Champions of social change from across sectors join forces to end homelessness

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A new approach to Collective Social Leadership to solve homelessness is underway. Today, Australian Red Cross, Centre for Social Impact, Mission Australia, and PwC Australia announced they have joined forces under a new collaboration project known as The Constellation Project.

The Constellation Project’s four founding members have come together to discuss how they can shift the dial on the social issue that is defining Australia: the unaffordability of housing, resulting in rapidly rising levels of homelessness.

These founding members are the initial group of organisations involved in this effort, with the project seeking more members, especially from the business sector. Already the founding members have identified actions to increase the number of affordable, accessible, appropriate and secure housing options as well as improving people’s journeys and preventing homelessness before it occurs.

Collaboration is fundamental to The Constellation Project.

James Toomey, CEO of Mission Australia said that the potential of the project was significant. “The Constellation Project aims to work across government, the private sector, and non-profit sector to achieve solutions that will end homelessness in a generation.”

We are really excited to be part of this collaboration because we know that without all of the parties coming to the table to commit to the solutions we can’t begin to solve the problem for the long-term. All the while, the numbers of people who are homeless continues to rise; the most recent census saw a 14% increase to 116,000 Australians with no safe place to call home.

Social Impact lead at PwC Australia, Rosalie Wilkie said that she was excited about the possibilities that lay ahead. “By harnessing our collective intelligence and activating our networks, we will turn information into action and make headway on our ambitious vision to end homelessness in a generation.”

Professor Kristy Muir, CEO of CSI agreed. “It’s CSI’s mission that we create a better world, that we enable lasting social impact on the big social issues that are defining our time. Housing affordability and homelessness are without doubt at the top of that list. We know that people without safe, stable, affordable, and appropriate housing will fare much, much worse, so there is a real urgency to get this right. The Constellation Project is about combining expertise, insights, and power to create meaningful change in this area. I’m thrilled that CSI is a part of it.”

“We are proud to be part of this exciting project. We bring our complementary strengths, expertise and networks to mobilise our efforts to end homelessness.,” said Red Cross Australia CEO Judy Slatyer. “At Australian Red Cross, we bear witness to the impact of homelessness on people, families and communities. By giving voice to people experiencing homelessness, practical solutions will be found.”

The Constellation Project was launched at an event at PwC in Sydney in conjunction with the Centre for Social Impact’s report Amplify Insights: Housing Affordability and Homelessness 2018. The report details the complexity of the current state of housing affordability and homelessness in Australia. It draws on extensive data combined with the experiences of people who have been or are homeless.

In the coming months, The Constellation Project will progress through a series of intensive workshop and planning sessions to create systems level change around the issue of homelessness.

The Constellation Project is actively seeking collaboration partners, and interested organisations are encouraged to get in touch.