Chief Executive

Do you remember Darryl Kerrigan’s famous words in 'The Castle'? "It's not just a house, it’s a home!”

Many jokes in the 1997 classic comedy were derived from the story of a charming Aussie battler family about to lose their home which was located next to an airport.

Lines like, “This goes straight to the poolroom,” or “Would you like me to point out the features? Fake chimney ... add a bit of value, ya reckon?” or “How’s the serenity?”

It’s about an ordinary family who love and support each other. They share a tremendous depth of care and compassion.

This ‘not-just-a-house-but a-home’ theme resounded once more yesterday, this time coming from our new Chief Executive, Peter Sandeman in his radio interview with ABC 666 radio.

Play or pause the full radio interview



“Housing and services take a long time to build but that’s only half the problem. That’s really only the ambulance,” says Peter Sandeman.

“What you really need is to prevent people from becoming homeless in the first place.

“There’s a whole complex set of reasons why people do become detached from family or friends or from relationships that result in them not having a house or not having a home.

“So it’s a place to belong rather than simply a house. You can provide housing but you also have to enable people to be included and become part of their community; to develop family or family-type networks so they are secure in those relationships.

“That’s the harder and more subtle bit, and if you are unemployed; if you have a mental health issue; if you are a young person and you’ve fallen out with your family; or you’re the victim of domestic violence, then your housing and your relationships are insecure and you lose both house and home,” said Peter Sandeman.

Bud Tingwell’s character in ‘The Castle’, lawyer Lawrence Hammill says, “You can acquire a house, but you can’t acquire a home. Because a home is not built of bricks and mortar, but love and memories.”

Peter Sandeman’s take on all this is; “Good safe housing is important, but for people to heal and grow we really need to address the question of homelessness, not just houselessness. It is the relationships, connecting with others which transforms peoples' lives for the long term.”