About us

Our Mission

Looking out for our local community

As of October 2020, two thousand people were suffering from various degrees of homelessness on the Mornington Peninsula. Peninsula Community Housing finds this statistic to be unacceptable, so we are stepping forward to help our community address this growing problem.

Our Vision

Everyone deserves a place to call home.

To provide and fund community based housing for those who need it most.

Our Aims

To help those who are homeless or vulnerable to homelessness.

To build various types of affordable housing for  disabled and the financially disadvantaged members of our community.

To provide shared rental housing for those who cannot access the private rental market.

To construct transitional accommodation to assist the chronically homeless in re-establishing themselves into a secure home and at their pace.

We seek to construct all levels of disability housing to provide supported accommodation to those who seek inclusion back into our community.

To help those who are homeless or vulnerable to homelessness to get back on their feet with safe, secure, affordable and permanent accommodation.

To offer affordable rent-to-buy options for those who one day want to own their own home.

Our Purpose

To deliver affordable housing for those most in need. Our aim is to assist the disadvantaged and fund affordable housing, because everyone deserves a home.

Assisting those who are in vulnerable circumstances or homeless

Find suitable and affordable housing for those in our community who are disabled, vulnerable or homeless.

Funding

Help fund, design, construct and manage various levels of disability, social and affordable housing.

Home Ownership

We also aim to assist any of our tenants who would like to consider a longer term transition from renting their accommodation, to owning it.

Our People

Russell Joseph

President: Russell, a Dromana local, has worked in construction all his working life and currently operates his own business as a construction manager. After a brief period working with government, Russell saw first hand the growing need in our community for affordable housing for our most vulnerable community members. He identified the need for an alternative funding model for affordable housing, a model which would be sustainable, ongoing and locally managed. This was the start of the vision for Peninsula Community Housing – for our own community to fund and build the accommodation we so desperately need.

Pauline Musgrave

Secretary: Pauline, a McCrae local, has a background in teaching and spent many years as a school principal in the specialist school sector. Pauline has remained a determined advocate for the rights and needs of those with a disability, both from first hand experience in her own family, and also on behalf of the broader community. Pauline has held many board positions over the years in a range of organisations representing those with a disability. 

Ken Northwood

Ken is a retired Solicitor and retired Senior Army Officer. After leaving the Australian Regular Army Ken served for three years as a Member of the Refugee Review Tribunal. A member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors he is currently Vice President of the St Vincent de Paul Society (Victoria) and a member of the Board of Directors of St Vincent de Paul Victoria.

Ken is a long standing servant in our community with affiliations with local churches and charities, in particular, as long standing President of The Southern Peninsula Food For All Inc.

Committee Members:

Wayne Iremonger

Community Housing Advocate, Tiny Homes NZ. Wayne has lived experience with homelessness and has been a fierce advocate for those whose only option is to live in caravan parks, a local option increasingly difficult to maintain as property values make these sites prone to sale and development.

James Hazelwood

Director Hazelwood Homes, Philanthropist

Hazelwood Homes is a small business committed to doing its part to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable whilst delivering visually pleasing projects for clients. Spearheading the organisation is James Hazelwood, a second generation builder. A visionary individual, James identified an opportunity to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals in 2020 and since that time has deployed resources to:

  • support Peninsula Community Housing to work towards its mission of providing safe and affordable housing for people on the Mornington Peninsula;
  • understand sustainable and resilient buildings; and reduce building waste to landfill.

James is a local to the Mornington Peninsula area and in his spare time enjoys live music, surfing and taking his Border Collie Marty to the local beaches.

Ian Story

Ian brings a wealth of practical and professional experience to the board via his Diploma of Production Engineering, and Certificate of Business Studies.

Ian is a Fellow, Institute of Public Accountants (retired) and has been employed by Victoria Police, Sharebrokers and the banking sector for many years both for local and international banks.

Ian has been actively involved in many community organisations locally since retirement in a range of consulting roles including being a Habitat For Humanity committee member.

Ray Holt

Philanthropist, Specialist Disability Accommodation provider and Property developer for over 20 years.

Ray is a former Policeman (22.5 years) and has developed over 120 projects including 5 Specialist Disability Accommodation dwellings in Rosebud with a further 5 sites with planning approval queud for future development in the Rosebud and Capel Sound area.

Graham Musgrave

Graham comes from a Design Engineering background. He has worked across a variety of fields including housing. Grahams’ interest in working for Peninsula Community Housing arises from his background along with his desire to support his wife Pauline as she continues her fight for the rights of people with a disability and/or special needs.

Loretta Buckley

Manager, Salvocare Rosebud who brings a wealth of real world ‘coal-face’ experience to our team in the homelessness sector.

Loretta is a passionate and engaged advocate for those in our community who need assistance and has been an invaluable member of our committee.

Simon Brooks

Simon Brooks is a tiny home builder, architect and former Councillor with over 35 years experience in residential construction and design delivering a wide variety of residential housing including lower budget projects.

Simon has a Bachelor of Design (Arch) and is experienced in working with both private and public professionals to deliver these projects for clients.

He brings a particular interest in strategic planning at a place-based level where this approach provides the best outcomes in building a cohesive and resilient community.

As a councillor chairing the Mornington Peninsula Shire’s Triple A Housing Committee, he has also gained an insight into the challenges we are facing in terms of housing affordability and homelessness.