You’ve got a varied career background that makes you uniquely suited to run Junction. What professional experiences made you most passionate about community housing?

Housing is the foundation for a person’s security, sanctuary and community.

For me, understanding that has come from an acute experience of personal poverty when I became a mum and had to live on welfare. Being connected to my community was how I overcome my biggest life challenges.

It’s those three things – security, sanctuary and community – that I became passionate about bringing together through my work.

Being CEO of Common Ground gave me the opportunity to do that.

In government I was working more in policy; Common Ground got me on the ground. We were working on the bottom floor of the building in Light Square and the people we were supporting were living in the apartments above us and across the road. We shared their spaces, their neighbourhood. Every single day you saw, first-hand, humanity at its most raw. People with hardcore addictions and those who had suffered unimaginable trauma.

Right now, at Junction, we’re building a new head office, services hub and housing at Tonsley. Our staff have an incredible sense of empathy and purpose, which I’m so proud of. As our organisation, footprint and impact gets bigger we will never lose sight of why we are doing it.

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Junction has been rapidly building important developments for those that need a place to call home. What’s been core to this success?

Building relationships and a network, including with developers, has been pivotal. Opportunity comes from connecting to what’s out there, when you have a vision for what’s possible.

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Building a really strong financial base has also been critical.

Financiers, whether that’s banks, government or philanthropic donors, need to trust you. Money is oxygen. It provides the capacity to invest in capability and attract the capability to build the best possible for-purpose workforce and culture – as well as the infrastructure.

Recognising the ‘missing middle’ – including key workers – and pushing affordable build to rent early has been really important.

Partnerships and collaboration seem quite key to what Junction does. How do you foster these relationships?

I find people, in general, fascinating. I enjoy spending time really getting to know them – what motivates them, where they are coming from. That’s essential especially in the most challenging situations where relationships have broken down or are on the brink. It’s only when you are genuinely open and listen to another person’s view that you can find common ground and solutions.

The housing crisis shows no sign of coming to an end. What are your thoughts on the situation and what needs to happen?

Firstly, governments cannot use the cost of living and housing crisis as a political football. The problem has been brewing for well over a decade and there are many contributing factors. In a crisis people want a silver bullet. There is none. It’s a system issue that needs multifaceted solutions. It’s hard work on every front – land, water, labour, construction costs, taxes and planning.

The biggest problem is all these elements sit at different levels of government – local, state and federal. Collaboration between council, government, developers and the community sector across every type of housing – public, social, new forms of rental and home ownership.

We’ve started to get out of our corners in SA over the last few months. That needs to continue.

Junction can’t do this alone, but it certainly is helping. What can average Australians do to alleviate some of these issues?

It’s really important for people to understand we cannot live the way we always have. As a community we have to open our minds to higher density living, particularly apartments and embrace community spaces. If we don’t have higher density developments, there will not be housing in our suburbs for our kids, or our grandkids to live.

I’d also urge people to get active in consultation when there is a development coming up in their area. Be curious to find out more and be part of the process. Most projects, certainly those undertaken by Junction, really want to hear what people think to shape the community being created.

What is one core quality that you think all leaders should have?

The best leaders, in my view, are the visionaries, the creators, the motivators… those who inspire.

Above all, they know their big ‘why’ – their motivation and what drives them every day. They stand in their conviction and are the lighthouse in turbulent seas. They understand collective effort goes beyond the individual and they know how to harness that for impact.

When you’re looking to hire a ‘subordinate’, what qualities do you look for?

In any recruitment process I’m always looking for the person who knows themselves well and why they do what they do. A lot of people want my job because it carries the title of CEO. I want authenticity. When it’s about the title not the purpose – that’s what I can’t stand.

Where do you see Junction in five years?

I see Junction as the enabler of new solutions to changing systems. Being an innovator that can change the dial – especially for those who are being left behind. A place marker of diverse communities where everyone loves where they live.