The Honorary Dr Rob Stokes on Housing Hope this Christmas

At the recent gathering of Anglicare's Now & Next Philanthropy Network in the Jubilee Room at NSW Parliament, The Hon Dr Rob Stokes asked a simple question with big stakes: what will we do with what we have been given?

Rob is Anglicare's Group Executive for Housing and a former NSW Minister for Planning, Infrastructure, Education and Cities. He spoke to encourage Millennial and Gen Z leaders to use their talents, resources and time for those who do not have them.

Rob said we are entering change as big as the shift from the Agricultural to the Industrial Age. New tools like AI, alongside rapid tech and city growth, are concentrating wealth and deepening inequality. History shows this often widens the gap between the "haves" and the "have-nots."

He looked to the past for guides. In early-industrial Britain, two well-connected reformers showed how to lead: Adam Smith tied markets to moral responsibility, so prosperity was shared, and William Wilberforce fought slavery and the "reformation of manners" shifting culture toward human dignity over profit. They could have taken easy careers and retired to the countryside, but they chose differently. Rob's point was clear: we are on the brink, and unless people choose courage before profit, rising inequality will push people to the margins.

Above: Dr Rob Stokes (right) speaking with a guest at the Event

With that in mind, Rob turned to housing, a key focus area where Australians are feeling the crunch. Early in his legal career, Rob realised that fighting for the efficient and fair use of land was a real way to change lives. 

Australia can fix this, he argued. Housing challenges are both economic and social. Regulating won't fix them, and simply increasing supply won't either. Rob argues that real solutions require addressing both supply and demand factors, rethinking how we value land, and recognising that sustainable, connected communities can balance environmental beauty with accessible housing.

This is where we come in.

When asked how people can help, Rob was direct: support Anglicare. He noted he backed the vision long before joining the team. Local action changes lives. In his role at Anglicare, Rob is working on a project to purchase a $200,000 site to build 12 transitional homes for families escaping domestic violence. This fits Anglicare's housing vision to grow to 4,000 homes over the next ten years and reflects the call to stewardship in Luke 12:48 (NIV): "From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked."

Home for Christmas is the theme of this newsletter, but it is not just a slogan. For so many families, home is the heart of Christmas, a place of warmth, safety, and belonging. We can make that a reality by housing women and children fleeing violence, helping families catch up on rent, making groceries affordable when budgets are tight, and helping more houses become safe homes.

If you are moved to be part of this work, please consider giving to our Christmas Appeal. Together, we can create a sense of home for more people this Christmas by choosing courage over comfort.

If you would like to be a part of this inspiring network email us: nownext@anglicare.org.au