The variety and intellectual challenges I encounter daily is one of the things I love about working at Housing Hub. 

I originally started my career in publishing, then moved across to the education sector working for a for-purpose education technology company. Being a 'for-purpose enthusiast' and having lived experience as a carer eventually led me to Housing Hub. 

Rachel Elliott

Project Coordinator, Housing Hub

Project Coordinator

I love how pioneering and progressive we are as an organisation and how adaptable we are in order to truly work with purpose, never forgetting our 'why'.  I love how we all respect and admire each other and how much everyone is valued on the team. 

I have worked in Aged Care and Disability since I was 16 years old.  From front line services to HR and Training and Management, I have loved working in the sector but found it challenging where an organisation's values didn't align with my own. On emigrating from the UK to Australia, I spent time trying to find an organisation with a mission and purpose that resonated with me and then  came across Housing Hub.  For the first time ever in 30 years, I’ve found a company true to its word and that lives by its principles.

Emma

People and Operations Lead, Housing Hub

People and Operations Lead

Emma Newby

I enjoy being able to resolve user queries/requests on Salesforce and make the platform usable, useful and efficient to the team. 

I have been working on the Salesforce platform since last five years. I was passionate about working for a non-profit organisation on this platform and that's what led me to the current role at Summer Foundation and it has been a fulfilling and rewarding journey for me.

Hitesh image

Salesforce CRM Lead, Housing Hub

Salesforce CRM Lead

Hitesh Sharma

The favourite aspect of my role is being able to contribute to the wider mission of assisting people with disability to move into better living arrangements. 

Throughout my university study, I was heavily involved with disability advocacy and using my lived experience of disability to assist others. I was (and still am) the Managing Director of the Youth Disability Advocacy Network, on a volunteer basis. I first joined the Housing Hub as a casual staff member within the Lived Experience Team, before moving into my Lead position. 

Rebecca Evans

Lived Experience Team Lead, Housing Hub

Lived Experience Team Lead

My role offers the ability to investigate the data and see if there are any further insights that can be understood for the betterment of the business. 

I have previously worked in commercial sectors under various operational roles. I acquired the interest to work within the business team as an analyst which helps me to contribute the uplift to business decisions and strategies. Working for a company that serves the community is the best value I can carry in my career.

Bharath Ramanthan

Business Analyst, Housing Hub

Business Analyst

Bharath Ramanathan

I love facilitating webinars and being able to share my experiences of my own housing journey with those that are just starting theirs. In my role as a Lived Experience Facilitator, I bring my experience of navigating my own housing journey, which sees me now living in an SDA apartment. 

I also have a Bachelor of Commerce from Deakin University. I am passionate about people with disability having a voice and a say in their own housing journey, which will lead them to have the best support, choice and flexibility in how they live.

 Belinda Aitken

Lived Experience Facilitator, Housing Hub

Lived Experience Facilitator

I love being part of a team where every person in every role is helping to drive sector change and to help people with disability to find the way to lead an ordinary life. My role encompasses mentoring staff to develop their skills and this is personally satisfying.

I have worked mainly in advertising and design agencies my career, specialising in digital project management and team building. Whilst I have been fortunate enough to work on lots of great digital projects during this time, including many in the property and aged care sectors, I felt I had come to point in my life where I wanted to apply this experience to a social enterprise that I can truly be proud to be part of.

Alex Goddard

Digital Product Lead, Housing Hub

Digital Product Lead

I’ve loved working with passionate people and making a small contribution towards helping others lead a better way of life here at Housing Hub. My career has always been customer focused.  I thoroughly enjoy building strong business relationships and feel aligned to this in my current role.  Helping others to achieve a desired outcome is very rewarding at the end of each day. 

Rachel Murray

Customer Solutions Coordinator, Housing Hub

Customer Solutions Coordinator

I love helping the community in their journey to find the right home as per their needs with the Housing Hub team. I'm a web developer with in-depth experience in UI/UX design. In a nutshell, I create websites that help organisations address business challenges and meet their needs. I manage everything from website navigation and layout to a company's web hosting and security architecture. I’m a lifelong learner and love to read. 

Saliha Naveed

Web Developer, Housing Hub

Web Developer

I’m super grateful to be in an organisation that is people-centric and focused on benefitting people with disability and their ability to live independently. Housing Hub is a really great team to work with as well.

I have a background in both the non-profit and digital marketing sectors, so this role was a perfect fit. Using my personal lived experience with disability as well as acquired skills in digital is a huge opportunity that I never want to take for granted!


Sam Manring

Digital Product Coordinator, Housing Hub

Digital Product Coordinator

I love being able to daily share My SDA Journey with other NDIS participants, assisting them to receive the appropriate housing funding to suit their needs and goals. 

Working with people with disabilities has always been my passion and I was seeking independence which led me to apply for the role. I previously held roles in the disability sector in Queensland that have helped me to understand the needs of other people with disabilities.

Brendon Woolf

I really enjoy working with our customers (SDA providers) and seeing fantastic housing outcomes for people with disability. 

After studying Social Work, I worked as an inpatient hospital social worker for 8 years. I worked in various hospitals across Sydney including Hornsby Hospital, Ryde Hospital and Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. I was looking for a change and applied for a role at the Summer Foundation in the Tenancy Matching Service. I've now been here for over 3 years and in that time held different positions including Reporting Coordinator, Reporting Lead and Tenancy Matching Service Lead. 

Melissa Efstathiou

Tenancy Matching Service Lead, Housing Hub

Tenancy Matching Service Lead

Melissa Efstathious

I enjoy working in an organisation which is nimble and pioneering and love working with people who have similar values as they do at Housing Hub. 

I worked as a hospital social worker for 15 years before joining the Summer Foundation. There I worked to build the capacity of health and aged care services as well as working directly with young people living in aged care to assist them to gain access to the NDIS. Within Housing Hub, I manage a team of people who seek to generate interest in SDA properties and provide information and support to potential tenants and their supporters as they embark on their housing journey.


Joanna Stewart

Housing Engagement Lead, Housing Hub

Housing Engagement Lead

I enjoy how collaboratively all the teams work together. It also feels as though everyone understands how their own roles contribute to the big picture objectives of the organisation. 

I started my career working in an agency that ran fundraising campaigns for national and international not-for-profit organisations. Other experiences including Business Development Manager with an organisation that provided support services to those living with Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus helped prepare me for my current role in Housing Hub.


Blair Johnston

Marketing and Communications Lead, Housing Hub

Marketing and Communications Lead

My favourite part of my role is working towards accessible and safe long term housing options for people with disability. 

My background is in development and more recently disability and I have a passion for social impact and working towards positive and equitable outcomes for people. I have a wealth of experience in engagement and project and program coordination and was so excited about the opportunity to put that to good use at Housing Hub.


Kerrie Lord

Applications and Reporting Lead, Housing Hub

Applications and Reporting Lead

I love working with the whole team on a variety of events to help educate the sector on suitable housing options for people with disability! 

I started my career in Journalism, before switching to Marketing and Events for an aged care provider. I love working with people to put on great and memorable events. I knew I wanted to work somewhere that was focussed on positive change - so when the role at the Housing Hub was advertised, I knew it would be a perfect fit. 

Natalie Koufos

National Events Coordinator, Housing Hub

National Events Coordinator

I love working directly with people with disability and their families and feel really fortunate to hear first-hand how meaningful our work is. 

Before moving into my current role, I was the Housing Hub’s Communications Lead, and prior to that worked as the Summer Foundation’s Communications Strategist. Before starting with the Summer Foundation in 2017, I worked in a communications consulting practice, managing the strategic and creative aspects of the business. I’ve also worked in local and state governments, at an international publishing house and in the corporate sector.

Vince Patton

Housing Outcomes Facilitator, Housing Hub

Housing Outcomes Facilitator

I love producing engaging and valuable content that builds awareness of Housing Hub's services and the range of accessible housing options available. 

I previously worked at Cancer Council Victoria where I implemented digital fundraising strategies across a portfolio of campaigns. Working in the not-for-profit sector affirmed my aspiration to continue working for organisations that advocate for social change. This led me to discovering the Housing Hub, a company with a clear vision that aligns with my values.

Sarah O’Neill

Communications Coordinator, Housing Hub

Communications Coordinator

I feel privileged in this role everyday to be able to empower people with knowledge that enables them to make informed choices about where they live and who they live with. Especially when people often don’t know about other options that may be available to them. 

After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts, I started my career within the disability sector and have continued to work in this space ever since. Over the last 5 years, my roles have ranged from working as a Local Area Coordinator with the NDIA, Engagement Coordinator with the Housing Hub and more recently Residential Aged Care Coordinator. 

Sinead McKee

Residential Aged Care (RAC) Service Coordinator, Housing Hub

Residential Aged Care (RAC) Service Coordinator

I love witnessing the growth of increasing accessible housing options for people with disability and supporting all users of the Housing Hub. 

I joined the Summer Foundation in 2011. I was drawn to work there as they were at the time the only organisation with clear vision and leadership in creating alternate housing options for young people with disability stuck living in nursing homes. When Housing Hub was founded it was a perfect match for my engagement skills and my ongoing passion for all things housing. 

Olga Elia 

National Engagement Coordinator, Housing Hub

National Engagement Coordinator

Olga Elia

Assisting people with disability to determine their best housing outcome, and making it happen!

I completed a Bachelor of Psychological Science at La Trobe University and began providing behaviour therapy to children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. I then became the Program Coordinator where I managed a team of therapists and liaised with parents and support teams for the children. I then started as a Housing Options Facilitator at Housing Hub, where I ran our SDA Advice Line, in which the range of complex enquiries prepared me for my current role as Specialist Support Coordinator.


Jesse Camilleri

Specialist Support Coordinator, Housing Hub

Specialist Support Coordinator

I really enjoy the variety of work at the Housing Hub and have gained a huge amount of valued experience in a short time here as I am constantly working on and learning new things. The constant support and encouragement from my peers are also a huge benefit for me. My partner loves that I am now happy at work again. 

I had been working as a graphic Designer, 'freelance' and 'in-house' for around three years after I graduated from the University of Canberra. I gained a lot of valuable experience during that time, however, I started to feel that my work had reached its peak where I was and that I needed to move on to something bigger. Coincidentally it was around this time that the team reached out to me about a potential role at Summer Foundation. I researched the Summer Foundation that night and found that the mission was incredible, and it hit really close to home with me. It was the next career step that I was looking for, as well as the opportunity to join something amazing.

Daniel Longworth

Digital Marketing Designer, Housing Hub

Digital Marketing Designer

My favourite part of my role is assisting people to move into housing that they love, that also meets their support needs. 

I began working in the disability sector in 2013 as a support worker, then moved to Mongolia in 2016 and worked for the Mongolian National Federation of the Blind (through an Australian volunteer program). When I returned to Australia, the NDIS had begun to roll out. I worked for a Local Area Coordination organisation in multiple roles before transitioning to my current role at Housing Hub.
Before joining the Summer Foundation in 2020, Teigen was involved in the rollout of the NDIS as a Senior Local Area Coordinator in inner east Melbourne.

Teigen Bywater

Reporting Coordinator, Housing Hub

Reporting Coordinator

Seeing the looks on applicants' faces during a tour at the possibility that the apartment they are in could be theirs is my favourite part of my role. 

I started my working life as a case manager with UnitingCare Disability, supporting people to link with services. I moved onto managing a group home with Sunnyfield for 3 years, leading me into the training and the development of training material for clients and staff in active support and skills for life. Before joining the Housing Hub I was working as a Local Area Coordinator with Uniting.

Heidi Fleming

Housing Applications Coordinator

The most rewarding part of my role is being able to share the knowledge and experience about my own Housing journey and to hopefully help and inspire others. 

I started at the Housing Hub as a Lived Experience Facilitator where I would Co-facilitate workshops and provide my perspective from my own housing journey. Now, as a Housing Outcomes Facilitator, I now get to create the content and facilitate webinars and events to other People with Disability, their supporters and allied health professionals, just like the sessions that I once attended to gain knowledge on housing options. I feel grateful to do the work that I do, and hope to help others, just like Housing Hub helped me!

Shanais Nielsen

I love working alongside people with disability, supporting them to take the lead in finding the home that is right for them. I also enjoy supporting Housing Hub staff, Allied Health professionals and Support Coordinators to understand the housing options available for people with disability in Australia.

I trained as a Physiotherapist in Dunedin, New Zealand and worked for 9 years in the acute hospital setting across Australia and New Zealand. I was lucky enough to attend a Summer Foundation training session in 2019 which opened my eyes to the possibilities for people with disability to live well in the community. Working at the Housing Hub has provided an amazing opportunity to use my skills to contribute to this.


Lydia Dockrill

Clinical Advisor and Housing Options Advice Line Coordinator, Housing Hub

Clinical Advisor and Housing Options Advice Line Coordinator

I get to be out and about, meeting people and building capacity in the community - I know what I do changes lives! 

I am an ex commercial banker in the NFP space and have studied and worked in both these arenas. I applied for the role as the organisation ethos is very strongly aligned to mine.

Micharla Russell

Engagement Coordinator, Housing Hub

Engagement Coordinator

The best part of my role is hearing from people in the community and their families that we have provided support to them in some way. I also really enjoy making connections with providers and community groups. 

I have lived experience of 20+ years, my first role was supporting my son whilst living in rural remote South Australia. He is an amazing success story of perseverance, creative thinking and resourcefulness. I want to be able to be part of a solution and the conversation in supporting people like my son and our family.

Edwina Daly

Housing Engagement Coordinator, Housing Hub

Housing Engagement Coordinator

I love seeing the impact that good quality housing and support has on the lives of people with disability. We are starting to see much more quality options become available and people moving into these and research is showing positive impacts on quality of life, health and social and economic participation. That's why we are here.
I started my career working full time straight out of high school. I did a range of office roles while completing a Bachelor of Commerce and then became a Certified Practising Accountant. I worked as an accountant in an ASX200 listed company and in my late 20s I realised this didn't hold enough meaning for me. I had been a volunteer in my local community through the Girl Guides in order to make a contribution to society. I decided I wanted my work hours to count as well, so I moved into the for-purpose sector. 
I then worked and volunteered in various leadership roles for organisations including Girl Guides Victoria, The Foundation for Young Australians and YWCA Victoria. I found out about the opportunity to create the Housing Hub social enterprise and saw it as a way to bring together my business skills and experience with my social impact heart. In addition to my role with Housing Hub I volunteer with a number of for purpose organisations including inTouch Multicultural Centre Against Family Violence, cohealth, Fight Parkinsons and St Vincent de Paul Society.


Alecia Profile picture

Chief Social Enterprise Officer, Housing Hub

Chief Social Enterprise Officer

Alecia Rathbone

The best part of my role is helping others to be effective, accomplish their goals, getting to work with a variety of people, both internally and externally. 
I have worked in administration and EA roles for over 20 years. Along with my EA duties I have also worked in payroll, finance and HR administration over the past 4 years at the Summer Foundation. 

Jessica Simms

Executive Assistant, Housing Hub

Executive Assistant

I love being part of a Team where every person in every role is helping to drive sector change and to help PWD to find the way to lead an ordinary life.  

My role encompasses mentoring staff to develop their skills and this is personally satisfying. I have worked in many sectors, in many different roles and this role was so attractive to me because it included opportunities to "make a difference" not "make a profit".

Jo Mear

Business Manager, Housing Hub

Business Manager


The best part of working at Housing Hub is working with creative and innovate people who share a passion for change. 
I had been in the sector for a number of years and saw an opportunity I couldn't miss - that was to support young people in aged care to learn about the NDIS and to support those people through the journey of becoming a participant. 
The results for young people in aged care becoming NDIS participants were life changing and I'll always remember the lessons I learned from working in that space. I bring these lessons into my work as Housing Hub Services Manager daily.


compress-Melody-Carbarns-Profile

Housing Hub Services Manager

Melody Carbarns

My favourite part about working at Housing Hub is the opportunity to shine light on housing issues across the sector and contribute to change. This is change in the life of one person and change in a system, in a process, in an outcome. 

I am an Occupational Therapist, specialising in spinal rehabilitation, working more than 10 years within the health sector in both NSW and Victoria. I joined Housing Hub in 2019 whilst completing my Masters in Health Management. I bring to the team knowledge and experience working with people with disability who are exploring long term housing options.

Meet the Team

Alecia Rathbone

Jessica Simms

Jo Mear

Melody Carbarns

Kelly Chait

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