Moving into a safe and secure future

Married couple Freweyni and Gizachew have always considered this three-bedroom property in Adelaide’s north-west to be their home, but now it is official.

After seven years of renting, Freweyni and Gizachew are proud first homeowners, purchasing the property in late 2023.

“We’re so happy – it is like a gift. It is everything we wanted,” Freweyni said as she proudly showed off her home.

Owning a home is a dream the couple still can’t quite believe is a reality.

“I have been living in this house as a tenant for seven years,” Freweyni said. “I still feel like Believe Housing owns it. I still can’t believe we bought this house.

“People have suggested I move out and move back in to feel like we have bought the house,” she joked.

Together, the couple join six other Believe Housing Australia social housing tenants who have gone on to purchase their own homes in the first half of the 2023/24 financial year.

Ali Akbarpour Believe Housing Australia Tenant Voice and Improvement Coordinator said the team encouraged and supported tenants to begin their home ownership journey.

“We support our tenants’ aspirations to become homeowners and are happy to assist them through every stage involved in owning a home,” he said.

“In the last five years, we have supported more than 65 of our tenants to move into homeownership.”

Believe Housing Australia hosts annual Home Ownership Seminars, inviting experts to explain the processes, costs, and practical steps involved in buying and owning a home.

“We see the seminars as a successful plan for creating a strong foundation for families and giving them the opportunity to move from social housing to home ownership,” Ali said.

Attending one of the seminars in 2020 gave Freweyni and Gizachew valuable knowledge in their journey to home ownership.

Amidst the current rental affordability crisis with low vacancy rates and rising rents, Freweyni said she felt fortunate to be able to buy her home and exit the rental market.

“At the moment, it is very hard to afford private rentals, you can’t even go further out from the city to get more affordable private housing,” she said.

“Everyone is finding it very hard to find a house to rent – I see so many people suffering. I feel very lucky to be able to buy a house.”

More importantly, owning her own home also means security for her four small children.

“Sometimes, it is not even about being able to afford rent – it is about security. Landlords in a private rental can choose not to renew your lease and you have to get out – if you have children, where are you going to go that is safe?

“By owning my home, no one can tell me to move.”

Learn more about how Believe Housing Australia can help you transition into home ownership by clicking here or Register Your Interest for the next Home Ownership Seminar here.