Under one roof: Unity Housing merger opens door for new disability program

Unity Housing and YourPlace Housing will unite under the Unity Housing name, expanding its  impact as South Australia’s largest not-for-profit community housing provider to support more than 6,500 people from June 1. 

The merger will see the establishment of a dedicated specialist disability housing program providing more housing choice and tailored support for South Australians living with disabilities and will increase Unity Housing’s footprint to 3700 homes across the state. 

Former YourPlace tenants, along with almost all employees who elected to transfer, have now moved across to Unity Housing. 

Outgoing Unity Housing CEO Matthew Woodward said combining the resources and expertise of Unity and YourPlace would provide greater benefits for tenants. 

“The merger will enable us to deliver more housing choice, tailored support and better long term outcomes for tenants living with disability, backed by the scale, expertise and capacity of a larger organisation,” he said. 

“It also ensures continuity for tenants, building on the organisation’s strong existing culture while strengthening services through experienced leadership and specialist sector expertise.” 

Geoff Slack, who has led YourPlace Housing for the past five years and will take on the role of Interim CEO following Mr Woodward’s retirement, said the merger was a practical and forward looking step to strengthen services and build long term sustainability. 

"Both organisations bring deep expertise and a strong commitment to tenants and communities,” Mr Slack said. “By combining those strengths, we are better placed to respond to the significant housing challenges facing South Australia." 

Mr Woodward will retire in July after leading the organisation since its establishment in 2008, overseeing its focused growth which has delivered safe and affordable housing for high-need tenants - an increasingly urgent need in recent years. 

Mr Slack has more than 20 years housing and homelessness experience across government, non-government and corporate sectors, working across operational, strategic and executive roles. As Director of peak-body Australian Community Housing, he has built a strong reputation for values-based, authentic leadership and practical collaboration across the sector. 

A handover period has commenced to ensure a smooth leadership transition.