together, we are building a better world
annual report
together, we build purpose
A reflection on the year that was — the challenges we met, the communities we built with, and the vision that drives us forward: a world where everyone has a decent, safe & affordable place to live.
Anthony Lennon
Board Chair
chair report
It is my privilege to present this overview of Habitat for Humanity Victoria's work and achievements for the 2025 financial year, a period marked by significant change and progress for which we are both reflective and deeply grateful.
This report documents the tangible impact Habitat is making within our community, made possible through the generous support of our partners, donors, volunteers, and supporters. On behalf of the Board, I extend our sincere thanks for your continued trust, commitment, and encouragement as we work toward a world where everyone has a place to call home.
It has been an honour to serve alongside a professional and passionate Board in governing the organisation. I thank our staff team for their dedication and service, in facilitating our house building and Brush with Kindness program and our work with partner families.
I acknowledge former Board Chair Rob McLauchlan, who received the Order of Australia Medal this year. This prestigious award reflects Rob's exceptional dedication to Habitat for Humanity, architecture and social justice. Habitat has been greatly enriched by his invaluable contributions.
I want to specially recognise Philip Curtis, who concluded in December 2024 as our CEO after a very significant tenure of 15 years. Philip invested deeply and generously in Habitat for Humanity Victoria and has a legacy including these achievements:
• the completion of 21 houses in our Yea development for partner families
• initiating and leading our Crib Point project with 6 affordable houses
• building a committed network of supporters and partners.
In December 2024, Justin Simpson joined as our new CEO and he continues to build on Phil’s work, and with the Board and staff, consolidating the organisation and exploring new opportunities to grow Habitat’s mission and impact.
Once again, thank you for your part in Habitat for Humanity Victoria, participating in and enabling our vital work.
ceo report
The shortage of affordable and decent housing has become an acute social issue in Victoria. It is in this very challenging context, that we aim to fulfil our mission: seeking to put God’s love into action, we bring people together to build homes, communities and hope.
We’re working to develop on our history of more than 30 years of building affordable homes and helping partner families towards home ownership. In FY25, we have been focussing on the completion of our Crib Point affordable housing development with the assistance of Sefa and the Hugh T.D Williamson Trust Foundation. We have undertaken extensive feasibility work in exploration of our next affordable housing project.
Significantly, we continue to invest in our 34 partner families who have experienced adversity and housing insecurity with long-term interest-free loans. This enables families to move towards home ownership, which can be transformational across generations.
We’ve formed a partner family consultation group, which is helping bring their lived experience and their voices to the centre of our organisation. Partner families are not only our beneficiaries, they are agents of their own story and agents of our shared mission.
Through our Brush with Kindness program, we serve other charitable housing organisations and households experiencing financial stress with painting and gardening. We do this in partnership with corporate volunteers and our Habitat Community volunteers, and all with the incredible investment of Dulux.
Our incredible volunteers in our ReStore opportunity shops are instrumental in generating funds for our housing, programs and impact. Our financial supporters and trusts generously invest and underpin our work. Our dedicated staff team continue to work towards growing our programs, our impact and our organisational sustainability. I specially acknowledge Phil Wright for his 8 years of energetic service with Habitat.
So, in this context of acute need for affordable, secure and safe housing, Habitat for Humanity is working. Together, we’re building homes, communities and hope.
Justin Simpson
CEO
together, we build the foundation
At Habitat for Humanity Victoria, we bring people together to build more than homes — we build connection, stability and opportunity.
our values
Empowering & engaging
Driven to make a difference
A trusted partner
Generous & caring
Responsible & resourceful
our vision
A world in which everyone can have a decent, safe and affordable place to call home
our mission
Seeking to put God's love into action, Habitat for Humanity brings people together to build home, communities and hope
together, we build momentum
year in review
2024/25
Here's how we are impacting the community together
34
partner families with no interest loans
Home ownership transforms lives. This year, we continued supporting 34 partner families through our Affordable Housing program, a commitment that ensures these families maintain stable, affordable housing with no interest loans while building equity and financial independence.
411
Brush with Kindness volunteers combined
Our Brush with Kindness program where volunteers revitalise properties with painting and gardening works for our housing partners ensures more Victorians can access the secure, dignified housing they deserve.
56
BWK Project Days
Each day saw the tangible impact of a renewed or repaired space transform the perspective of a resident.
2671
BWK Volunteer Hours
Time dedicated to serving those in our community who have endured significant hardship
11
Housing Partners
We assisted 11 charitable housing organisations in Victoria revitalising spaces to become welcoming and safe
3
Through our connection with Habitat for Humanity Australia, Victoria enabled the building of these homes in the Asia Pacific region.
Overseas homes funded
123
ReStore volunteers
Our ReStore op shops thrive because of dedicated people and generous donations. This year, 123 volunteers formed the backbone of our Kilsyth and Rosebud operations, transforming pre-loved items into funds that support affordable housing, interest free loans and our BWK program.
Funds entrusted with Habitat for Humanity Victoria are used thoughtfully to create lasting impact. Our Financial Report for FY25 outlines how supporter contributions, social enterprise revenue, and partnerships have resourced our mission and impact, building homes, supporting families and growing communities. We invite you to review our audited financial statements here.
financials
order of australia medal
Robert serving with Habitat for Humanity in Cambodia on a Global Village trip in 2019.
On 26 January 2025, Robert McLauchlan was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM). This was a formal recognition of Robert’s service to architecture and social justice, largely related to his work with Habitat for Humanity Victoria.
Rob’s involvement with Habitat spans over two decades. Initially he volunteered his architectural skills, designing several of our early homes in Yea before joining the Board and later serving as Board Chair between 2011 and 2021.
Rob’s contribution to Habitat has been both hands-on and visionary. In fact, during his tenure, Rob played an instrumental role in launching the ReStore op shop in Kilsyth, a social enterprise that is now integral to Habitat’s funding.
Receiving the OAM is a fitting acknowledgment of Rob’s compassion, integrity and unwavering belief that everyone deserves a decent place to live. Rob has reflected “the difference a stable home makes is enormous.”
As an architect, he has put this belief into action, using his skills to serve and advocate for people most in need. On receiving the OAM, he said, “it’s a great honour, but the real reward for me has always been seeing the difference we’ve made in people’s lives.”
hope and connection dinner
In May, the Habitat for Humanity Victoria community came together for our Building Hope and Connection Dinner - a night to celebrate the impact of our programs and the people who make them possible.
Guests heard inspiring stories which came from our affordable housing and Brush with Kindness programs, showing the tangible difference they make in people’s lives.
We were encouraged by Helen, Connor and Mia, one of our partner families who moved into a Habitat home in 2008 after many years of housing insecurity. Connor and Mia - now in their early 20s - shared how having a safe, stable home provided a foundation for their family and gave them opportunities to thrive, including pursuing further studies.
We also heard from Dawn Develyn from Benwerren Women’s Retreat, who reflected on the incredible support they’ve received through our Brush with Kindness program. From painting the property in fire-resistant paint to completing repairs and gardening. Dawn highlighted how the generosity of Habitat volunteers never fails to amaze the families they support.
The evening was filled with a sense of community, connection and shared purpose, a celebration of what we can achieve together building homes, community and hope.
R-L, Jenny Curtis with our partner families, Helen, Donna & Roxana
Silent auction contributions made by generous business donors
R-L, Partner family Connor, Mia. Helen with Justin Simpson
a place called home
Our development at Crib Point reveals a story of transformation. Freshly painted homes stand proud and residents are growing flourishing gardens. On Celeste’s house, there is a striking mosaic house number that captures the eye of every visitor. This mosaic number is more than beautifully decorative, it represents a deeper story.
During the construction of her house, tiles were salvaged from the old building previously on the site. Celeste carefully transformed these fragments into something beautiful and new. A mosaic that honours the past while celebrating the future.
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These details, the hand-crafted mosaic, the emerging gardens, the care visible in every corner reveal what happens when families gain access to decent, safe, affordable housing. They're signs of stability and belonging, of a place where life can flourish.
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"My children can now sleep with their windows open," one partner family shares, reflecting on their sense of safety.
This is the effect of having a home. When families have a stable foundation, they don't just survive. They can grow, contribute, and thrive. Gardens are planted. Communities strengthen. Children dream with their windows open. It begins with something as fundamental as a place to call home.
Brush with Kindness Program
As housing demand intensifies across Australia, charitable accommodation providers face unprecedented pressure. Our Brush with Kindness (BWK) program delivers practical solutions that make a tangible difference for them and their beneficiaries.
Through partnerships with charitable housing organisations, we help ensure more properties can welcome people who have experienced hardship.
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By mobilising corporate and community volunteers to provide gardening, painting, and minor repairs, we help reduce property vacancy periods and restore homes to a safe, welcoming condition. Women's refuges, community housing and shared spaces are refreshed and revitalised. These properties are ready to provide security and stability to those who need it most.
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These single-day volunteer opportunities offer corporate teams meaningful engagement that enables genuine community impact and team building.​ The numbers tell a powerful story: 411 dedicated volunteers contributed 2,671 hours throughout the year, transforming properties and creating safe spaces for Victorians who’ve faced hardship.
To every volunteer who rolled up their sleeves, our deepest thank you. Your partnership has made a tangible difference for our housing partners and, ultimately, for the families and individuals now able to call these refreshed spaces home.
BWK volunteers refreshing spaces with Whisper White Dulux paint
making an impact in Yarrinup
Making a sustained difference in the housing crisis requires collaboration. This is why Habitat for Humanity Victoria partners with other charitable housing organisations through our Brush With Kindness program.
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One of these partnerships has been with The Salvation Army’s Yarrinup Mother & Baby Program, located in Melbourne’s south-eastern suburbs. Yarrinup offers young mums (aged 16-25) at risk of homelessness the chance to live in independent onsite units and receive wrap-around support so they can build strong attachments with their babies and set up a new life.
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Our BWK volunteers have assisted Yarrinup with home and garden maintenance. Our projects have included heavy weeding in the gardens, painting fences and creating safe and practical play spaces that feature sandpits and cubby houses.
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This has been impactful in creating refreshed, inviting environments where children can explore and play, and where mothers feel supported and secure. By alleviating some of their maintenance costs, Brush with Kindness helps the Yarrinup program focus on its mission of supporting young mothers and their children. Together, we’re making a difference.
Before
After
Volunteers creating a safe and vibrant space for mothers and their children
people power
Habitat for Humanity Victoria is made up of a tapestry of donors, supporters, partner families and volunteers. Each group playing a significant role in building homes, community and hope.
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Each day, our dedicated volunteers at ReStore Kilsyth and ReStore Rosebud bring their unique skills and warm smiles to the shop floor, sorting donations and welcoming customers. We not only offer affordable goods but also generate vital funds to support our home-building and Brush with Kindness programs.
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We are deeply grateful to the 123 ReStore volunteers who have contributed their time this year. Thank you for your generosity, your passion and your investment in Habitat’s mission.
volunteers
supporters
Our financial donors give quietly behind the scenes and their impact is so vital. Their generosity funds Habitat’s impact, enabling our house building, Brush with Kindness program and the no-interest loans that make home ownership possible for our partner families. To our financial donors, regularly and once off, your contribution is deeply felt.
ReStores building community
Our ReStore social enterprises in Kilsyth and Rosebud operate as more than retail outlets. They are enablers for meaningful, multi-generational change. Every item donated and purchased supports our work in building affordable homes, helping our partner families with no-interest loans and providing our Brush with Kindness program.
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Kilsyth ReStore has strengthened its focus on commercial partnerships in FY25, securing substantial office furniture donations while expanding sales reach through Marketplace. We are grateful for the support of community members and commercial partners who choose to donate quality pre-loved goods.
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Notable contributions this year include The Ascott Ltd and Project Net Zero, who collectively donated over 200 pieces of high-quality designer furniture. These partnerships exemplify the dual impact of our model: generating funds that support our local impact and diverting valuable resources from landfill.
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Rosebud ReStore continues as a vibrant community hub, collecting and processing donated goods. It is a joyful experience to visit the store. A particular highlight has been our partnership with Peninsula Special School, welcoming students living with disability for weekly work experience placements.
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Long-serving volunteer KerryAnne reflects on the transformative nature of these placements, observing growth in participants' confidence week by week. "We can see the little milestones," she notes, recalling one student in particular who, over successive weeks of sorting and checking DVDs, gradually progressed from quiet nervousness to making comfortable eye contact with the team.
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ReStore's financial contributions are substantial, with both locations demonstrating how social enterprise can strengthen communities while advancing our mission of building homes, communities, and hope.
