The challenge

YWCA Australia is a national Tier 2 Community Housing Provider specialising in gender-responsive housing and services. It provides social and affordable housing, homelessness and domestic and family violence services, alongside programs supporting the leadership and voice of young women.

With an established and growing presence in Queensland, YWCA Australia wanted to strengthen its profile with government and position the organisation as an important contributor to the state’s housing and homelessness agenda.

YWCA Australia engaged the SAS Group to support a strategic approach to government engagement, helping build greater awareness of the organisation’s expertise, regional footprint and evidence-based approach to gender-responsive housing.

The response

The SAS Group worked with YWCA Australia to sharpen its Queensland positioning and build relationships across government, Parliament and the broader housing and community sectors.

This included developing a targeted engagement strategy, identifying opportunities to contribute to emerging policy discussions, strengthening relationships with key decisionmakers and advising on the political and policy environment.

A central focus was ensuring YWCA Australia’s engagement demonstrated both its practical experience delivering housing and services and its capacity to contribute evidence and solutions to broader housing and homelessness reform.

The SAS Group also supported YWCA Australia to bring its research and policy expertise directly into the Queensland policy conversation, including through the launch of Housing That Pays Back at Queensland Parliament House.

The outcome

YWCA Australia has strengthened its visibility and engagement across Queensland Government and the broader housing sector, creating a stronger platform for ongoing policy influence and organisational growth.

The launch of Housing That Pays Back, research produced by YWCA Australia and the Per Capita Centre for Equitable Housing, brought together Ministers, parliamentarians, sector leaders and academics at Queensland Parliament House.

The Queensland Minister for Housing formally launched the research, providing an important platform for YWCA Australia to demonstrate the economic and social value of investing in gender-responsive social housing.

The engagement has helped establish stronger relationships and greater recognition of YWCA Australia’s Queensland presence, while creating further opportunities for the organisation to contribute its expertise to government and sector discussions about housing and homelessness.

What they said

“The SAS Group has helped YWCA Australia strengthen our profile and engagement in Queensland, connecting our housing expertise, evidence and on-the-ground experience with the policy priorities facing government.

Their understanding of the political and policy environment has helped us identify where YWCA Australia can make a meaningful contribution and build relationships with the people shaping Queensland’s housing future.

The launch of our Housing That Pays Back research at Parliament House was an important opportunity to bring that evidence directly to government and the sector. The Minister for Housing’s involvement elevated both the research and the broader conversation about the value of investing in gender-responsive social housing. Importantly, the Minister also used the occasion to announce new funding for YWCA Australia’s housing delivery in Queensland, demonstrating the strength of the relationship between policy, evidence and practical investment in new homes.

Our work with the SAS Group continues as we strengthen YWCA Australia’s presence, relationships and contribution in Queensland.”

Kate Whittle
Executive GM, Advocacy & External Affairs
YWCA Australia