Born in the western suburbs of Melbourne, Eric began work in sound, lighting and backstage with music venues, theatre, radio and television in 1970. Highlights ...
Read moreUnison and Melbourne City Mission jointly authored an article in the 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 Read more
Sunday May 17 is the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexphobia and ...
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 marks Youth Homelessness Matters Day. The day aims to not only raise awareness of this important issue, but to also support the dreams of homeless ...
Read moreWalking into Dorothy’s home, it is very easy to see that she is creative. Her lovely welcoming apartment has a gorgeous display of indoor plants, stylish ...
Read moreUnison is carefully monitoring developments related to the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease) pandemic to understand the impacts on our community, services and activities. Based on ...
Read moreNeighbour Day is this Sunday March 29.
The principal aim of Neighbour Day is to build better relationships and socially connect with the people who live around us, especially the elderly ...
Read moreCultural Diversity Week is from March 21 to March 29.
Ordinarily it is a week of fabulous events and activities to ...
Read moreIn the interest of public health and based on guidance from Australia’s health authorities and Federal Government, Unison has decided to postpone the Read more
The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs launched the first ever inquiry into homelessness in Victoria. This Parliamentary Inquiry is a crucial step ...
Read moreAccording to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) Specialist Homelessness Services Annual Report 2018-19, on any given day in Australia:
Did 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 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 moreLink to our Annual Report 2017 and read about our first year as Unison, the breadth of our services and ...
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 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 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 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 ...