Amanda Winks, Chief Executive Officer, Housing Trust
I’ve lived in the Illawarra my whole life. It’s where I grew up, where I went to school, tried physical culture (unsuccessfully), tried surf club (also unsuccessfully) and learned to play the organ…yes, the organ! It’s where I now have the privilege of working alongside others who care deeply about the people and places that make our region special.
Lately, I’ve been thinking about what it means to truly participate in a community, both personally and professionally – not just to live in it or to work in it, but to belong to it. From starting school, joining a sporting club, or simply feeling safe and welcome, these moments and my recent conversations remind me that human participation is the heartbeat of any thriving community.
This sentiment has been particularly prominent as I’ve engaged with tenants at Housing Trust Connect events, participated in Tenant Advisory Group meetings, and marked the launch of a street library – an initiative that serves as a meaningful representation of shared space and collective narratives, trust, and generosity. Ongoing dialogue with our local councils, elected representatives, the Housing Trust team and my own family continue to highlight the significance of our work both in the community and individually for those who live in Housing Trust homes.
It’s difficult, if not impossible, to attend school, join a sporting club or hold down a job without a stable roof over your head. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs illustrates this perfectly: without the foundations of food, water, shelter and safety, it’s almost impossible to reach the higher levels of love, belonging, respect, and self-actualisation, all of which are only possible when we are part of a community.
As a Community Housing Provider there’s no question our core role is to provide homes, but our mission runs much deeper – we also build partnerships, foster goodwill and create opportunities for people to connect, contribute, and thrive.
November is always a busy time of year for us, and this year as previously we’ll host our golf day, which helps fund the Tylah West Scholarship Program. This program, celebrating its tenth anniversary this year, has helped over 150 tenants pursue their education and employment goals, through an investment of more than $250,000. From school shoes to university tuition fees the scholarships are tailored to meet the needs of recipients, whatever they may be. Big or small, one year or multiple years, its flexible and accessible – a small hand up empowering ambition, aspiration and achievement.
It’s important to say that as a for-purpose charity we don’t and can’t do this alone. It’s only possible thanks to the generous support of local businesses, community organisations and supporters – the very people who make our community what it is. Reinforcing the realisation that community housing builds more than homes. It builds futures. It builds connections and it builds the fabric of a society where everyone has the chance to participate and prosper.
One of the most powerful outcomes of community housing is the way it enables people to move from surviving to thriving. We see this transformation every day. From our Tenant Advisory Group, where residents influence policy, shape services, and advocate for others – utilising lived experience to bring insight, empathy, and innovation to the table. To those who step bravely into the public spotlight sharing their own stories to help others. In the words of Lyn, they do this because:
“Others might be too frightened… because the thing housing insecurity does is not only create unbearable stress, but also feelings of shame and guilt and thinking ‘What did I do wrong?’ when really this can happen at no fault of your own.”
Lyn’s story is just one included in Trust, a beautiful series of portraits by renowned photographer Tim Bower, which will be hosted at NSW Parliament by the Hon Rose Jackson, Member of the Legislative Council and Minister for Housing, Homelessness, Mental Health and Youth in November. If you haven’t seen the exhibition, I urge you to go if you can. If not, you can also view the images and stories on the Housing Trust website. I guarantee you will feel the impact of our work, its value in community and challenge any niggling misconceptions about the importance of a decent home for everyone.
These words by Adam Lindsay Gordon, quietly etched in the underside of the rotunda roof at the Rose Garden, Wollongong Botanic Gardens remind me always that at the very core of our community “…two things stand like stone: Kindness in another’s trouble, courage in our own
