Amanda Winks, CEO Housing Trust
One of my fondest childhood memories is listening to Louis Armstrong’s What a Wonderful World with my grandad, Neville. As a child, I loved the melody and the joy on his face whenever we played it. Years later, as a mum, I hear the song differently.
Recently, the Wollongong Goals initiative asked what I wanted for my community, my country and the wider world. I was taken back to that song and a deeper question. What does a wonderful world actually look like?
The thousands of goals being shared across our community paint a remarkably consistent picture. Peace and unity, education and healthcare, environmental protection and opportunities for future generations. Many also call for housing and an end to homelessness, recognising that a safe, secure home is fundamental to living well.
I was struck by how closely these aspirations mirror my own. For my children, I don’t picture something extraordinary. I hope for something much like my childhood. To be surrounded by people who love them, sheltered by a home and part of a community where they feel safe, connected and supported, with opportunities available and shared.
Maybe that is why Wollongong’s goals feel so reassuring. They confirm that across generations and communities we hold many of the same hopes for those we love. Peace, safety, health, opportunity, education and belonging. These aspirations have been carried forward through generations and reflected in global commitments such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted in 1948.
While the world has changed dramatically since then, the hope that people can live well and contribute meaningfully remains. As I continue to reflect on the goals being shared across our community, I can’t help but wonder whether these are many of the same hopes my grandad held for me growing up and now holds for the next generation of our family.
Sustainable Development Goal 11 seeks to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. Yet the latest United Nations report identifies housing affordability and security as critical barriers. In 2024, 1.16 billion people worldwide lived in slums or informal settlements, a figure projected to exceed 1.2 billion by 2030 without stronger action.
The message is clear. Social and affordable housing is critical infrastructure because no city, town or community can be truly sustainable unless people have the foundation of a safe, secure and affordable home.
Across global frameworks, local communities and generations of families, the picture of a wonderful world is remarkably consistent.
Peace, opportunity, belonging, good health and a safe place to call home.
Bringing that vision to life is not simple. It takes resilience, collaboration and a willingness to keep working towards a future we may never fully see but hope to leave for others.
For Housing Trust, our mission remains: a decent home for everyone. Safe, secure and affordable housing is central to any vision of a sustainable community, and one of the most important foundations on which a wonderful world can be built.
