St Kilda Community Housing would not exist if not for Jeff Lyons.
The article below, written by his friend John Spierings, highlights his contribution to progressive politics in our community and specifically his unwavering commitment to housing vulnerable people. To put it simply, Jeff was in it from the very beginning, and stayed with us to the very end. As part of the Turn the Tide Movement Jeff was part of the driving force that protected modest housing for vulnerable people, and maintained the diversity of our community.
Jeff was our first Housing Manager, sharing the role with his close friend and fellow activist John Broderick, working from a space under the stairs in one of our rooming houses. He continued his work at St Kilda Community Housing until retirement in 2018. Jeff continued his close connection with us post-retirement, and had popped into the office only weeks before his passing, in July this year. It is difficult to overstate the contribution that Jeff made to the ongoing success of St Kilda Community Housing.
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Jeff Lyons, a driving force in community housing and advocacy for social justice, has sadly passed away.
Over many decades, Jeff strove for housing to become a human right not a commodity.
Jeff played crucial roles in several organisations instrumental in providing secure housing and services to people facing severe housing stress.
He was one of the pioneers of the St Kilda Rooming House Issues Group, founding member of the Community Housing Federation of Victoria, long-time chair of the St Kilda (and later Port Phillip) Community Group and stalwart of the Community Alliance of Port Phillip.
With Jack Downey, John Broderick, John Enticott, Paul Madden and others, he provided major advocacy to governments in the 1980s to acquire local rooming houses from private operators in order to house people in need.
He was a crucial part of the engine room of the Turn the Tide movement in the 1980s and 1990s that changed the history of St Kilda.
That grassroot movement for change led to secure housing for hundreds of vulnerable residents and thwarted developers seeking to turn St Kilda into a high rise desert like the Gold Coast.
But organisational roles only hint at the influence and impact of Jeff.
He was always the calm voice, the patient man, the clever tactician, the deft writer, the arms and legs of a social movement for housing justice, the warrior and the pacifier when things got tough.
He was a dear friend to many, a voracious reader, a lover of life and coffee, a cherished partner of Karen Barnett, devoted father to Matthew and Meaghan and grandfather to their children.
Jeff’s funeral will be at Sacred Heart Church, 83 Grey Street, St Kilda on Monday 19 August at 1.30pm followed by a wake at the St Kilda Bowling Club, 66 Fitzroy Street, St Kilda.
Jeff is deeply missed.
The Funeral will be held at Sacred Heart Church
Monday 19 August, 1.30pm
83 Grey Street, St Kilda
The wake will be held at
The St Kilda Bowling Club
66 Fitzroy Street, St Kilda
