Lisa Sorrentino | Building with Purpose, Saying It Straight, and the Importance of Toilet Roll Holders

What’s really behind the housing crisis headlines - and how do you build homes that actually work for the people who live in them?Lisa Sorrentino is the Head of Development at City West Housing, and she’s spent over two decades delivering complex projects across the US and Australia. Today, she leads the delivery of long-term, purpose-built affordable housing in Sydney - and she’s not afraid to challenge misconceptions about what that means. From lifecycle design decisions to planning pathways and policy reforms, Lisa brings a rare combination of commercial experience, urban planning smarts, and social purpose to her work.In this episode, she shares the surprising moments that shaped her career, the advice she wishes someone gave her when her kids were young, and the one practical shift that could unlock more affordable housing tomorrow. We also hear her take on:The myth of “just mix them in together” when it comes to social housingWhy it’s time to stop calling everything a defectHow being direct - and sometimes brash - became her secret weaponWhy professionally managed, mid-market rentals are the futureFrom luxury builds to government renewal precincts to the not-for-loss sector, Lisa’s seen the industry from every angle. This is a big-picture conversation grounded in real-world solutions.Sign up to the newsletter to be notified when we drop a new episode: https://growthbuilt.com.au/her-construction-career/Her Construction Career is made possible thanks to Growthbuilt, with the support of the NSW Government Women in Construction Industry Innovation Program.Hosts: Sabina Kabalane and Kristy FilettiProduction: Interview Boss Media Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.