New CEO for Haven Home Safe

A NEW CEO has been appointed to Geelong-based Haven Home Safe (HHS), Trudi Ray taking over the top job from Andrew Cairns who moves into group CEO role for the homelessness services agency.

Ms Ray’s 19 years with HHS has seen her rise through the organisation from her start as a Supported Assistance worker in 2003, to a role as executive director and more recently deputy CEO and Chief Operations Officer.

HHS is now one of Victoria’s largest community housing associations and has a portfolio of 151 properties in the region that are rented out at an affordable rate to eligible customers through the Victorian Housing Register.

Ms Ray has been a prominent voice in the push for more social housing in the region and has previously warned that Greater Geelong’s need for around 13,500 social and affordable houses by 2041 to keep on top of homelessness will be a difficult goal to reach.

“We recognise the need to do more to serve the vulnerable people in our community at a time when homelessness and housing affordability is at crisis point,” she said after her appointment to the CEO role.

“I’ll be focused on striking the right balance between our commercial ambition and our social justice core so we can build capacity to be an even greater force for good.”

Mr Cairns move to the group CEO follows a 12-month organisational realigment that will see him focus on pursuing a variety of affordable housing solutions, new markets, funding streams and partnerships that align with the organisations goal to “end homelessness and housing stress.”

“The environment in which we operate is increasingly sophisticated and to meet an increasing need for support from people across Victoria we need to generate more diverse funding opportunities,” Mr Cairns said.