Junction becomes a major player in providing community housing and services in South Australia
Junction Australia's intregated the impact of its social housing, including largest projects in the Adlaid esuburbs of Tonsely, Oaklands, Prospect and Melrose Park, with other supprt programmes for children, families and youth.
Images courtesy Junction Australia
Junction Australia, started in Adelaide in 1979 as the Teenage Accommodation Service grew by 2024 to be providing housing and support to more than 10,000 South Australians each year with ambitious plans to expand.
The not-profit corporation’s original objective was to assist teenagers in imminent danger of homelessness by taking them in and helping them make positive life choices. The next 26 years growth and an ever-growing role saw it rebranded as Southern Junction Community Services in 2005. The rebranding came with hand with expanding services to include families. In 2013, the Southern Junction Community Services became Junction Australia with a vision to help marginalised groups, including children, families, youth, nationwide transform their lives.
Under the chief executive Graham Brown’s 12 years, Junction became one of the largest providers of community housing and community services in South Australia. Employing close to 400 staff, up from 250 four years previously, Junction in 2024, with chairman Rob DiMonte and chief executive Maria Palumbo, had several social and affordable housing projects being developed, including a $26 million apartments project at the Adelaide southern suburb of Tonsley, supported by a $15.2m grant from the Australian government’s social housing accelerator programme.
Junction also was involved in a venture with Housing Renewal Australia and the Southern Housing Authority for another 700 new homes at a $200m project at nearby Oaklands Park, to become the state’s largest social housing project in decades. Other projects inclduing those at Churchill Road, Prospect, and Melrose Park.
Junction offered a spectrum of integrated support and housing ranges, from high support for children in the care and protection system, to supporting adults and families in tenancies, access affordable housing and achieve home ownership. Its aim of integrated housing for thriving communities also meant locating Junction project close to schools, childcare, shops, transport, and services and adding community gardens and greenspace. Support for parents and families extended through Junction’s community centres in Hackham and Kangaroo Island, offering early intervention programmes and ongoing social connections.
Junction's continued expanding of its services included offering foster care services through the South Australian government child protection department from 2020. Junction also was committed to improving outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Junction was financially support by national, state and local government service contracts, grants and one-off projects; corporate business, the community and individuals. It continued to strengthen its housing portfolio by tendering for the right to manage homes through the state government’s housing trust and Renewal SA plus working with private developers.