South Australia (SA) is experiencing rising levels of housing stress, poverty and homelessness, driven by a combination of low incomes, rapidly increasing rental costs, limited housing supply, falling provision of social housing and under-resourced support systems. This briefing paper provides a high-level overview of the current housing and homelessness landscape in South Australia, identifies key cohorts and regions most affected, and outlines opportunities for targeted, high-impact philanthropic investment.

The Wyatt Trust (Wyatt) is a South Australian Public Benevolent Institution. Wyatt currently delivers a housing program that partners with specialist homelessness services, who distribute brokerage funds as part of a broader suite of support for individuals and families experiencing or at risk of homelessness. The purpose of the paper is to refine next steps in the Wyatt’s granting decisions. The paper's objectives are to: 

• understand the local, state, and federal policy settings influencing the housing, homelessness, and welfare systems in SA
• explore how philanthropic trusts currently support – and can enhance – government investment in housing and homelessness services
• identify funding gaps or opportunities within the philanthropic and social impact ecosystem
• inform Wyatt’s advocacy efforts and coalition-building with partners
• investigate alternative ways for Wyatt to invest in housing security and strengthen people’s agency and long-term capacity
• guide future housing program design and broader funding priorities for the Trust.

The paper identifies a range of potential areas for further investigation or prioritisation, with recommendations designed to reflect the unique role of philanthropy in intervening in housing stress and poverty in South Australia. It finds that philanthropy can function as a catalyst to unlock further funding and buy-in from other sectors. Philanthropy also has a role in supporting the creation of new products or programs.

Key recommendations

• Fund or co-fund strategic staff roles and support services
• Strengthen existing partnerships or catalyse new ones
• Support high-need cohorts and geographies
• Prioritise prevention over crisis response
• Seed or scale innovative models
• Fund flexible brokerage models.