Women's Housing Co.

The Women’s Housing Company (WHC) is a specialist social housing provider in New South Wales focused on safe, secure and affordable housing for single women and women with children. Operating for more than 40 years, WHC reports that it housed almost 1,700 women and children and supported over 300 women experiencing homelessness in the most recent year. The organisation emphasises addressing the needs of older women, women escaping domestic and family violence, and women affected by mental health, substance dependence, disability, and cultural and linguistic diversity, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women. WHC’s housing offer spans multiple tenancy types relevant to co-living comparisons: affordable housing, long-term social housing, transitional housing (including a Transitional Housing Plus program specifically for domestic violence survivors), and a branded social co-living model referenced as “Stronger Together: Co-Living Social Housing.” While the public content highlights co-living as a strategic area, detailed operational descriptions of the co-living model (room configurations, shared facilities, tenancy arrangements, eligibility, or communal governance) are not provided on the pages summarised. Tenancy supports include a tenant payment portal, repairs and maintenance reporting, and a suite of factsheets, forms and policies to guide residents and referrers. Resident support and wrap‑around services are prominent. WHC operates several programs aimed at empowerment, skills and wellbeing — Purposeful Pathways, Digital Literacy, Her Voice, the George & Jaqui Maree Fellowship, scholarships, and the Brighter Futures Program. The organisation publishes impact reporting on these initiatives; its recent Impact Report is said to show consistent improvements in participants’ confidence, personal agency and social connection following an empowerment program for women experiencing housing insecurity and complex life challenges. Governance and engagement mechanisms described include a corporate strategic plan (2026–2030), a Tenancy Advisory Group (TAG) for tenant engagement, and formal corporate policies including whistleblowing procedures. WHC positions collaboration, courage, support, integrity and respect as organisational values and states quality services as a strategic priority. The organisation also offers public-facing resources such as annual reports, newsletters and a complaint/appeal process. WHC markets itself as the only specialist women’s housing organisation in NSW and solicits donations and fundraising to expand capacity. Referral pathways for people experiencing homelessness are noted (Link2Home), and the site includes an Acknowledgement of Country. For co-living comparisons, WHC’s model combines targeted demographic focus, a range of tenancy types including a named co-living approach, integrated tenant supports and formal tenant engagement — though prospective partners or residents should seek further operational detail on the co-living model and eligibility directly from WHC.