Housing Choices Australia (HCA) is proud to celebrate the successful revival of the Block Ya Dot Café at Spence on Light, Adelaide, a vibrant new amenity delivering cultural, social, and community benefits for residents and the wider city.
The café is the result of an innovative partnership between Housing Choices Australia, Renew Adelaide, and Aboriginal entrepreneur Vicki Thomas, owner of Block Ya Dot. Transforming a long-vacant space in a 75-apartment high-rise for seniors and residents living with disability, the initiative creates an affordable, culturally rich café, fosters social connection, and supports First Nations enterprise.
Filling a Community Need
Completed in 2020, Spence on Light was designed with a café as a central feature to encourage resident engagement. Following the exit of previous operators, the space remained empty for 18 months. Resident consultation, including a 2023 survey showing 82% support for reopening, guided the project’s vision, ensuring the café meets community needs for affordability, quality food, and a welcoming social hub.
A Tri-Partnership Driving Innovation
The Block Ya Dot Café project demonstrates innovation through its tri-partnership model:
- HCA provided governance, community housing expertise, and resident engagement leadership.
- Renew Adelaide contributed expertise in activating urban spaces, operator selection, and strategic guidance.
- Vicki Thomas brought commercial skills, cultural knowledge, and entrepreneurial vision, supported by The Circle First Nations Entrepreneur Hub.
This collaboration enabled a resident-led, socially focused approach, including flexible, socially minded leasing arrangements prioritising community benefit over commercial return. Housing Choices Australia continues to provide guidance during the café’s first 12 months to ensure sustainability.
Positive Outcomes for Residents and the Community
The café has quickly become a vibrant social hub, reducing isolation and fostering connections among residents. Feedback highlights the café’s role in “bringing people together” and “creating a sense of belonging.” Affordable menu options also enhance food security and provide accessible dining experiences.
As a First Nations-owned business, Block Ya Dot celebrates Indigenous culture through a menu featuring native ingredients such as kangaroo sausage rolls, pepperberry chicken wings, wattleseed cheesecake, and Davidson plum biscuits. The café’s presence enriches Adelaide’s West End, attracting residents, visitors, and local workers, and contributing to urban vibrancy.
Right: HCA residents Robert Diamond, William ‘Bill’ Glasper, Brett Dinning, and Poppy the dog enjoying time at the café
A Replicable Model for the Sector
The collaboration offers a blueprint for integrating social enterprise into community housing precincts. Key elements include:
- Resident-led engagement in amenity planning
- Socially minded leasing arrangements
- Cross-sector collaboration between housing providers, not-for-profits, and commercial operators
- Support for culturally significant enterprise
This model can be applied nationally, demonstrating measurable improvements in tenant wellbeing, community engagement, and housing outcomes.
Strong Partnerships and Long-Term Impact
The project showcases open, transparent, and collaborative relationships between HCA, partners, and residents. By combining operational oversight, strategic guidance, and community-driven design, the café has become a sustainable, culturally rich, and socially impactful amenity.
Looking Ahead
HCA’s support during the café’s first year will ensure long-term sustainability, while lessons from the project inform future precinct activations. Block Ya Dot Café stands as a best-practice example of collaborative, innovative, and socially responsible community housing initiatives, delivering meaningful outcomes for residents, supporting First Nations entrepreneurship, and revitalising Adelaide’s urban landscape.
