McCormack Housing Provides Much Needed Support
The current housing crisis is making it more difficult than ever for Victorians impacted by the justice system to find safe, stable housing. McCormack Housing (McH) has been working hard to bridge this gap.
One McH participant commented, “There needs to be more services like McCormack Housing to support people coming out of prison. I don’t think I would have breached my parole and gone back to prison, if I had the support of a service like McH. I am so glad they accepted me into the program. I can’t thank them enough. I’ve got my life back.”
FY24/25 has proved to be another successful year for McCormack Housing. As a registered Housing Provider with the Victorian Housing Registrar, McCormack Housing received a total of 67 referrals over the year. Of these, McH housed:
- 33 new clients for Residential services, with 16 clients vacating and 2 transferring to alternative residential support.
- 5 new clients for Safe Steps, with 3 vacating (40% exiting into stable accommodation).
- 13 new clients Stepping Stones Bendigo and Gippsland, with 9 vacating (49% exiting into stable accommodation).
Clients were referred to McCormack Housing from across a range of ACSO programs, including CSP, ReStart, AOS, ReConnect, and YORS.
“Having that secure and safe accommodation with McCormack housing is often an extreme motivator for individuals to get back on their feet. We give tenants the tools, but it’s up to them how they use them.”
– Sylvia Cassar, Operations Manager at McCormack Housing
Stable housing is more than a roof over someone’s head; it can be the turning point that breaks the cycle of incarceration, and McH continues to play a crucial role in collaboration with ACSO’s programs and services.