Coming Home, Full Circle

On the hill at Port Kembla sits a heritage-listed pub that's been given a new lease on life as one of Anglicare's social housing sites. A "new lease on life" is also what it offers residents, who were previously at risk of homelessness but will now never pay more than 30% of their income on their safe and permanent housing.

One of the residents, Peter, is a true builder of connection and community. When he's not out in the surf, you'll find him cooking meals for his neighbours in the building, sharing passionately about his faith in Christ and helping with little projects like building garden beds in the shared courtyard. Peter's spirit is infectious, and remarkable, given the twists and turns his life has taken.

With parents unable to raise him, Peter grew up in a children's home run by the local Anglican church. As an adult, he became a successful salesman, building businesses and creating a good life. But when the Global Financial Crisis hit, he went bankrupt, his marriage failed, and he found himself alone. As an adult he'd experienced the radical love of Christ and knew that even through great loss, his true anchor was God's love.

Last year, living in his van, "basically homeless" Peter got a significant call. He gratefully accepted the offer of stable accommodation in community with other men. When he found out it was run by Anglicare, Peter was deeply moved, "When I was 7 years old the Anglicans looked after me. Now, in my 70s, they once again came alongside me at a point of need."