On any given night, 6000 young Victorians spend the night without the comfort and safety of a home. April 20 is Youth Homelessness Matters Day.
Read moreIn a research paper, Unison Housing Research Lab's Abigail Lewis discusses how social workers in the housing and homelessness sectors use discretion and the impact on the people they work with, especially in the context of eviction.
Read moreIn a recent research paper, Dr Sarah Taylor and Professor Guy Johnson from the Unison Housing Research Lab examine nine years of tenancy records from Elizabeth Street Common Ground.
Read moreA Unison/RMIT education partnership offers students a unique insight into housing and homelessness.
Read moreFor the second year in a row, a Unison community housing development wins the UDIA Victoria Award for Excellence – Affordable Housing.
Read moreDrawing on our Research, Unison and RMIT's Research Lab weighs in on the Victorian Government Social Housing Regulation Review with two papers on social housing tenancy sustainment.
Read moreThe 6th and final level of our latest social housing development has been reached.
Read moreUnison's community activities have kept our residents connected in COVID safe ways during the pandemic.
Read moreMarwo has lived a life of supporting those in need. Now her children are following in her footsteps.
Read moreUnison receives $1.75 million philanthropic grant from The Ian Potter Foundation for the Make Room project, in partnership with City of Melbourne.
Read moreUnison is pleased to unveil new purpose-built supported accommodation for young people in Werribee. Owned and managed by Unison, the youth foyer provides accommodation and dedicated case work support for up to two years to young people aged 16 -25 years that are homeless.
Read moreOur $18.3 million Bell Street Heidelberg development is underway.
Read moreNew peer-reviewed paper discusses how the Unison Housing Research Lab leveraged the partnership between RMIT and Unison Housing to create Australia's first dedicated undergraduate elective subject for social work students.
Read moreSeason's Greetings from all of us at Unison and we wish you all the best for 2022.
Read moreUnison's community housing development in Fairfield, Marjorie Oke Apartments, wins the 2021 PIA VIC Award for Planning Excellence for Great Place.
Read moreMarwo lives in Kensington, in a property managed by Unison. We congratulate her on being awarded the Victorian Multicultural Award for Excellence in Community Response and Recovery.
Read moreThe flier has been sent out with our Summer newsletter and will be used in various different ways to help keep our residents informed and safe.
Read moreYou'll find a range of interesting and informative articles.
Read more"When I first moved in, I wanted to show the world and say Look where I am living!”
Read moreUnison is proud to be presenting at the 2021 Victorian Homelessness Conference, contributing to discussions around emerging practices and ways of thinking, as well as deep-dive analyses of successful programs.
Read moreNovember 25 is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. At Unison, we see the effects of gender-based violence on a daily basis, and can all agree that it must stop.
Read more“We are very much looking forward to reactivating projects on hold, developing project ideas and seeing lots of smiling faces together again as we carefully transition to a COVID normal.”
Read moreThe Victorian Government partners with Unison to build 42 new homes for vulnerable families in the City of Banyule.
Read moreWe're proud to announce that Unison's social and affordable development in Melbourne's north is finalist for two UDIA Vic 2021 Awards.
Read moreRick's life is back on track.He wants to share his story, assist others in similar circumstances and let them know there is help out there.
Read moreHomelessness can be the result of many social, economic and individual factors. But we know that the shortage of affordable housing is a critical factor.
Read moreUnison continues to raise the bar in developing social and affordable housing with its latest development in Melbourne’s north.
Read moreWorks are well underway in the west on our latest quality social housing build.
Read moreUnison is partnering with the City of Melbourne to provide safe and supported accommodation for people sleeping rough in the city.
Read moreMaria and Paolo's life at Kensington is a simple and content one with friends, craft, home grown vegies,home cooked meals and family.
Read moreWomen are coming together to enjoy hand sewing, knitting, crocheting, having a chat and a cuppa as part of the Threading Stories project.
Read moreDid you miss the launch of our latest report - Sustaining Social Housing, on August 3, 2021, or want to watch it again? Watch the recording of the event and get all the info you missed.
Read moreSocial housing provides safe, secure, long-term accommodation for some of the most disadvantaged in the community. But new research shows that some people are more likely to stay housed longer than others.
Read moreHomelessness Week is an important date in our calendar during which we raise awareness of this complex social issue and its impact in our society. This year we have produced a mini series dispelling homelessness myths.
Read moreWhen there was a waste challenge at our Kensington community, our Social Enterprise Team got to work.
Read moreIn the latest Think Piece of our series, Staying in Place: Social housing and Support Services, Dr Juliet Watson, Deputy Director of the Unison Housing Research Lab, examines a range of issues in relation to support and the importance it holds for people living in social housing.
Read moreAnthony’s Unison apartment in an inner-city heritage building reveals a creative life.
Read moreNAIDOC Week will be celebrated nationally from July 4 – July 11. The week celebrates the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Read moreRead Susan and her children's story of strength, resilience and a postive outlook in the face of homelessness.
Read moreWe are proud to announce that Unison won the Urban Development Institute of Australia (UDIA) National Award for Excellence for our social housing development in Melbourne's west.
Read moreOur Enterprise Team is making great use of plant cuttings and food scraps at our Kensington community by turning it into valuable compost.
Read moreDid you know that one in four people experiencing homelessness in Victoria are aged between 12 and 24?
Read moreVictorian Treasurer and Member for Werribee Tim Pallas and Minister for Housing Richard Wynne joined leading social housing provider Unison to turn the first sod and celebrate the start of construction of a $30 million new social and affordable housing development in Werribee.
Read moreSusan's home and community is where her heart is. Helping her community is what she loves.
Read moreWe are very excited to share the news that our Station Street Fairfield redevelopment is nearing completion.
Read more"The Victorian Government already demonstrated a clear commitment to supporting the most disadvantaged people through the Big Housing Build. We now call on the Federal Government to do the same." Unison CEO James King
Read moreIn Part three and the final interview, Sarah reveals what Lab projects she’s working on at the moment and what’s in planning.
Read moreWe are honored to have contributed to the Inquiry, both presenting at a public hearing and with a submission.,
Read moreUnison conducts Tenant Satisfaction Surveys to provide our tenants, with the opportunity to give open and honest feedback on how we are doing and to help us improve our services.
Read moreWe are proud to announce that Unison’s Napier Street Footscray apartment complex has won three Urban Development Institute of Australia (UDIA) Awards for Excellence.
Read moreHarmony Day is on Sunday March 21 and Cultural Diversity Week will take place from March 21 to March 28.
Read moreIn Part 2 of our conversation with Sarah, we talk about the importance of the practical application of Lab’s research, surprising research findings and opportunities for the Lab’s work to influence change.
Read moreSince March 2020 when COVID hit, Unison’s homelessness teams worked tirelessly to assist over 1500 households. To assist with the demand for temporary hotel accommodation during COVID-19, our IAP service welcomed six new team members.
Read moreDr Sarah Taylor is Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at the Unison Housing Research Lab. She is a data scientist and researcher who brings a love of administrative data.
Read moreWe are chuffed to see Unison’s solar panel installation project featured as a case study in a Community Housing Industry Association Victoria (CHIA Vic) energy efficiency report.
Read moreRMIT students are gaining a unique perspective through the first homelessness and housing course developed in collaboration with industry.
Read moreThe course brings students together from varying learning disciplines, offers both homelessness theory and site visits to homelessness services.
Read more“I have loved helping. It is so nice to see how much it has grown since we started the garden.”
Read moreMore affordable housing is needed.
Read moreTogether with our partners we have established an impressive list of sustainability projects that are caring for and rejuvenating our Kensington community.
Read moreSeason's Greetings from all of us at Unison and we wish you all the best for 2021.
Read moreThe final of our 3 part conversation with Juliet where she talks about what sparked her interest in homelessness, her particular research interests and what projects are on the horizon.
Read moreOur Summer Tenant Newsletter is available now.
Read moreIn Part two of our conversation with the Unison Housing Research Lab Deputy Director, Dr Juliet Watson, she tells us about her role as the curriculum developer and coordinator of the first dedicated course on homelessness and housing.
Read moreDr Juliet Watson is the Deputy Director of the Unison Housing Research Lab. Juliet is a sociologist, social worker, academic and educator.
Read moreNovember 25 is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.
Read moreUnison’s PRAP supports low-income households to secure and maintain private rental housing. The team members' experience in private property rental has proved invaluable.
Read moreIrena is a Unison Housing Support Worker, a role funded by the Department of Health and Human services to provide health and wellbeing support to vulnerable residents.
Read moreOur final interview instalment with Prof Guy Johnson.
Read moreUnison resident Erika Lodge, has been selected as a finalist in the Community Champion category of the City of Melbourne, 2020 Melbourne Awards.
Read moreHomelessness. What has changed and what has stayed the same. Part 2 of an interview with Prof Johnson.
Read moreWhat does the Unison Housing Research Lab do differently? The Director, Professor Guy Johnson explains.
Read moreNikki, one of the Team Leaders at Unison’s homelessness service did a simple calculation. She checked the service contact actions recorded on the same day twelve months ago, and then looked ...
Read moreFamilies in Kensington are happily eating their greens as the award-winning Kensington Food Forest is growing bumper vegie and herb crops for families in need of fresh ...
Read more“James' leadership has been exemplary while acting as CEO over the last six months, steering the organisation through the challenges of Covid-19 while setting a strong vision for the ...
Read moreUnison has completed a staged solar panel installation at our social housing properties set to provide both financial and environmental benefits.
Read moreUnison has featured in the latest Council to Homeless Persons’ Parity magazine.
Acting CEO James King, Sue Grigg Director for Housing and Homelessness and the Unison Housing Research Lab team have authored articles for the edition, which has the theme, Supporting and Sustaining Tenancies in Community Housing.
Read moreWheels, a long time resident of one of our properties in Melbourne's West has returned to a new affordable unit with his own facilities. He explains how a sense of community is as important as a roof over your head.
Read moreUnison's Acting CEO James King, talks about how the pandemic has changed his day-to-day.
Read moreOur Elizabeth Street Common Ground project is now 10 years old!
Read moreWorks are well underway at a Unison property in Fairfield, which will transform an historic property with a very interesting history, into 38 modern self contained apartments for vulnerable women.
Read moreHomelessness isn't always what you think it is. Lisa shares her story of her time without a home and the companionship of her cat and dog.
Read moreDespite the social and economic toll that COVID-19 will doubtless exact on the country, COVID-19 may – paradoxically – be the catalyst that drives the housing and homelessness policy changes we need.Despite the social and economic toll that COVID-19 will doubtless exact on the country, COVID-19 may – paradoxically – be the catalyst that drives the housing and homelessness policy changes we need.
Read moreUnison continues to carefully monitor the current developments related to the COVID-19 (Coronavirus disease) pandemic, to understand the impacts on our community, services and activities.
Read moreMr De Olizeara moved into his own self-contained flat in Footscray after social housing non-profit Unison transformed a dilapidated apartment block into 54 new affordable and modern units.
Read moreUnison’s Private Rental Access Program (PRAP) supports low-income households to secure and maintain housing in Melbourne’s West. A research report on the Program has just been released and Hollie, a team member, talks about her pride in her work.
Read moreToday is Unison’s final day at the UNO in Adelaide. We will pass the baton to community housing organisation, AnglicareSA Housing Limited as of tomorrow July 1.
Read moreThe Unison Housing Research Lab (the Lab) has undertaken an evaluation of Unison’s PRAP, and has released its findings in the report, Staying Home? Examining the longer-term housing outcomes of the Private Rental Access Program, (PRAP).
Read moreThe first thing that strikes you when you walk into Bk’s studio is the light.
It flows into the studio space from two glorious floor to ceiling windows that face onto a street tree resplendent with autumn colour.
Read more
When Government restrictions were swiftly implemented due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Kensington Community Network sprang into action, developing a range of initiatives to assist our most vulnerable community members and lift spirits.
Read moreToday we proudly launched a new social housing development in Footscray, with funding support from the Victorian State Government’s Victorian Property Fund.
Read moreFrom backstage for the Rolling Stones to working for the CFA and SES, Eric has had incredible life experiences and provided remarkable service to the community.
Read moreUnison and Melbourne City Mission jointly authored an article in the April 2020 edition of the Council for Homeless Persons national magazine Parity. The issue focusses on new developments and initiatives in the response to youth homelessness.
Read more
On any given night in Australia, over 100,000 people are experiencing homelessness of some kind. (ABS 2016 Census ...
Read moreAfter 8 years managing the mixed-use UNO Apartments in Adelaide’s CBD, Unison will pass the baton to community housing organisation, AnglicareSA Housing Limited as of July 1.
Read moreSunday May 17 is the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexphobia and Transphobia.
Read moreUnison is delighted to announce Acting CEO James King has been appointed to Read more
There is some really informative and comprehensive COVID-19 information available. Here are a few websites we would like to share with you.
April 15 is Youth Homelessness Matters Day.
Read moreIn the latest in our Tenant Story series, we learn how Dorothy brings joy to her community through her generous spirit.
Read moreWe are making some changes to the way we work to protect our tenants, clients, staff and the community.
Read moreThis Sunday stay connected and celebrate the importance of neighbourliness - from a distance.
Read moreHow will you celebrate Cultural Diversity Week?
Read moreWe regret to advise that the Festival has been postponed until further notice.
Read moreAs always, we continue to advocate for an increase in the supply of social housing.
Read moreAt Unison, we know full well the housing crisis we are facing through our homelessness services in Melbourne’s West. Our service response focuses on meeting the needs of individual clients as they come through our doors as each household has a range of unique circumstances and needs.
Read moreDid you know that Unison not only manages social and affordable housing but also builds more?
Our property development team works to increase the supply of affordable housing for ...
Read moreSandra arrived at the Kensington public housing estate in the 80’s as a single mum with her young family. High rise, high density public housing living was new to Sandra.
>> Are you 18 or over and have been a tenant with Unison for at least one year?
>> Do you want to help Unison deliver the best possible services to meet tenant’s ...
Gong xi fa cai (Happy Lunar New Year) to everyone celebrating, and we wish you, as the literal translation states, great happiness and ...
Read moreAlthough Christmas is now a fading memory, it is lovely to keep the memories alive for just a little while longer.
We celebrated around our communities with barbecues, lunches and the ...
Read moreVictoria says that she has been born 3 times.
The first time as a baby in Iraq. The 2nd time when she arrived safely in Australia as a refugee. The 3rd time when she moved in to her lovely ...
Read moreThis time of year can be tough for people experiencing homelessness and those who are disconnected from family and who are socially isolated.
We are pleased to present Unison’s 2019 Annual Report.
This year’s report reflects the incredible work undertaken by our team in line with our strategic direction, values and ...
Read moreLife can deal us some really tough blows and Daya has had his fair share.
Daya, originally from Sri Lanka, moved to Australia around 10 years ago and settled in Braybrook in ...
Read moreNovember 25 is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.
Violence against women and girls remains a pervasive problem worldwide with alarming figures ...
Read moreAn artist and music buff with an impressive music collection, Frank, a resident at one of Unison’s properties, is a true community champion.
Frank has acted in local theatre ...
Read moreNew research by the Unison Housing Research Lab has analysed the records of over 12,000 households that accessed Unison’s Initial Assessment and Planning (IAP) ...
Read moreWe are delighted to announce that Unison’s Community Food Forest in Kensington won the National Leading Community Engagement Practice Award at the AHI 2019 Professional Excellence in Housing ...
Read moreAndrea was a Unison transitional housing resident. She now lives in a stable, affordable home and is studying for her Masters in Criminology at RMIT, having completed her Law Degree.
But ...
Read moreMelbourne, 6 August 2019 - MEDIA RELEASE
"Australia could reduce homelessness if we adopted the Welsh model of requiring governments to deliver prevention support," says Council to ...
Read moreWe are pleased to share Unison's latest tenant newsletter. This edition is packed with updates from our Tenant Advisory Group, tips for keeping mould away this winter, the ...
Read moreMeet Safiya and Darren – two of our staff members in the Unison Place Management team.
Read more
Unison acknowledges and respects the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land we live and work on.
NAIDOC week, celebrated nationally July ...
Read more“My father was Luritja and a traditional Lore Man and mum was Arrente/Wurrununga. I am originally from Alice Springs, but have mostly lived in Adelaide from about six weeks of ...
Read moreUnison welcomes the State Government’s commitment to extend funding to the Private Rental Assistance program (PRAP) which will assist over 6,000 Victorians in need.
Under the ...
Read moreWe are proud to have received the Leading Community Engagement Practice Award for our Kensington Community Food Forest project, at the recent AHI Victorian 2019 Professional Excellence in ...
Read moreMelbourne, 14 May 2019 - In a tight housing market where public and social housing are in such short supply, we need to be looking towards the private rental market as a key part of the ...
Read moreYouth Homelessness Matters Day on April 17 brings a focus to the plight of young people who are homeless or at risk of not having a safe and stable home.
More than 28, 000 young Australians ...
Read moreA new research report produced by RMIT and Unison Housing shows that the transition into social housing can be precarious for some people, with 43% of tenants exiting their social housing within ...
Read moreWhat makes some tenancies successful, whilst others fail? Which tenants are more likely to have exit early and for what reasons? How can we better support tenants to stay housed?
Unison ...
Read moreUnison is the first Housing Association to sign up to the Victorian Housing Register, a single central waiting list for people wanting to access public or community housing across ...
Read moreThe Unison Board has accepted the resignation of CEO Jack Panton.
Mr. Panton has said in a message to Unison staff, stakeholders and clients:
“I care deeply about the work that ...
Read moreDuring Homelessness Week we are reminded of the sad fact that homelessness is on the increase and affordable housing is increasingly out of reach for many vulnerable people.
Professor of ...
Read moreThe number of older people in rental stress has jumped 42% in the last 5 years. Imagine ageing without a secure place to call home?
Yet another reason we need governments to invest in ...
Read moreNAIDOC Week celebrations are held across Australia each July to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. NAIDOC is celebrated not only in ...
Read moreThe Kensington Urban Food Forest featured on ABC News Breakfast this week.
The Food Forest launched last November, is the first community food forest in the City of Melbourne. It ...
Read moreAs one of the largest providers of housing and homelessness services in the west, Unison knows all too well there is a shrinking pool of affordable rental in the area.
Unison's CEO Jack ...
This year the theme of National Reconciliation Week, is Don’t Keep History a Mystery. In the spirit of the week, we wish to highlight the traditional owners of the lands on ...
Read moreUnison's CEO Jack Panton and Head of Strategy and Communications Sarah Toohey, recently featured across a number of media channels highighting the growing youth homelessness issue and the dire ...
Read moreToday is Youth Homelessness Matters Day. Almost 40% of people who are homeless in Victoria are under 25 and we are acutely aware of this escalating and shameful issue as a primary access point in ...
Read moreUnison is pleased to announce that Jack Panton has commenced as Chief Executive Officer. Jack comes to Unison with over 15 years of property development and investment experience in private ...
Read moreOur complex and unbalanced housing system means many people are missing out.
Homes are out of reach for too many Australians, either to buy or rent. Competition for rental properties is ...
Read moreThe recently released ABS Census data shows an 11% increase in homelessness since 2011. The data reveals there has been an 8.3% increase in the number of females who are ...
Read moreRecently we received a wonderful letter from a tenant and community champion, who in addition to a whole host of community initiatives, organises a delicious Christmas lunch for the tenants at ...
Read moreTwelve months ago Yarra Community Housing and Urban Communities joined up to become Unison. The past 12 months have flown by and we thank our staff for their continued commitment, energy and ...
Read moreUnison is a member of the H3 Wyndham Alliance, made up pf nine local agencies and the Wyndham City Council. The Alliance has been established to address housing vulnerability by increasing housing ...
Read moreLink to our Annual Report 2017 and read about our first year as Unison, the breadth of our services and ...
Read moreWe have some wonderful gardens across our communities where our residents can grow, harvest and cook fresh healthy produce. Many of these gardens are in partnership with other like minded ...
Read moreUnison's inaugural AGM was held Thursday November 23 at RMIT's Design Hub. Wurundjeri Elder, Perry Wandin performed the Welcome to Country and Jane Evans (Unison Chair), Barry Diamond ...
Read moreOur McIntyre Drive Altona residents are ready and waiting for the warm Spring sunshine (aren’t we all!) to help grow fresh food in their new planter boxes.
The planter boxes were ...
Read moreWe are in the midst of a housing affordability crisis. It is crucial the percentage of affordable housing in new developments increases. Read about one tenant's experience and CEO ...
Read moreUnison’s vision is Communities that Thrive. A key ingredient to achieving this vision is that all people are treated fairly and without discrimination and we recognise the ...
Read moreUnison has partnered with local permaculture practitioner Jacqui Van Heerden with funding provided by the City of Melbourne to create an Urban Food Forest, providing a food garden and active ...
Read moreThe Victorian State Government will move 7,000 people over 55 to the high priority social housing wait list and have promised to provide 6,000 new homes to help reduce the State's growing list of ...
Read moreUnison is one of the largest organisations in Melbourne's West assisting people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness with housing support.
Homelessness Week is coordinated by ...
Read moreUnison is very pleased to advise Dr Juliet Watson has been appointed to the position of Lecturer in Urban Housing and Homelessness and the Deputy Director of the Unison Housing Research Lab at ...
Read moreCongratulations Frank Otis on being named Unison’s Tenant Advisory Group (TAG) convenor. TAG ensures we get feedback and ideas directly from our residents in order to continuously improve ...
Read moreWe have completed the purchase and settlement of 17 much needed social housing properties through the Victorian State Government's Rapid Housing Assistance Fund. We managed to purchase an ...
Read moreNAIDOC Week is a time to celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history, culture and achievements and is an opportunity to recognise the contributions that Indigenous Australians make to ...
Read moreUnison CEO Michael Perusco recently joined a panel discussion at The Wheeler Centre regarding the complex problems of homelessness and housing solutions. Erica, a Unison resident also gave ...
Read moreUnison welcomes the Victorian Government's commitment to the Public Housing Renewal Program, which will involve the redevelopment of eight public housing estates across metropolitan ...
Read moreLong term leases may soon be available in renter-only buildings in Melbourne. Replicating the US and UK models, properties are held as rentals rather than on sold by developers. We believe ...
Read moreNational Reconciliation Week is an annual celebration and a time for all Australians to celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander achievements in the journey towards ...
Read moreA mix of social, affordable and market priced homes makes good sense all round. Our Kensington community is a 6.5ha example of a community for all, irrespective on income types. Read Read more
Michael Perusco, CEO and RMIT's Professor Guy Johnson, inaugural chair of Urban Housing and Homelessness discuss what the recent Federal budget means for housing and ...
Read moreAttendance records were broken at the recent 10th Kensington CommUNITY Festival led by Unison. The purpose of the Festival throughout its 10 years has been to celebrate, engage and ...
Read moreUnison CEO Michael Perusco recently appeared on ABC's Lateline to talk affordable housing. Watch the program here.
Read moreIneligible for social housing, unable to buy or rent at market rates, affordable housing in a welcoming community provides a home for people like Unison resident Janie. Unison's CEO Michael ...
Read moreThe death of 3 people sleeping rough in the western suburbs has highlighted that homelessnes in the CBD is just the tip of the iceberg. Read more Read more
The Victorian Government's recent housing affordability policy announcement to act as guarantor for social housing development projects will allow housing organisations to leverage private sector ...
Read moreAn ongoing demand for affordable rental properties for average Melbourne renters is squeezing those on low incomes out. Read more Read more
Yarra Community Housing and Urban Communities Limited have merged and on 1 February 2017 the new organisation will start operations as Unison!
As Unison, we will build on the ...