Anglicare Sydney’s SAHF bid
Sydney’s housing crisis was hitting older Australians hardest.
Anglicare Sydney—one of Australia’s largest and most trusted charities—saw the growing number of over-55s struggling in the private rental market and knew it needed to act. But turning conviction into action required more than good intentions.
To secure $64 million in state funding and deliver 550 new social and affordable homes across the Diocese, Anglicare needed to show that its vision was grounded in evidence, guided by data, and ready to deliver at scale. That meant aligning more than 200 stakeholders, from property to operations, around one clear vision.
Annie helped lay the groundwork—translating complexity into clarity so Anglicare could move decisively. Working alongside internal teams and KPMG, she built the strategic and research foundations that made the bid compelling, tackling three critical challenges:
1. Building clarity.
A dense 30-page briefing was distilled into a single visual narrative—an infographic that gave every stakeholder a clear picture of scope, process, and impact. Within days, more than 200 leaders were aligned and contributing to the project’s design and delivery.
2. Grounding decisions in data.
Through demographic and market research, Annie identified where need was most acute: older Australians renting privately on under $500 a week. Using SEIFA rankings, public-housing waiting lists, and suburb-level rental data, she mapped areas of highest housing stress and opportunity across Greater Sydney.
3. Mobilising around human-centred outcomes.
A site-selection framework was designed by Annie, blending analytical rigour with empathy—assessing each location not only for availability and appropriateness but for how it could foster belonging, access to services, and integrate with Anglicare’s broader mission.
The process also opened wider conversations about asset use and design. Annie’s review of retirement-living pricing and property utilisation informed longer-term strategies for integrating community services and ensuring each development served both sustainability and human flourishing.
The Approach
Outcomes and Impact
$64 million in state funding underpinned by the evidence base and clarity developed through this work.
Organisation-wide alignment achieved, with 200+ stakeholders engaged and informed to contribute their expertise to the project.
A targeted housing strategy shaped, ensuring new developments reached the communities of greatest need in areas strategically aligned with the organisation’s existing assets and services.
Asset strategy strengthened, unlocking clearer pathways to integrate services and improve property utilisation.
This project was about more than a successful bid—it was about enabling a trusted community organisation to respond to one of Sydney’s most urgent social challenges with credibility and compassion.