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Jesuit Social Services An initiative of Jesuit Social Services

Jesuit Social Services An initiative of Jesuit Social Services

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Resilience In-House

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Resilience In-House

Building place‑based climate resilience through neighbourhood houses 

Resilience In-House is a place-based climate adaptation initiative supporting neighbourhood houses in Melbourne’s west to strengthen local resilience to climate change. 

The project builds shared understanding, confidence and practical capability within communities to respond to increasing climate risks (such as heatwaves, flooding and energy insecurity) through locally grounded, collective action. 

Delivered by Jesuit Social Services’ Centre for Just Places in partnership with Wyndham Park Community Centre, Resilience In-House recognises neighbourhood houses as essential social infrastructure: trusted, place-based hubs with deep community connections and a critical role in times of disruption and change. 

About the project 

Resilience In-House is a 12-month community development initiative that translates climate adaptation into practical, place-based action. 

Working with Wyndham Park Community Centre and Network West, the project supports four neighbourhood houses in Melbourne’s west to undertake climate resilience action planning using a train-the-trainer model – embedding knowledge, skills and leadership within the sector. 

At its core is a commitment to strengths-based, place-responsive practice. Rather than imposing external solutions, the project supports communities to: 

  • Understand how climate change is already impacting their local area  
  • Identify existing strengths, networks and resources  
  • Prioritise locally relevant risks and opportunities  
  • Develop practical, community-led adaptation responses  

This approach ensures that climate resilience is not abstract or technical, but grounded in lived experience, local knowledge and everyday realities.

This work builds on previous projects including A Local Approach to Climate Resilience (Network West), Climate Resilient Neighbourhoods (Centre for Just Places), and informed by models developed and tested by the Centre for Just Places in collaboration with over ten neighbourhood houses across Victoria. 

What we’re doing 

Through Resilience In-House, the Centre for Just Places is working alongside partners to: 

  • Build shared understanding of climate risk, resilience and adaptation  
  • Explore local climate impacts through scenario-based planning and lived experience  
  • Map community strengths, assets and existing resilience efforts  
  • Support the co-design of locally relevant climate adaptation action plans  
  • Strengthen facilitation, leadership and peer learning across the neighbourhood house sector  

The project uses a hub-and-beacon model, with Wyndham Park Community Centre supported as a regional leader in climate resilience. As the “hub,” it is resourced to mentor and support three additional neighbourhood houses, building a networked approach to local adaptation. 

Workshops are complemented by ongoing mentoring, practical tools and shared resources, ensuring capability and impact extend beyond the life of the project.
 

Why this work matters 

Climate change is intensifying existing inequalities. Communities in Melbourne’s west are already experiencing disproportionate impacts – from extreme heat and rising energy costs to flood risk and infrastructure stress. 

Neighbourhood houses are often the first place people turn in times of need. They play a vital role in supporting connection, inclusion and wellbeing and are increasingly acting as informal frontline responders to climate impacts. 

Despite this, the sector has had limited access to tailored adaptation frameworks, resourcing and support. 

Resilience In-House responds to this gap by embedding climate adaptation within existing community infrastructure, strengthening the capacity of neighbourhood houses to lead locally driven, place-based responses that reflect the strengths, priorities and realities of their communities. 

Partnerships 

Resilience In‑House is being delivered in partnership with: 

  • Wyndham Park Community Centre 
  • Network West 
  • Louis Joel Arts and Community Centre  
  • Braybrook Maidstone Neighbourhood House Inc  
  • Kororoit Creek Neighbourhood House 
Details

Project period: 2025–2026
Location: Melbourne’s west
Funding: Greater Melbourne Foundation 

For more information on Resilience In-House, or to learn more about our work enabling neighbourhood houses, contact: Anna Brazier – Project Coordinator, Centre for Just Places at [email protected].