Habitat for Humanity

The Hon. J.S. LEE (14:45): My question is directed to the Minister for Human Services and is about Habitat for Humanity. Can the minister update the chamber about some meaningful projects by Habitat for Humanity?

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (Minister for Human Services) (14:45): I thank the honourable member for her question. Habitat for Humanity many honourable members would be familiar with as an organisation that operates globally and also has some local operations here in South Australia. I was privileged to attend last week a ceremony where they were handing over a house to a family from a disadvantaged background who are taking the keys of ownership, so it was indeed a very happy event for the family and also for the many volunteers who have provided input into that particular property.

Habitat for Humanity has been operating in South Australia since the nineties. My advice is that they housed their first family in Pennington in December 1993, utilising a small team of volunteers. They now have some six staff and they house three families every year, on average. They train a number of at-risk students and disadvantaged youths, provide valuable work experience to unemployed jobseekers and also engage corporate support and community volunteers.

They have, over that time, helped some 200 South Australian families into the security of home ownership or to recover their homes and property after the devastation of fire and flood—they have been active in recent fire events. They have also helped people to repair and maintain properties that have become rundown due to people falling on hard times.

They have three particular programs in South Australia focused in Davoren Park. One is Affordable Homes, which provides safe, affordable homes for low-income South Australian families in need. They have a Habitat Skills Centre, which provides training, as I have mentioned, and another program called Brush with Kindness, which is a helping hand to South Australians experiencing hardship.

These partnerships are particularly focused in the north, where there are high levels of unemployment and disadvantage. I think it is fair to say that, through their work, they are transforming the lives of people who would probably be very unlikely to be able to purchase their own home. They provide them with security and ongoing equity in their homes.

I think it is very impressive that they have a large number of volunteers who contribute to this program. They also have a concept called 'sweat equity', so that the families who obtain the homes also pay it forward, if you like, because they contribute 200 hours of their own effort to assist with the next home. They have to date built or substantially renovated some 32 homes in South Australia, 30 of these in Adelaide's northern suburbs and two in regional areas. So their work is to be commended.

I had the great privilege of meeting the family which has taken ownership of that property, and commend them and their 500-odd volunteers for all of their assistance to people in South Australia.