setbacks, Aroha’s determination to create a safe, permanent home for her whānau (extended family) never wavered. With culturally safe, long-term support, she and her grandson Tama have finally found the security and dignity they deserve.

A university-educated woman of Māori and German heritage, Aroha (not her real name) faced housing instability and homelessness spanning several years, including living in a tent. Aroha entered into homelessness following a violent incident with a former partner that left her with a permanent disability. As a result, she now requires a mobility scooter and is unable to work. Despite facing intersectional discrimination — including barriers related to disability, welfare status and cultural identity — Aroha has consistently advocated for herself and her whānau.

Current crisis-driven responses can compound trauma

Aroha’s journey across the system shows how current crisis-driven responses can unintentionally compound trauma. Before receiving support from Launch Housing’s family support staff in the Accommodation Options for Families (AOF) program, Aroha and her grandson Tama’s journey involved the following:

  • They had to leave crisis accommodation when Aroha gained custody of Tama, due to a lack of family room vacancies.
  • They, along with their belongings, were moved between multiple motels, while seeking something more stable.
  • They left a rooming house due to safety concerns, receiving threats of violence from other residents.
  • They were rejected from over 100 rental applications, despite a spotless credit history.

‘The moving was quite hard and stressful — not just on myself but especially on Tama.’

Aroha

Culturally safe support is a necessity, not an option

With the support of their Launch Housing case worker, Aroha and Tama moved into a long-term, two-bedroom, community housing apartment. This marked a turning point in their journey, offering the stability and security that Aroha had long fought for.

‘[Staff] understood Māori culture, my needs and Tama’s needs, and the need for permanency. That was my only goal: permanency.’

Aroha
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Acknowledgement of Country

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the lands on which we live and work. As we create safe and welcoming homes, we honour the people of the Kulin nation and their enduring connection to their home we call Naarm, Melbourne.

We pay our respects to all First Nations Elders, past and present.

It is important that we acknowledge that the contemporary housing experience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people cannot be separated from their historical experience of dispossession and dislocation. Aboriginal Victorians are overrepresented in the population experiencing homelessness, with census data confirming that Aboriginal Victorians experience homelessness at over five times the rate for non-Aboriginal people.

We support the development of a culturally safe Aboriginal housing and homelessness sector based on principles of self-determination and will continue to do what we can to help make this happen.

We are committed to understanding how our services are impacting Aboriginal clients and, where relevant, we have disaggregated our 10 Impact Measures to report Aboriginal client outcomes.