More Than Shelter: Community-Led Pathways to Housing, Financial Safety, Healing and Self-Determination in Practice
Tracks
Ballroom 2: In-Person Only
| Wednesday, November 25, 2026 |
| 8:30 AM - 8:50 AM |
| Ballroom 2 |
Overview
Rebecca Camilleri, Bunmabunmarra Services
Three Key Learnings
1. Housing and financial safety must be understood as relational, cultural and structural — not simply transactional.
Delegates will be invited to consider how housing instability, financial hardship, family safety, justice involvement, child protection risk, and service system exclusion intersect in people’s lives. Bunmabunmarra Services’ approach demonstrates the importance of moving beyond crisis-only responses toward culturally grounded pathways that recognise safety as connected to Community, culture, healing, dignity, and self-determination.
2. Aboriginal-led, Community-controlled practice strengthens access, trust and meaningful engagement.
The presentation will highlight how culturally safe and Community-led service models can reduce barriers experienced in mainstream systems by creating spaces where people are seen, heard, and supported in context. Delegates will gain insight into how relational accountability, flexible outreach, advocacy and walking alongside people can support stronger engagement with housing, financial, legal, health, family, and specialist service systems.
3. Integrated practice frameworks create stronger pathways from immediate support to longer-term wellbeing.
Delegates will explore how Bunmabunmarra Services’ programs work together through a shared Practice Framework to connect practical support with broader outcomes. This includes supported accommodation, case coordination, referral pathways, rental readiness, financial safety, healing-focused work and Community connection. The key learning is that sustainable safety requires integrated, culturally responsive systems — not isolated program responses.
Speaker
Rebecca Camilleri
Program Manager
Bunmabunmarra Services
More Than Shelter: Community-Led Pathways to Housing, Financial Safety, Healing and Self-Determination in Practice
Presentation Overview
Housing and financial safety are critical foundations for individual, family and Community health & wellbeing. For many Aboriginal People and families, experiences of homelessness, housing instability, financial hardship, family violence, justice involvement, child protection risk and service system exclusion are interconnected. National homelessness data shows the scale of this inequity: in 2024–25, First Nations people represented 29% of specialist homelessness service clients, equating to almost 82,900 people, and accessed these services at rates more than nine times higher than non-Indigenous clients (Specialist Homelessness Services Annual Report 2024 -25). These figures point not only to housing need, but to the ongoing barriers many people experience in mainstream service systems.
Established in 2024, Bunmabunmarra Services is an ACCO delivering culturally safe, trauma-informed and practical supports across Western NSW. Through programs including Gibir House, Yorga Mia, Winhangarra, Walumarra Strong Families and Warrior Way, the organisation provides integrated pathways that respond to housing need, financial insecurity, family safety, healing, accountability, advocacy, and connection to Community.
This presentation provides an overview of Bunmabunmarra’s approach to strengthening housing and financial safety through Aboriginal-led practice. Across its services and programs, Bunmabunmarra supports people to navigate complex systems, access supported temporary accommodation, engage with Homes NSW referral pathways, strengthen rental readiness, address immediate financial pressures, access practical assistance, and connect with other specialist services.
Central to this work is a practice approach grounded in cultural safety, relational accountability, self-determination and walking alongside people. Rather than treating housing and financial hardship as isolated issues, Bunmabunmarra understands safety as connected to culture, family, healing, Community belonging and long-term wellbeing.
The presentation will highlight how Community-led, integrated service models can create more meaningful pathways to safety for people whose needs sit across multiple systems, while strengthening housing stability, financial safety, and sustainable outcomes for Communities across Western NSW.
Established in 2024, Bunmabunmarra Services is an ACCO delivering culturally safe, trauma-informed and practical supports across Western NSW. Through programs including Gibir House, Yorga Mia, Winhangarra, Walumarra Strong Families and Warrior Way, the organisation provides integrated pathways that respond to housing need, financial insecurity, family safety, healing, accountability, advocacy, and connection to Community.
This presentation provides an overview of Bunmabunmarra’s approach to strengthening housing and financial safety through Aboriginal-led practice. Across its services and programs, Bunmabunmarra supports people to navigate complex systems, access supported temporary accommodation, engage with Homes NSW referral pathways, strengthen rental readiness, address immediate financial pressures, access practical assistance, and connect with other specialist services.
Central to this work is a practice approach grounded in cultural safety, relational accountability, self-determination and walking alongside people. Rather than treating housing and financial hardship as isolated issues, Bunmabunmarra understands safety as connected to culture, family, healing, Community belonging and long-term wellbeing.
The presentation will highlight how Community-led, integrated service models can create more meaningful pathways to safety for people whose needs sit across multiple systems, while strengthening housing stability, financial safety, and sustainable outcomes for Communities across Western NSW.
Biography
Kristie Burge is a proud Noongar woman from Western Australia and Founder and Executive Director of Bunmabunmarra Services Australia Ltd. Based on Wiradjuri Country in Dubbo, she leads Aboriginal-led, culturally safe programs supporting people experiencing homelessness, domestic and family violence, justice involvement, and social disadvantage. Her work combines trauma-informed practice, healing, accountability, and community-led solutions to support vulnerable communities. Drawing on both professional expertise and lived cultural understanding, Kristie is passionate about systems reform, early intervention, Aboriginal self-determination, and sustainable service models that support people at critical points of change.
