New house provides a fresh beginning

Moving house can be an opportunity for a fresh start, and that was exactly what Believe Housing Australia tenant Leslie felt when he was supported to relocate to a new house just 750 metres away from his former home.

Leslie had lived in that property for more than 20 years with his father, taking over the tenancy when his father passed away.

Feeling fortunate that his new home was so close, Leslie said it allowed him to maintain relationships with community members while still travelling independently.

“I am lucky that I found another property that was so close to the community and accessible to the bus stop,” Leslie said.

Relocating

Leslie was supported throughout his relocation by our Vacancies and Allocations team, which met with him regularly to best determine what property features, modifications, and property suburbs would make a property fit for purpose for him.

Believe Housing Australia Housing Options and Allocations Officer Erin said conversations with tenants about moving can be difficult, particularly when they have lived in a property long term.

“It was important for me to communicate with him and work at a pace he was comfortable with, and tread with caution that this might upset him,” Erin said.

“Fortunately, he embraced the relocation as a fresh change.

”Erin then identified and showed Leslie a vacant property available within Believe Housing Australia’s housing stock that matched the characteristics he required.

Leslie also said he wanted to use the move as an opportunity to declutter and part with items he no longer needed or wanted.

Believe Housing Australia used a cleaning crew for Leslie’s old property, and he was supported to move his furniture at no cost, while his new property received new flooring and paint before he moved in.

Now settled in, Leslie is getting his hands dirty in the garden, removing overgrown shrubbery in the front yard and replacing it with small, easy-to-maintain plants.

Erin said it was clear to see the positive impact Leslie’s relocation had on him.

“When I saw his body language and the excitement on his face to see his new home, that was so fulfilling for me.

“To watch him continue to establish connections in the community – he is a community man and volunteers at our tenant events, cooking the barbecue.”

Creating more homes through relocation

Relocations are part of Believe Housing Australia’s broader strategy to increase housing supply to address housing insecurity and insufficient social housing.

With AnglicareSA’s Development and Projects team, Believe Housing Australia are evaluating their current housing properties and redeveloping older homes on large blocks (like Leslie’s) into several modern, energy-efficient homes.

With low vacancy rates of Believe Housing Australia properties due to a high demand for social housing, permanent and temporary relocations are crucial for increasing vacancies and ensuring more people are housed on the social housing register.

A dedicated Vacancies and Allocations team, which was established in August 2024, has completed 21 relocations so far in 2025.

Erin said each relocation, whether it was moving a single tenant or a family near or far, was unique and needed to be handled differently to ensure each tenant lived in a house that matched their needs.

“No two relocations are the same, and no two of our properties are the same,” Erin said.

“Relocations can be a great opportunity for tenants to create new contacts, new connections, and a new sense of belonging in the community.”