Million Dollar Partnership to Address Homeless Families

A new strategic partnership between Westpac and Mission Australia is set to address family homelessness and help deliver more affordable housing across Australia over the next decade.

Left to right: Ewen Crouch, Mission Australia's  Chairman & President; Tanya Plibersek, Federal Minister for Social Inclusion and Human Services; Toby Hall, Mission Australia's CEO; and Peter Hanlon, Group Executive, People & Transformation, Westpac.

In the first stage of the partnership, Westpac has agreed to provide $1 million over three years to Mission Australia for specific projects to address homelessness.

In addition Westpac and Mission Australia will work together to launch a social innovation fund, targeting capital funds to be used to develop more affordable housing nationally.

The partnership was launched at an event in Sydney, by Peter Hanlon, Westpac's Group Executive, People & Transformation. Toby Hall, Mission Australia’s Chief Executive Officer, and Tanya Plibersek, Federal Minister for Social Inclusion.

In launching the new partnership, Peter Hanlon said he's hopeful that this strategic new initiative with Mission Australia will deliver real difference over the next decade.

Mission Australia’s CEO, Toby Hall, said the partnership was unique in Australia and displayed a shared commitment between the two organisations to tackling one of the nation’s major social problems.

Hall says Australia’s lack of affordable housing is one of the most significant factors influencing family homelessness.

He says Westpac’s support for this partnership will make a huge difference to their work and in the lives of countless homeless families – and those at risk of homelessness – now and in the years to come.

Other aspects of the partnership include:

• in-kind and pro bono support from Westpac to Mission Australia.
• engagement of Westpac’s 40,000 staff on the issue of homelessness and through a range of activities (eg: volunteering).
• strategic advice from Mission Australia to Westpac on how best to leverage its activities and harness innovation to address homelessness.

The Federal Minister for Social Inclusion, Tanya Plibersek spoke strongly in support of the partnership saying that government cannot tackle homelessness alone and that community organisations and businesses need to come together to pursue opportunities and complement the government's work.