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A woman and her three children fled South Australia for Victoria because of family violence, and they had no stability in their lives until one charity reached out a helping hand.
The family had hit it rough. The daughter was finishing up her last year at school, her eldest son in year 10 was becoming a school refuser, and her youngest has special needs that were not being helped by their fragile lifestyle.
Then the Women’s Property Initiatives (WPI) came along and reached out a helping hand, and they were able to provide the family with a quality home that was safe, secure and affordable.
“It has been a real life-changer for them,” Property Initiatives Real Estate founder Jeanette Large told Real Estate Business.
The daughter is now attending university, the eldest son has completed year 11, and the youngest is getting the help he needs to address his special needs, she said.
“They are living in a lovely home in a great community, and all of them have a new beginning.”
This would not have been possible without Property Initiatives Real Estate, which channels all of its profits into WPI.
The agency was set up in 2015 with the sole purpose of helping women and children, which is why WPI is the company’s single shareholder.
The idea came about as Ms Large needed a revenue stream for WPI and the government’s funding was not reliable, so revenue from her company gives a buffer while other funds are secured.
“The demand for good, quality, safe, secure, affordable housing for vulnerable women and children continues to grow, and we need to provide so many more homes,” she said.
Ms Large’s drive to help women and children in tough situations came after she left university when she worked with young unemployed people and was confronted by domestic violence.
“Young women being abused by their partners was life-changing for me, and it set me on a path of passion and purpose,” she said.
She went on to learn the value in a safe and affordable home for a family.
“The impact for children is immense, and if we want to have an impact for the next generation and break a generational cycle of poverty, then providing a home is basic,” she said.
“It is also cost-effective. If only the government could get their head around that.”
Although all the profits from Property Initiatives Real Estate go to WPI, it operates like any other agency, and it has a rental portfolio of nearly 150 properties in Melbourne’s inner suburbs.
“The team are all passionate and dedicated to the cause of why the business has been established,” Ms Large said. “Employees work hard and do the best they can to make a profit for WPI.”
The charity has made a difference for the women and children it looks after.
“We have had an independent social return on investment undertaken that demonstrates that for every dollar invested in the organisation, we create the social and economic value of $11.07,” she said.
“This is measured through the outcomes of improved physical and mental health of the women and children, the improved academic performance of the children, improved work readiness of the women, improved family relationships, decreased costs to government and increased taxes to government.”
As a result of WPI’s efforts, many women and children have been given new beginnings, and some are now attending university.
“It’s highly unlikely they will become homeless or need social housing,” Ms Large said. “The homes continue to break the generational cycle of poverty.”
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