Homeless mother given ‘key’ to new apartment by Pope Leo XIV

CNA Staff, Nov 27, 2025 / 10:50 am

At 35 weeks pregnant Nadia Howlader became homeless, living on the streets of Sydney, Australia, but all of that changed when she was given a key to a new apartment by Pope Leo XIV on Nov. 16 on the ninth World Day of the Poor.

Continuing a tradition begun by Pope Francis last year to combat homelessness and bring hope to vulnerable families during the 2025 Jubilee year of Hope in 13 countries, Pope Leo blessed 13 keys — one of which symbolized the key to Howlader’s new apartment in a Sydney suburb, faciliated by the St. Vincent de Paul Society of Australia.

Howlader, and her daughter Alisha, traveled to Rome with members of the society for an audience with the pope where she received the blessed key from Pope Leo and thanked him for the generous gift.

The “13 Houses” campaign was inspired by the St. Vincent de Paul Society’s patron, St. Vincent de Paul, and his decision in 1643 to use an endowment from French King Louis XIII to build 13 small houses near the Vincentian headquarters in Paris to care for abandoned children.

The 13 countries included in the project this year are Syria, Australia, Brazil, Cambodia, the Central African Republic, Chile, Costa Rica, Italy, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, the United Kingdom, and Ukraine.

“The St. Vincent de Paul Society is probably the largest homeless prevention organization in Australia,” said Graham West of the St. Vincent de Paul Society in an interview with Sydney’s 10 News. Through the work of the case workers and working with our housing team we’ve now been able to find a house for Nadia to live in.”

Since 2018, the “13 Houses” campaign has helped over 10,000 people in 70 countries.