Homeless to a home: Chloe’s community housing story

Posted on: 19/09/2025 - 2:35pm

Christmas 2023, 33-year-old Chloe found herself without a place to live. 

She moved between caravan parks, women’s refuges and emergency housing – struggling to find stability. 

“It was rough, I felt like a failure within myself,” she says. 

After a period of transitional housing, in February 2025, everything changed. 

Chloe, an applicant on the Victorian Housing Register, got a message from CatholicCare Housing Victoria inviting her to inspect what would become her new home. 

Chloe cried, overwhelmed with relief that her housing journey was over.

“There’s no fixed term. I can stay here until I am old and wrinkly. Just me, my son and my cat.”  

As she watches her energetic two-year-old, Alexander, run around their new home, Chloe says having safe and secure housing has given her a future to look forward to.  

“You’re not alone,” she said. 

Her advice to others in her position? “Find the right organisations to get the help you need.” 

Simon Newport, Homes Victoria CEO agrees that partnerships with the community housing sector are critical to getting more and better homes for Victorians who need them.  

“Our partnerships are key. We partner with our fantastic sector because of their expertise in providing safe and secure housing helping create communities.” 

“Together, we can get more people, right across the state, into more homes, as quickly as possible.” 

CatholicCare are a registered community housing provider who specialises in working with a diverse range of people in housing need and stress. 

What is community housing?

Community housing organisations are non-for-profit companies that offer secure, long-term housing for people on low-to-moderate incomes. Reinvesting money into building more homes for more people whilst offering tailored support to their residents.

More information

For general enquiries about Homes Victoria projects: