Secure, appropriate, and affordable housing is a basic human right.

Secure, appropriate, and affordable housing is a basic human right.

With 80% of low-income earners paying more rent than they can afford, Australia’s ageing population, along with a decline in home ownership, has triggered an increase in homelessness across Australia.

A report by the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (2019), found a growing number of people are experiencing homelessness for the first time later in life. At the last census, 18,625 people aged 55 years or over were without a home.

Older women are particularly more at risk of homelessness, due to factors including family violence, divorce and limited income from superannuation.

Social housing plays a critical role in supporting people impacted by the housing affordability crisis.

Seven years ago, Baptcare launched a subsidiary, Baptcare Affordable Housing (BAH), to provide affordable, well-located, and well-built housing for people on lower incomes who are at risk of, or are experiencing, homelessness.

Providing a home to over 170 residents, we currently manage 100 apartments, units and houses across communities in Victoria and Tasmania. Our average annual occupancy rate of 98.7%.

BAH has made a long-term commitment to expand our affordable housing communities and engage effectively with government, at both a state and federal level, to build on our existing resources and broaden our contribution to this sector.

As well as providing affordable housing, BAH also advocates for the disadvantaged people in our community.

If you have land, existing buildings you are using to house disadvantaged people, or would like to get involved in any way, please contact us.

To find out more about the work we do alongside those experiencing homelessness, please refer to our latest annual report.