Finding stability, purpose and connection through housing and opportunity

Iris’s life has been a continual expression of creativity. Her working life has reflected this, with experience spanning fashion, customer service and communications. She knows fabrics, colour and styling in a way that comes from both professional exposure and genuine passion, and she has always found her strength in working directly with others. She is a devoted mother and steady presence in her community. As well as a tenant of Women’s Housing Company.

But her path to this point has not been straightforward. After being approved for social housing and placed on the 10-year waiting list, Iris stepped into an extended period of caring for her husband as his health declined. In late 2024, he suffered a stroke and was later diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, PTSD and vascular dementia, eventually requiring full-time residential care.

At the same time, housing pressure escalated sharply.

“This was an exceptionally difficult time for my family, my husband and me. My rent increased to $750 per week for a one-bedroom apartment. I was moments from sleeping in my friends sewing room or my car,” says Iris.

Securing a home in Inner South Sydney through Women’s Housing Company became more than a practical shift. It was a turning point that made it possible to start thinking about her future again.

“Even better is that my daughter and her family live just around the corner,” adds Iris.

With that stability in place, Iris began to reconnect with work, identity and possibility through Purposeful Pathways, an employment, education and volunteering program supporting women to rebuild confidence.

Engaging deeply in resume development and positive psychology, she opened herself to volunteering opportunities that felt aligned with her interests and experience.

“The last seven years have been really destabilising,” she says. “I wanted to engage in the Purposeful Pathways program because it offered positive developmental experiences. In the past few weeks have I felt a sense of stability and I’m beginning to formulate what is important to me now.”

Through employer partnerships, Iris has stepped into a volunteer role in the fashion sector and is also contributing to the Committee for the Ageing. Both roles are helping her rebuild rhythm and connection in everyday life, one step at a time.

Looking ahead, Iris is focused on rebuilding the parts of life that matter most to her: being close to family, reconnecting with friends, meeting new people and becoming more involved in her community. She is excited to keep volunteering, spend time learning in the community gardens and explore new opportunities that bring connection and purpose. As Iris puts it, she is “coming out of hibernation” and looking forward to the next chapter.

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