Stephen Schmidtke is the General Manager, Homelessness and Client Support at Wintringham, with responsibility for homelessness services, community housing, housing support, recreation programs, intake services and NDIS programs across Victoria and Tasmania.
Stephen commenced his career in homelessness services in the early 1990s and has since held senior leadership positions across the homelessness, community housing, aged care and health sectors. His experience spans service delivery, organisational leadership, system reform, governance and strategic partnerships.
He leads Wintringham's integrated housing and support portfolio, bringing together community housing, tenancy sustainment, homelessness responses and health and wellbeing supports for older people experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity. Stephen is particularly interested in housing-led approaches that combine safe, affordable housing with the practical supports people need to maintain their tenancies, remain connected to their communities and age well.
Stephen holds a Bachelor of Human Services from Monash University and a Master of Clinical Family Therapy from La Trobe University's Bouverie Centre. In addition to his executive roles, he has served on a range of voluntary boards and sector leadership groups at state and national levels. Stephen is currently a Director of Community Housing Industry Association Victoria (CHIA Vic), and a Director of the Council to Homeless Persons (CHP), where he chairs the Governance Committee.