From Empty to Essential: The Property Developers Activating Homes for People in Need
Realestate.com.au | 4 Aug 2026
In a housing crisis, no home should be unused. But too often residential properties sit vacant while developers wait to begin work on their next phase.
Three large property outfits have come together with a host of other organisations in NSW to tackle this issue, in what is being described as an “unlikely alliance” between corporate, government and community leaders.
Called The National Alliance for Meanwhile Use, this group includes the NSW government, alongside charitable organisations that arrange for temporary accommodation, and housing industry partners, such as developers. The aim is to use homes that might otherwise sit vacant while they await another use to temporarily house vulnerable Australians.
Coronation Property, Lendlease, and TOGA are three property developers who have signed on to contribute to the cause. They sit alongside organisations such as National Shelter, Habitat for Humanity Australia, the Property Industry Foundation, Faith Housing Australia, Jewish House, Shelter NSW, Homelessness NSW, Australian Alliance to End Homelessness, My Foundations Youth Housing, Link Wentworth Housing, Social Ventures Australia and Women’s Community Shelter.
The Alliance was formed organically, following a forum in late 2025 that saw Habitat for Humanity Australia, Coronation Property, Shelter NSW, Aboriginal Women and Children’s Crisis Service and Property Industry Foundation hold a discussion to explore the concept of “meanwhile use”.
Together, they looked at creating a workable system in NSW to connect property owners with experienced charities and community housing providers who refurbish, manage and support unused properties in a housing model that is, by design, transitional. An integral part of the process is supporting residnets with clear pathways into more permanent housing.
This is not Coronation’s first foray into meanwhile use, with the developer having already delivered more than 1500 nights of accommodation so far under its Coronation House initiative, with thousands more committed.
TOGA, too, has been active in meanwhile use activities, having committed in November 2025 to providing a 8000 square-metre site in Sydney’s inner-west suburb of Ashfield to meanwhile use for at least two years, supported by funding through the NSW Government’s Homelessness Innovation Fund.
This alliance sees all members sign on to a memoration of understanding in which they commit to working together to remove systemic barriers, share evidence and best practice, advocate for policy reform, and create pathways for more properties to be rapidly transformed into safe and stable homes.
“Housing insecurity is not someone else’s problem to solve,” commented Joe Nahas, managing director of Coronation Property.
“Every organisation has the capacity to contribute in some way, and I would encourage others to consider the role they can play in creating practical housing solutions.”
One of the first residents who accessed housing through Coronation House’s meanwhile use initiative was a woman escaping domestic violence with her son. She described what the accommodation meant for her.
“Before this, we were moving constantly and didn’t feel safe. Having a secure place, even for a short time, meant my child could sleep, go to school, and feel normal again. It gave us space to breathe and start planning what comes next, instead of just surviving day to day.”
Property Industry Foundation CEO Kate Mills said she hoped to see this program expand with more partner organisations.
“We know the property industry has both the capacity and the capability to make a meaningful contribution,” Ms Mills said.
“Our Meanwhile Use Platform will make the tools and frameworks available to all participants, making it possible to activate more homes at scale.”