A real estate office dedicated to transforming lives and promoting social inclusion through community and affordable housing has opened in Noosa.
Purpose Real Estate is Queensland’s first social enterprise real estate agency and has opened an office in Tewantin.
The office, at 97 Poinciana Avenue, is the fourth for the agency that started in 2017.
Led by general manager, Lindell Gittoes, Purpose Real Estate’s unique business model means all profits go towards funding charity projects.
These include the Sunshine Coast’s RISE 2 (Restart In a Safe Environment) – purpose-built homes for women and children survivors of domestic and family violence.
Purpose Real Estate directs all profits back to its parent organisation, Coast2Bay Housing Group, for channelling into projects such as RISE 2 and affordable housing.
The opening of the Tewantin office provides a platform for Coast2Bay Housing Group and Purpose to provide practical solutions to the housing affordability crisis in Noosa for individuals and businesses.
Noosa Council has taken active steps to explore all options for addressing the housing crisis and will be signing a memorandum of understanding with Coast2Bay in the next few weeks to take forward action on addressing housing affordability.
Noosa Mayor Clare Stewart and Member for Noosa, Sandy Bolton, officially opened the new office on Monday, alongside Noosa community and business leaders.
Purpose started off in Nambour five years ago and since then have been working towards opening an office in Noosa, Lindell Gittoes said.
“It feels important to be able to offer opportunities and options for owners and tenants in this part of the coast.
“Affordability is an issue across the Sunshine Coast, so we hope this real estate agency can provide some options.
“All of our team are Noosa locals and we’re excited to offer our outstanding service and local knowledge to current and new clients.”
Purpose chair Gordon Sutherland said the work of the organisation made the community stronger.
“That means all of us can enjoy our lives more, particularly those somewhat disadvantaged in terms of accommodation.”
Purpose chief executive officer Andrew Elvin is looking forward to making a significant contribution to RISE, for women and children impacted by domestic and family violence.
“We will be opening four new properties on the Sunshine Coast next week to take people into a place of safety… it will be a real life-saving initiative.
“These are the kind of things social enterprise can deliver – providing choice and service for those who want to do something different.”
Sandy Bolton said there was a humanitarian crisis within the community that had stretched back over three years.
Her office has worked solidly with Coast2Bay for five years, in particular for share accommodation.
“There are so many people who must be happy to rent out spare rooms but there wasn’t anyone to supervise it,” she said.
Ms Bolton is looking at ways to expand the Queensland Government’s Better Together Housing program, designed by women over 55, tailored to bring women together in a safe and secure way to find shared accommodation.
There is a supply of accommodation, but a portal is needed to connect those that want to rent rooms to those that need them.
“It’s about social conscience,” she said.
“Every single day we can make choices – whether it’s with money or who we hire.”
Mayor Stewart said the Noosa Housing Strategy, adopted last week, was the most progressive and aggressive step the shire had taken at looking at housing affordability, social housing, and worker accommodation.
The strategy sets a clear plan for housing in Noosa Shire through to 2041.
Underpinning the success of the strategy is the need for strong partnerships with the State Government, with community housing providers, private housing developers and with the Noosa community.
Ms Stewart said that if a society was to be judged by how it treats the most vulnerable, there are no more weaker members than our most at risk.
“As Governor-General of Australia David Hurley says, ‘The standard we walk by is the standard we accept.’
“I’m sure your organisation won’t walk by anything less than providing housing solutions to our most vulnerable.”
