All the latest news from Women's Property Initiatives
WPI Update September 2025
Welcome to the latest update from WPI. We recently shared with you the exciting news that we exceeded the 25 homes by 2025 target set on our 25th anniversary. With your support, we funded 30 homes, giving 30 more women and their children a safe place to call home.
In this update we share news about some of the beautiful homes included in the '30'. Many are nearing completion and the remaining homes within the 30 will be completed in 2026.
This achievement was in no small part due to the outstanding success of WPI's Giving Day and the TEN Women Gala, for which we were the charity partner. A heart felt thank you to everyone who supported these events.
We are always inspired by the courage and tenacity of the women who live in WPI homes. In this edition you can read about Melynda, who was recently recognised for her care for others through the WPI Good Neighbour Award. Our work is always focused on helping our renters to live happier, healthier lives and creating opportunities for even more women. Melynda’s story shows that when women have a safe and affordable home to care for themselves, they often assist those around them.
The housing crisis is a gendered crisis and women and children are at the centre of it. WPI currently owns 125 homes and delivers tenancy management services for an additional 166 homes for other owners. We are very excited that in the next few months, 14 new homes in the pipeline will be completed and 14 more women and their children will have a safe and secure home. We are also working hard on new pipeline projects. Our focus remains firmly on partnering and collaborating to deliver more homes for women.
Thank you for your continued support of WPI and for your commitment to improving the lives of vulnerable women and their families.
Warm Regards
Roberta Buchanan
CEO, Women's Property Initiatives
Giving Day 2025
Our Giving Day, held on 12 June, was a resounding success raising over $700k in just over 12 hours. We could not be more grateful to our donors, matching partners, corporate teams and media partners for encouraging such an incredible show of generosity.
Special thank you to our generous Matching Partners, Equality Media + Marketing, Hupert Family Foundation, the Wood Foundation, Munro Partners, Bild Group, Beveridge Williams and Woodbridge Capital for making this day such an outstanding success.
Thanks to the awesome fundraising teams that encouraged their networks to give, Piccolo, Equality Media + Marketing, Mirvac, SW Accountants and Advisors, Hansen Partnership and Woodbridge Capital.
And what can we say to the amazing team at Equality Media + Marketing for funding our bonus round and helping us achieve our most successful fundraising campaign ever! You are the best.
Mornington Peninsula Project
We are thrilled to share that we have endorsed Condition 1 plans, engineering drawings and landscaping designs well underway for our Mornington Peninsula Project which will deliver safe and secure housing for seven local women and their children.
We are expecting to appoint a builder imminently, to design and construct the homes via modular construction methodology – with the benefit of a rapid program to completion and high quality finish.
The homes will be delivered in partnership with Mornington Peninsula Shire Council, and have been made possible with generous donations from TEN Women and their networks, Homes for Homes and the Danks Trust, the Jack and Ethel Goldin Foundation and Arden Homes. This project is funded by Homes Victoria under the Big Housing Build and Regional Housing Fund.
We are grateful for our land and ground lease partner, Mornington Peninsula Shire Council, and applaud their commitment to substantially increasing the supply of social housing in the Shire.
TEN Women Gala Fundraiser
In May we were very fortunate to be the charity partner for the TEN Women Gala Fundraising Lunch, held at the beautiful Melbourne Town Hall. This spectacular event was attended by 630 people from across the property, construction and associated industries. It was TEN Women’s third Gala, and also celebrated 10 years of TEN!
We would like to thank TEN Women and their networks for their amazing support and to all of the generous sponsors, donors and volunteers who contributed to the Gala.
The property and construction industry turned out in force for this event to support women’s housing, with almost $600,000 raised. These funds will support WPI’s new seven home development on the Mornington Peninsula.
Some of our 30 New Homes
In past editions of the newsletter we have shared the delivery of new homes on the Mornington Peninsula, in North Eastern Victorian and in Melbourne's south eastern suburbs which are included in our 30 new homes count. In addition to the seven new Mornington Peninsula homes mentioned in the story above, we are excitedly awaiting the delivery of these new homes in projects that are in advanced stages of construction.
Nightingale Coburg
The finishing touches are being put on Nightingale Umarkoo Wayi where WPI will have three apartments for women. Due for completion in October.
Revitalisation in Melbourne’s North
Rapid progress on our redevelopment in Melbourne’s north with two new homes due for completion in September.
Daylesford
Charging ahead at the Eco VIllage in Daylesford where we will open the doors to four new one bedroom homes for older women. Due for completion in December.
Ballarat
Five beautiful homes will soon be available for women at this centrally located and thoughtfully designed development in Ballarat.
Good Neighbour Award
Last month we presented one of our renters, Melynda, with a Good Neighbour Award after she was nominated by her neighbours because of the effort she makes to check in on them and bring her community together.
Melynda often organises and hosts social events and invites her neighbours to art events in the wider community. She even provided vital assistance
when one of her neighbours experienced a health emergency.
Thank you Melynda for being a wonderful neighbour. Here Melynda is pictured with some of the neighbours who nominated her for the award.
Spotlight on Community Fundraising
Community fundraisers are extremely important to WPI. We receive invaluable support from members of our committed and generous community.
We've had some shining examples of this recently with organisations raising funds and awareness of our cause through their activities and events.
SmedTech recently donated $100 for every attendee at their recent client event raising more than $5000 for WPI.
Andrew Walter and the team from A22a Architects threw their support behind WPI in running the Sydney Marathon raising more than $3,000 to support our work to deliver homes for vulnerable women and their families.
Aspect Personnel made us their Charity Partner, donating the proceeds from their PACE Report and raising more that $5000 to support WPI's work.
These contributions and the attention they receive make a huge difference to our organisation. Thank you to everyone involved. Reach out if you'd like to fundraise for WPI. We'd love to hear from you.
