Affordable Housing Peer Network

Women housing experts speak about the lack of affordable housing in Australia 

Housing continues to be unaffordable for a vast majority of Australians. Women are greatly affected by the shortage of affordable housing due to cultural and structural trends making them more financially vulnerable. This includes the gender pay gap, as well as the time taken out of a women’s careers due to caring responsibilities. Family violence is the main reason why people, mainly women and children, seek assistance for homelessness. A woman’s ability to maintain housing when escaping family violence is linked to her access to financial and social resources.   

Hear from women experts working on solutions to a lack of affordable housing. They will provide their comment on the unique characteristics affecting women’s homelessness and housing. They will also present their solutions, including whether current government policies are working and what needs to change.  

Participants will understand how to apply a gender lens to the critical issues that are the lack of affordable housing. You will also recognise that women have the power to create quality housing for future generations. Participants are encouraged to send in their burning questions beforehand. 


This event is for Philanthropy Australia Impact, Engaged, Active and New Gen members only.

Guest Speakers

Rachel Ong ViforJ, Professor of Economics, Curtin University 

Rachel Ong ViforJ is currently an Australian Research Council Future Fellow and Professor at the School of Accounting, Economics and Finance, Curtin University. She is also a member of the interim National Housing Supply and Affordability Council. Rachel's research interests include the role of housing in Australia’s ageing population, intergenerational housing concerns, housing affordability dynamics, and the links between housing and wellbeing. 

Angela Jackson, Lead Economist, Impact Economics and Policy 

Dr Angela Jackson is an economist with expertise across health, disability, labour markets, housing, inequality, gender and government fiscal policy. Angela has authored a number of high profile reports on health, aged care, disability, housing and gender policy. 

Hanna Ebeling, CEO, SEFA

From traditional banking with HSBC to impact investment in the Philippines, Hanna brings a global practice lens to Sefa as Chief Executive Officer. She is on the board of disability service provider Woodville Alliance and social enterprise Vanguard Laundry, and as a member of government and sector reference groups contributes to improving collaboration between government, private sector and philanthropy. 

Emma Dawson, CEO, Per Capita 

She has worked as a researcher at Monash University and the University of Melbourne; in policy and public affairs for SBS and Telstra; and as a senior policy adviser in the Rudd and Gillard Governments 

This Peer Network will be moderated by the Philanthropy Australia Chair of the Affordable Housing Funders Peer Network; Erin Dolan, Senior Program Manager, Homelessness and Affordable Housing at Lord Mayor's Charitable Foundation. 

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