Housing and Tenancy Worker - Looking Ahead

Full-Time | SCHADS Level 5 | ADO Eligible| Melbourne Head Office and outreach across Western, Inner Eastern and Southern Melbourne

Walk alongside victim survivors from crisis to recovery, safe housing, and independence.

Are you an experienced housing case manager who is passionate about providing client-led, trauma-informed support that continues beyond the immediate crisis?

Refuge Victoria is seeking a Housing and Tenancy Worker to join our new Looking Ahead Program, an integrated housing and recovery initiative supporting victim survivors from crisis accommodation into safe, sustainable housing and longer-term recovery.

This is a rare opportunity to work alongside victim survivors over time, supporting them to strengthen safety, housing stability, wellbeing, confidence and connection through an 18–24-month recovery journey.

About Refuge Victoria

Refuge Victoria is an independent not-for-profit specialist family violence organisation and one of Victoria’s largest providers of specialist family violence refuge accommodation.

We support people experiencing serious risk from family violence through refuge and crisis accommodation, safety planning, specialist case management and assistance to build safer and more independent lives.

Our vision is for people escaping family violence to live safe and free. Our work is guided by our values of beingCompassionate, Empowering, Team-oriented, Committed and acting with Integrity.

About the Looking Ahead Program

Looking Ahead is Refuge Victoria’s new integrated rapid housing and recovery initiative.





Support begins while victim survivors are residing in specialist family violence crisis accommodation and continues as they transition into longer-term housing, with graduated outreach support provided over 18–24 months.

The program prioritises victim survivors experiencing repeated crisis presentations and complex barriers to housing, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander victim survivors, culturally and linguistically diverse communities, people living with disability, temporary visa holders and LGBTIQA+ people.

Looking Ahead is grounded in three principles:

- Safety remains paramount throughout recovery.
- Housing is the foundation for recovery, not the end goal.
- Recovery is client-led and recognises each person’s strengths, goals and aspirations.

Case management is guided by the Empowerment Star, supporting collaborative goal setting, client-led Action Plans, regular review and meaningful outcomes measurement.

About the role

The Housing and Tenancy Worker supports case managers to provide specialist housing access and tenancy support within the Looking Ahead Program. The role engages with housing pathway work while clients are in crisis accommodation and continues alongside the broader recovery response as clients move into and sustain long-term housing.

Working alongside with the allocated Practitioner,



the role supports the practitioners and clients to identify safe and affordable housing options, prepare and progress housing applications, engage with housing providers and the private rental market, understand tenancy rights and responsibilities, build financial and tenancy capability, establish a home and respond early to tenancy risks. The role also coordinates housing-related brokerage and security measures within delegations and program guidelines.

The Housing and Tenancy Worker contributes specialist housing expertise to client-led Action Plans to support the allocated Practitioner as the primary case manager.

You will:

- Provide practical tenancy coaching and ongoing support to help clients build the skills, financial capability and confidence to establish and sustain safe, stable housing. Proactively addressing tenancy risks and connecting clients with specialist support where required.
- Work together with allocated practitioners to ensure housing and tenancy decisions reflect current family violence risk and safety planning, identifying and responding to housing related safety concerns and coordinating appropriate property security measures.
- Support clients to understand and plan for housing related costs, access eligible brokerage, material aid and financial supports and coordinate approved purchasing, payments and practical move-in arrangements. Build clients financial capability and independence while identifying and responding to housing affordability or financial stress concerns.
- Promote client voice and self-determination through culturally safe, accessible and respectful housing support that responds to individual needs and barriers.

📌 Housing and Tenancy Worker (Australia)
🏢 Refuge Victoria
📍 Australia