The Board of leading Illawarra community housing organisation Housing Trust today announced that Managing Director and former CEO, Michele Adair, will depart the organisation after eight years of service.
This follows a planned leadership transition that took effect on 1 July 2024, when Amanda Winks was appointed CEO. Over the last 12 months, Ms Adair has worked part-time to support the handover and Housing Trust’s growth agenda. She will now look to the future, including potential board and consulting roles.
Chair of the Board Roy Rogers said the organisation is well placed for its next chapter.
“Michele has left Housing Trust stronger, prouder and more resilient. She helped reshape the housing conversation in our region and restored deep community confidence in who we are and what we deliver. With Amanda leading a talented team, our strategy is clear and our momentum is real. On behalf of the Board, I thank Michele for her remarkable contribution and wish her every success in what comes next.”
A tireless advocate, Ms Adair consistently challenged governments at all levels and their bureaucracies, drawing on her lived experience of facing homelessness with two young children. She shared her own story to show why a decent home for everyone matters. Over the past eight years that leadership was recognised with multiple honours, including the 2023 UDIA National Women in Leadership award, Business Illawarra’s Community Organisation of the Year, and being named by the Australian Financial Review as one of the most influential people in property in the country.
Ms Adair reflected on the progress made during her tenure.
“I’m immensely proud of our impact, not just locally but nationally. We’ve delivered hundreds of homes across the Illawarra and our councils have stepped up to do much more to support affordable housing supply.
“We secured a special exemption in the COVID-19 legislation for all social housing tenants in NSW. We constructively challenged the Commonwealth’s Housing Australia Future Fund to ensure it delivered more for Australians. As the only housing provider nationally to withhold support at the time, we were pleased to see all our recommendations ultimately adopted. Last November we delivered the first building in Australia that doesn’t segregate residents according to their income.
“Everybody who has ever worked for Housing Trust believes in the vision of a decent home for everyone. My job as CEO was to create the culture and give them the tools they needed to make it happen.”
Over the past eight years Housing Trust has strengthened its reputation, culture and capability. The organisation has grown internal talent, promoted from within and continued to deliver high-quality homes across the Illawarra. The Board remains committed to its growth strategy and to working with all levels of government and the private sector to increase supply and improve outcomes for local people.
Ms Adair is looking forward to new and exciting challenges in the future but in the immediate future she will take a much deserved break to brush up on her golf swing and spend lots of time with her 4 grandchildren.
