Residential development can no longer be measured solely by what gets built.
Increasingly, its long-term value will be defined by the social outcomes it creates – the stability it supports, the opportunities it opens up and the communities it helps strengthen over time.
For Coronation, that thinking is shaping how the business operates. Led by Managing Director Joe Nahas and Head of Social Impact Kirsten Steedman, Coronation has embedded social impact directly into its development model through Coronation Core – a structured framework designed to create long-term outcomes across housing, employment, wellbeing and community connection.
Guided by four principles; Courage, Opportunity, Resilience and Empowerment – Coronation Core shapes how partnerships are formed, how programs are delivered and how impact is measured.
One of the core programs is Coronation’s partnership with Youth Off The Streets (YOTS), a first-of-its-kind collaboration designed to help break the cycle of youth homelessness.
The initiative brings together mentoring, job readiness, apprenticeships, employment pathways and co-designed housing opportunities, leveraging Coronation’s development pipeline and access to long-term, stable accommodation.
The model responds to the reality that homelessness is rarely a single-issue problem. For many young people, long-term change requires stability, opportunity and consistent support working together.
“We established Coronation Core to prove that for-profit organisations in the property industry have the scale to drive long-term social impact in the communities where they operate,” said Joe.
Coronation’s approach focuses on creating practical pathways forward, rather than one-off contributions.
“Youth homelessness is a complex issue,” he says. “Without stability, it’s almost impossible for young people to stay in school, get a job or build a future.
“That’s why the partnership with Youth Off The Streets matters. It brings together housing, employment pathways and long-term support in a way that responds to the reality young people face.”
Coronation’s focus on housing pathways is also reflected through Coronation House, a Meanwhile Use initiative, delivered in partnership with Habitat for Humanity and the Aboriginal Women and Children’s Crisis Service.
Created to provide safe, stable accommodation for women and children escaping domestic and family violence, Coronation House has delivered more than 1,200 bed nights and supported five families with a safe place to call home. The initiative demonstrates how existing property assets can be used in a Meanwhile Use capacity to create immediate social value, while supporting longer-term stability for people experiencing crisis.
The need for initiatives like Coronation House remains significant. Family and domestic violence is a major contributor to housing insecurity, with around 40 per cent of people seeking support from specialist homelessness services experiencing domestic and family violence, most commonly women and children. Coronation House demonstrates how repurposing a previously vacant dwelling can provide immediate safety, stability and dignity for those in need.
The strategy extends across the broader business, including Nation, its Build-to-Rent platform operator, where social impact initiatives are brought to life at an operational level.
“For us, it’s about designing programs that are embedded into how we operate, not sitting alongside it,” said Kirsten Steedman, Head of Social Impact.
“That means working closely with partners to align outcomes with real opportunities, whether that’s employment pathways, housing access or wrap around support.”
Internally, Coronation has also embedded volunteering into its onboarding process, with all new employees participating in community initiatives within their first three months from partners including ReLove and Wayside Chapel.
“We’ve designed our strategy to reflect how we actually operate as a business,” Joe said. “It’s not about ticking boxes. It’s about working with partners who share our values and delivering outcomes that create real value over time.”
What emerges is a development model focused not only on what gets built, but on what happens next.
It recognises that strong communities are shaped by stability, opportunity and connection – and that developers have a role to play in creating them.”