Inner West Project

On October 28th the Southern Hemisphere’s largest ‘meanwhile use’ housing initiative opened its doors, made possible through a unique partnership between TOGA Group, Women’s Community Shelters (WCS), Jewish House, Housing All Australians (HAA), FDC Construction & Fitout, and the NSW Government.

The project marks a landmark collaboration between government, business, and community organisations responding to the urgent need for crisis and transitional housing in New South Wales.

TOGA Group provided the 8,000m² Ashfield site, which included a former hospital, two apartment buildings and four houses, under a $1 ‘meanwhile use’ lease agreement while the building awaits redevelopment, which will not begin for another few years.
The project will provide safe accommodation and wraparound support for more than 100 adults and children each night, totalling more than 36,500 bed nights every year.

Together, these partners have transformed vacant, under utilised buildings into a vibrant community precinct that brings stability, dignity, and opportunity to those in need.

Housing All Australians’ & WCS continue their partnership

Housing All Australians’ involvement focused on the Women’s Community Shelters section of the Inner West Project, which provides dedicated housing and wrap around support services designed to assist women, children and transgender people experiencing or escaping domestic and family violence.

Within their portion of the project, WCS is providing accommodation for approximately 50 people each night across 19 apartments for temporary accommodation and 10 apartments for transitional housing. Each apartment is self-contained with its own kitchen, bathroom and laundry facilities, offering families the dignity of privacy and stability during a vulnerable period.

The site also features a Community Support Hub, the first of its kind for WCS, which will include offices and meeting spaces for case management, legal advice, mental health care, and life skills programs. The hub is also open to women in the broader community, creating a safe and inclusive space that extends support beyond immediate residents.

Project Partners 

The Inner West Project brought together a diverse coalition of partners:

Key Partners:

• TOGA Group – provided the land, buildings and long-term redevelopment vision.
• Women’s Community Shelters (WCS) – delivering accommodation and wraparound services for women, children and transgender people.
• Jewish House – providing crisis and transitional accommodation for men, supported by 24/7 care and case management.
• Housing All Australians (HAA) – mobilising pro bono support and resources from the business community to deliver the Women’s Community Shelters portion of the project.
• FDC Construction & Fitout – contributing more than $170,000 in building works, materials, and volunteer hours.
• NSW Government (Homes NSW) – providing key funding and support through the Reforming Temporary Accommodation Grant.

Corporate & Community Contributors:

Temple & Webster, Interface Flooring, Dulux, ING Bank, Mirvac, Charter Hall, ReLove, Flower Power, Fisher & Paykel, Flower Power, Marvel Skip Bins, Mirvac, Target, Kent Removals & Storage, Axium, Evergreen Consultants, Parramatta Cleaning, Campos Coffee, Lendlease, Leftfield Investments, ACN Landcom, and Habitat for Humanity, ACN Landcom, Aspen Interiors, Comlink Solutions, Coors, Cura ability Developments, Dais Private, Evergreen Consultants, Florabel, Gadens, Hall & Willcox, Inclusive Housing Australia, Landcom, RGB 1projects, Stowe Electrical, Sunny Interiors, TFE Hotels, Teco, TMJ Services, Utech Pty Ltd, Vigilanti Architects

Through Housing All Australians’ national network, the business community contributed time, expertise, goods, and services to help deliver this portion of the project. In total, more than $170,000 in materials, labour and volunteer hours were provided pro bono, alongside furnishings and fit-outs from partners including Temple & Webster, Interface Flooring, Dulux, ING Bank, Mirvac, Charter Hall, and many others. 

This collaboration exemplifies the core of Housing All Australians’ mission. Unite private industry partners and compassionate capitalists behind practical, scalable solutions that provide immediate impact for those in crisis. 

For Housing All Australians, the Inner West Project is proof of what’s possible when the private sector takes a leadership role in addressing the housing crisis. 

As our second “meanwhile use” project in New South Wales and our eleventh nationally, the Inner West Project extends Housing All Australians’ legacy of transforming vacant spaces into homes filled with hope, safety, and community.