Renter Outcomes
Renters are at the heart of everything we do at Unison
To communicate our social impact in FY2024-25, we adopted the CHIA Outcomes Framework – a sector-developed resource shaped by renters’ lived experience. Created by the Community Housing Industry Association of Victoria (CHIA Vic), the framework enables housing providers to make evidence-based decisions and clearly demonstrate their impact.
This strengths-based approach recognises that once renters have stable housing, they are empowered to build on their own capabilities and drive positive change in other areas of their lives.
The framework identifies seven key renter outcome domains, with stability at the centre, acknowledged as the foundation for all other outcomes.
The Outcomes Framework
Stability
Empowering Renters Through Person-Centred Support
At Unison, we empower renters to pursue what matters most in their lives. Our supportive housing program is built on a person-centred approach, helping renters make informed choices about the support they receive and how they engage with services.
Last financial year, Unison’s supportive housing sites—Make Room in the CBD and Buckley Street in Seddon—provided housing alongside wrap-around health and wellbeing support, delivered by partners such as cohealth. At Elizabeth Street Common Ground, we work in partnership with Launch Housing to connect renters with tailored support.
At Make Room, Ngwala Willumbong Aboriginal Corporation’s (Ngwala’s) Cultural Case Manager plays a vital role in empowering First Nations renters to engage with their community and access supports in a way that is self-determined. These services are voluntary and tailored, supporting renters to live independently, access care on their own terms, and build stability through trust, choice, and culturally safe support.
Health Starts at Home: Strengthening Support Through Partnerships
At Unison, we know that housing stability is deeply connected to health: mental, physical, and social. That’s why we work with specialist partners to ensure renters have access to the support they need to thrive.
In FY2024-25, our partnerships delivered tangible outcomes for renters, from improved access to healthcare support, to improve health and wellbeing. Through our partnerships with cohealth, Ngwala Willumbong Aboriginal Corporation.
These partnerships are critical, not just for helping people stay housed, but for supporting long-term wellbeing and independence.
Strengthening Relationships and Community
As part of our Renter Satisfaction Action Plan, we focused on improving how renters connect – with their neighbours, their communities, and with Unison. We know that strong relationships and a sense of belonging are key to renter wellbeing, and are proud of the progress we made last year
We enhanced how we communicate and connect with renters, making it easier for them to stay informed and build stronger relationships with their Place Managers. Across our buildings, we hosted renter meetings and social events, bringing neighbours together and helping them form connections.
Through improved communication and community-building activities, renters felt more connected and better able to navigate their tenancy.
Participation in Action: Work, Voice, and Community
Unison supports renter participation by creating opportunities to contribute, connect, and thrive. Through our social enterprise team, renters can access paid employment in cleaning and groundskeeping roles, helping build skills and confidence. Renters also have the chance to join the Tenant Advisory Group (TAG) and attend building meetings, where they can influence how their housing is managed and strengthen community ties.
Our properties are located close to public transport, schools, and employment hubs, making it easier for renters to access work, education, and essential services. This proximity, combined with opportunities to engage, ensures renters can participate in ways that enhance their lives and contribute to the economy and society.
Helping Renters Thrive Amid Cost-of-Living Pressures
The cost-of-living crisis has placed significant pressure on renters across our properties, and demand for our homelessness and Private Rental Assistance Program support has reached unprecedented levels.
Unison’s approach to financial wellbeing is holistic and proactive. In FY2024-25 we strengthened partnerships with Centrelink, ensuring regular on-site support for renters, and worked closely with services like Melbourne City Mission’s (MCM’s) Youth Foyer to help young people feel confident and ready to live independently and manage their finances.
Our Place Managers are identifying rent arrears earlier and collaborating with renters on tailored payment plans. We’ve also helped renters access grants, no-interest loans, and food relief programs, ensuring no one needs to choose between paying rent and meeting basic needs.
“There’s nothing more powerful than seeing a young person discover their strength, succeed, and know you were part of that journey.”
— Andrea Pace, Place Manager at Hoddle St Youth Foyer
Building Safety Through Trust and Support
At Unison, safety is a core priority. As a housing provider, we are committed to ensuring our renters and the broader community feel safe, both physically and psychologically, in their homes and neighbourhoods.
Physical safety begins with secure housing. Our properties have secure entry systems, good lighting in shared areas, and regular upkeep to make sure people can move around safely. We follow CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) principles to improve visibility and natural surveillance, helping renters feel safer and more in control. We also carry out regular safety checks, like testing smoke alarms and inspecting essential services, to meet legal requirements and keep homes safe.
Psychological safety is just as vital. This year we helped renters to connect or re-connect with support networks and access mental health services.
Matching Homes to People’s Needs
We believe housing should reflect the lives of the people who live in it. That means safe, secure homes that are also suitable — in size, location, and accessibility. Our new developments, including Make Room and Marshall Street, are purpose-built to meet the diverse needs of our renters, with inclusion and suitability at the heart of their design.
Behind the scenes, our Allocations Team ensures renters are matched to homes that meet their needs. They consider household size, proximity to transport, medical services, and support networks — drawing on referral forms, Victorian Housing Register applications, and direct conversations with renters and support workers.
Whether it’s a new applicant, a long-term renter seeking a transfer, or someone exiting short-term housing, we prioritise individual circumstances to find the best possible housing fit for our renters.
Housing First at Supportive Housing Sites
Unison’s Make Room, Buckley St and Elizabeth Street Common Ground are aligned with Housing First principles, offering immediate access to stable housing with voluntary health and support services. Renters are empowered to engage on their own terms and build stability through choice and trust.
Creating with Confidence
Mario’s Unison home in Heidelberg gives him the stability and support to live independently and pursue his passions. With encouragement from his Unison Place Manager Sean, and his support worker, he’s recording music, painting, and performing at Unison events.
“I’d like to keep it up, living in this apartment independently.”
— Mario, Unison Renter
Allied Health at McIntyre Drive
At our over-55s site in Altona, cohealth ran fortnightly sessions with allied health professionals, offering free dental and podiatry care. These appointments improved access for renters with mobility challenges, supported by our Housing Support Worker who helped promote and connect renters to the service.
Make Room: Embedding Health Care into Housing
Last financial year, Make Room supported renters transitioning from chronic rough sleeping by embedding healthcare directly into their housing environment. Along with Unison, cohealth works on site providing holistic care, wraparound social and health support services – including connecting renters with mental health services, Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) support, housing assistance, legal aid, dental care, women’s health and podiatry.
For First Nations renters, who make up 46% of the Make Room community, culturally safe support was provided through Ngwala Willumbong Aboriginal Corporation (Ngwala). Ngwala’s Cultural Case Manager, connects renters with recovery programs, support services, and broader community networks, enabling renters to access healthcare in a way that is self-determined and meaningful to them.
“Health and wellbeing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people can look very different from a westernised model. People should have control over what’s important to them and who they engage with in terms of healthcare providers.”
— Ngwala Cultural Case Manager (Make Room)
Buckley Street: One Year of Health-Integrated Housing
In November 2024, Unison and cohealth celebrated one year of delivering the Supportive Housing Accommodation Program at Buckley Street. This milestone marked significant health and housing outcomes. On the anniversary of the partnership:
- 92.5% renters maintained their tenancy
- 100% engaged with support services
- 34 renters transitioned from the defunded Homelessness to a Home program
- 47 renters welcomed into secure housing
Renters at Buckley Street accessed mental health support, Alcohol and Other Drug services, and assistance with daily living skills, all delivered onsite by cohealth. These services helped residents stabilise, recover, and reconnect with community.
Together with cohealth, we’re not just providing shelter, we’re addressing the health inequities that contribute to homelessness and supporting long-term wellbeing.
87% Connected to Place Manager
This year, Unison focused on creating stronger connections with renters, and it made a difference. More renters now know who their Place Manager is, helping build trust and making it easier to reach out for support when needed.
Community Connection at Kensington Estate
Unison offered a range of regular community activities in Kensington Estate that promote wellbeing, connection, and learning for over 450 households.
These include weekly Healthy Living & Learning Lunches with practical workshops, Coffee Van Tuesdays for casual catch-ups, and monthly outings organised by cohealth. Residents also benefit from food relief hampers, language and craft classes, a diabetes support group, and programs like Homework Club and Mahjong, all shaped by community input and supported by local partners.
Kensington: A Happy Place
For over 17 years, Mei has been a pillar of the Kensington Estate community, helping Chinese seniors combat isolation and build lasting friendships. As the founder of the Kensington Chinese Friendship Association, Mei has created a welcoming space where renters gather twice weekly to play Mahjong, exercise, and support one another. Her leadership has helped transform Kensington into a place of belonging, so much so that residents affectionately refer to it as “Kāixīn,” the Chinese word for happy.
Read more of Mei's story
Welcoming our New TAG
In April 2024, Unison onboarded 9 members to its Tenant Advisory Group (TAG). A warm welcome to Ahmed Dahir, Andrew Johnston, Andrew Morriss, Belinda Lee, Colin Cook, David Worthley, Garry Liakoureas, Janie Miller & Frank Otis.
Participation and Purpose
With stable housing, Paul found the confidence to reconnect with his passions and contribute meaningfully to his community. He started a writing group, built a library, and now works as a Lived Experience Worker at his local hospital—supporting others through mental health challenges.
“I wanted to give back to the hospital that looked after me.”
—Paul, Unison Renter
Healing Through Work and Community
Luka, who as a boy, witnessed the loss of his family and sustained serious injuries in the Sudanese Civil War, has found a home in Kensington which has given him the opportunity to contribute meaningfully. Luka works as a Unison groundskeeper at Unison’s UPC social enterprise where he lives and cares for his neighbours.
“I love working in the garden. I feel like I am back home when I was young.”
— Luka, Unison Renter
Food Relief Every Week
Through our partnerships with Reaching Out in the Inner West, we connect 30 families in Footscray with essential food relief each week. As cost-of-living pressures grow, this support helps ensure families don’t have to choose between paying rent and putting food on the table.
Mary’s Story
Mary found herself part of a growing group of older women facing housing insecurity after a lifetime of work and care, with little or no superannuation. With Unison’s help, she received help with her bond and now lives securely as a social housing in our Werribee development, paying reduced market rent. She feels safe and stable in her housing.
Supporting Renters Through Rising Costs
As the cost-of-living crisis intensified last financial year, Unison saw more renters experiencing financial stress, including rental arrears and increased reliance on food relief services.
To support financial wellbeing, Unison helped renters access a range of relief options, including:
- Utility Relief Grants for overdue bills
- $500 grants from The Queen’s Fund for single and vulnerable women
- No Interest Loans (NILs) to help buy essential items like whitegoods.
“Lately, we are seeing more clients who are in rental arrears and more clients who need to access food relief services.”
— Irena, Unison Housing Support Worker
Putting MARAM Into Practice
Last year Unison strengthened its commitment to renter safety by applying MARAM principles. We supported renters experiencing family violence by referring them to specialist services in their area—such as Safe Steps and The Orange Door—and by working alongside their existing supports.
DV Safe Phone Partnership – Supporting Safer Connections
In FY2024-25, Unison partnered with DV Safe Phone to provide free donated mobile phones to women at Make Room, all of whom have experienced family violence.
Unison has seen firsthand the impact these phones can have, from helping renters reconnect with support workers to enabling them to plan for a safer future.
“No home means no safety. No phone means no way to call for help. At Make Room, not only do we provide a home, but we can also offer a connection. That’s why these donations matter so much.”
— Hayley Morgan, Make Room Supportive Housing Program Manager
Accessible Living at Marshall Street
Currently under construction in Geelong, our Marshall Street development includes diverse housing types and two disability modified units, supporting independent living for residents with disabilities.
A Home That Supports Independence
John, in his early 80s, describes his new home as “one of the best things that has happened to me.” After years of housing instability — including the sale of a rental property and the rising cost of private rentals — John found himself living with his son in Melbourne’s outer west. Isolated from shops, services, and public transport, life had become increasingly difficult.
When John was offered a Unison apartment, he couldn’t believe it. “Crikey! You’ve got to be joking!” he said. “When I first inspected the unit, I thought I couldn’t possibly live here. It will be too expensive. Nothing good ever happens to me.”
But the home was exactly what John needed. It offered security, accessibility, and connection — all key elements of Unison’s approach to suitability. Located near a beautiful park and just a short walk from local shops and services, the apartment has transformed John’s daily life. He now enjoys reading, doing jigsaw puzzles, and exercising, all while feeling safe and supported.
“I have a great view and my home is a terrific size for me. You can have a picnic in the shower! I feel more relaxed and I feel, after all this time, I have fallen into my slot. You know, everything has fallen into my lap. It’s great for me.”