Spring 2022
In this issue:
Library Bean Kiosk opens P3 Small animals having big impact P5 NAIDOC Week and Reconciliation Week P7
Find us online www.housingchoices.org.au
facebook.com/HChoicesTAS
From the General Manager
Hi everyone, Since our last edition of Home Stories the days have become a little longer, and hopefully a little sunnier and warmer wherever you are. It’s been a busy time for Housing Choices Tasmania. In early August some of our residents joined us along with members of government, as we officially launched two architecturally designed affordable housing projects in the State’s south. Oakdowns, near Hobart, is the site of 16 brand new
representatives from Burnie Works and the Burnie Child and Family Centre, and it was lovely to have such a turnout. The café gives people from the community a place at the Library for social connection while also encouraging them to join in with learning programs and activities. Our annual ‘Great Neighbours’ competition is back, so if you have a special neighbour who you’d like to nominate for a chance to win a $100 Coles gift voucher, now’s your chance to do so. In this edition we caught up with brothers Nigel and Daniel, Housing Choices Tasmania residents, and heard how they’ve become integral members of Housing Choices Tasmania resident groups. We also celebrated National Reconciliation Week and NAIDOC Week, taking part in activities right across the State. It was the first time we participated in these important events as an organisation with an endorsed Reconciliation Action Plan, and it gave us an opportunity to learn, listen, reflect and explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in
Kim Bomford General Manager Housing Choices Tasmania the full summary of the survey results and the actions in the next edition of Home Stories. Until then, all the best from us at Housing Choices Tasmania. I hope you enjoy this edition. Kind regards, Satisfaction Survey. Your opinions and feedback are so important because they help us shape the way we deliver services to all our residents. We’ll be sharing Australia. You’ll find photos of the activities within. And finally, a very big thank you to everyone who has taken part in our Annual Housing Choices Tasmania Resident
energy efficient homes. We launched another community housing
development in Marys Hope Road, Rosetta, with homes for 26 households, including people living with a disability. It was lovely to have the chance to meet and speak with some of the wonderful residents who now have a safe, secure and affordable place to call home. We’ve included some photos of these launches inside this edition of Home Stories. We also officially opened the Library Bean Kiosk with our partners from the Burnie Library in June, with some of our residents coming along to celebrate the launch. We were joined by
Cover image: Resident Nigel presenting a handmade gift of a wood burning on Huon Pine to Karen from Library Bean, with Burnie City Councillor Giovanna Simpson looking on in the background.
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It’s back... Housing Choices Tasmania’s annual Reward Your Neighbour competition! Do you have a neighbour who brightens your day? Maybe they always make time for a laugh and a chat, or they’ve gone out of their way to help you. Why not show your appreciation by nominating them for the Housing Choices Tasmania’s Reward Your Neighbour Competition? All nominees will go into the running to win one of five $100 Coles gift voucher. Nominations close on 1 November 2022 and winners will be drawn later in November. You can place a nomination by contacting Housing Choices Tasmania’s Community Development team. Remember to tell us: • Who you want to nominate (name and address) • What makes them a Good Neighbour
Library Bean Kiosk opens
The café, called the Library Bean Kiosk, is located inside the Burnie Library, and aims to build social connection and community bonds while providing direct links to supported pathways into Burnie Library learning programs and activities. It also provided work experience opportunities for those taking part in the training. The launch had a terrific turnout with about 150 Housing Choices staff, residents and other local organisation members attending the cafe to celebrate its opening. Serving hot drinks, soups and baked goods, the Library Bean Kiosk is a partnership between Housing Choices, the Burnie Library and Burnie Community House.
Our Housing Choices Tasmania residents have been busy learning the art of great coffee making while gaining accredited hospitality and barista training at a new café in Burnie. Top: left to right: Lillian and Hayley from Burnie Community House, Karen from the Library Bean and Kim Bomford from Housing Choices Tasmania. Middle: James and Ellen from Housing Choices Tasmania enjoying the Library Bean’s coffee.
Mail:
HCA Community Development Team 5 Steele St Devonport TAS 7310
Email:
communitydevelopmenttas @hcau.org.au
1300 312 447 Call:
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Curtains for You Program
East Devonport Mid-Winter Feast Housing Choices Tasmania residents were among 75 people who attended a mid-winter feast at the East Devonport Football Club. As well as enjoying a community lunch, the East Devonport Neighbourhood House event was an opportunity for residents to donate cans of baked beans, soups, pasta sauces
Is your home in need of a bit of colour? Housing Choices Tasmania is partnering with Wedge Street Community House in Smithton to give residents the chance to make their own block-out double curtains! Perfect for keeping your home cosy in winter and helping to keep the heat out in the summer. Come along and learn a new skill in a friendly and relaxed environment... and best of all there’s no cost. For more information contact Natasha at Wedge Street Community House on (03) 6452 1266 .
and other long-lasting food to support the Neighbourhood House’s emergency food pantry. Thanks to all who were able to attend and generously donate. Above and below: participants enjoying a meal at the East Devonport mid-Winter feast.
Above: Residents Maxine (top image) and Renee (above) making their own curtains.
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Small animals having big impact For many Housing Choices Tasmania residents, pets are important family members and housemates. For this edition of Home Stories, we spoke to some residents about how having a pet makes a house a home. Nigel and Daniel Osbourne. Housing Choices Tasmania residents, housemates and brothers Nigel (48) and Daniel (41) lived with their cat, Tiddles, in Somerset. The pair were gifted the feisty, long-haired feline 16 years ago. Sadly, Tiddles passed away a couple of months ago, leaving Nigel and Daniel grieving the loss of their beloved friend – but with a lifetime worth of memories together. “A friend of Daniel’s had a cat who had kittens and they gave one to us,” Nigel said. “She was only four weeks old when we got her, which is probably a bit young … Tiddles immediately became a significant member of the family pack. “It’s good to have a cat or an animal around,” Nigel said.
Nigel pictured above.
management transfer. In the past eight years they’ve become valued members of a range of
“Tiddles would always be doing something silly, which would make me laugh. “We previously had a budgie, a German Shepard … and a mixed bread Corgi-Terrier. We almost got another cat too.” About three years ago, Nigel and Daniel trialled bringing another cat into the mix – but Tiddles wouldn’t have a bar of it. “Tiddles had been a solo cat for so many years. She really ruled the roost.” Nigel and Daniel joined the Housing Choices community in 2014 when their two- bedroom property was transferred to HCT from Housing Tasmania as part of the original Better Housing Futures
Housing Choices Tasmania groups, including Fun Fridays, Sewing with Jo and Christmas in July, as well as joining other residents for community barbeques. Nigel has also learnt and shared his wood burning skills with other residents and had his work showcased at a local coffee shop. “I use a tool to burn a design into Huon Pine. I’ll burn sayings like: ‘have a nice day’,” Nigel said. “Housing Choices are doing something for the community, and I’ve met some good people.”
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Ministers launch social housing in the south
At Oakdowns, near Hobart, resident Marko showed Minister Barnett around 16 new energy efficient homes. The pair were joined by a range of guests including Housing Choices Chair, Heather McCallum, General Manager Tasmania, Kim Bomford and Managing Director Michael Lennon. Single dad Marko said Oakdowns was his first experience of community housing and that the housing quality as well as its proximity to education and work opportunities had been a life changer after years of insecure housing and no fixed address. “I can’t explain how much a stable, affordable and comfortable home has helped us. It’s got everything we want,” he said. In Rosetta, Federal Minister for Housing and Homelessness, Hon Julie Collins, planted a native tree in the communal garden at the property that has
provided much-needed social housing to 26 households, including people with disability. With the Tasmanian public waiting list at 4500 and Hobart one of the most expensive cities in Australia to rent, relative to income, General Manager Kim Bomford said the creation of good quality, social housing in Tasmania was more urgent than ever. “We see first-hand the need to deliver quality, secure, affordable housing to those in our community who are vulnerable for many and varied reasons and increasingly for those that are unable to pay market rent and are completely locked out of private ownership.”
Above: Federal Minister for Housing and Homelessness, Julie Collins helping a resident plant a tree. During Homelessness Week in August, Housing Choices Tasmania residents were joined by a range of government officials, including Federal Housing Minister Hon Julie Collins, State Housing Minister Guy Barnett and Tasmanian Senator Carol Brown, as well as Housing Choices staff and guests to formally launch two architecturally designed social and affordable housing projects in the state’s south. The developments were both completed during COVID lockdowns in 2021.
Below: Housing Choices General Manager Tasmania Kim Bomford, Federal Minister for Housing and Homelessness, Hon Julie Collins and resident Marko.
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Above: Karen from HCT getting her face painted by Karen Smart, contemporary cultural artist.
NAIDOC Week and National Reconciliation Week
Trawlwoolway Tasmanian First Nations man David mangebber Gough gave an invigorating Welcome to Country. Activist and Uluru Statement from the Heart campaigner Thomas Mayor and Tasmanian Australian Youth of the Year Kaytlyn Johnson also spoke on their passion for the enshrinement of the Voice to Parliament and experience growing up as a Palawa youth in Tasmania. For NAIDOC Week from 3 to 10 July, Housing Officer Karen and Community Development Officer Ellen attended a flag raising ceremony at Tiagarra Aboriginal Cultural Centre and Museum. The day included a book launch for luwa tara luwa waypa, written by Dave mangenner Gough, which follows a young Tasmanian warrior who finds strength in connecting with the spirit of his ancestors. Our staff also attended the Community Kids NAIDOC Celebration with Ulverstone Neighbourhood House where we got creative painting river stones and enjoyed some delicious damper.
Learn how to make a delicious meal by cooking with locals Want to learn a tasty new recipe that you can recreate easily at home? Every Monday from 1:30 to 3:00pm, a group at the Devonport Community House get together to cook. The program, ‘Cooking with Locals’ has been very popular since it started in 2021, with 105 participants making over 300 meals. With a focus on fresh and affordable ingredients, most meals use fresh produce grown in the Devonport Community House Food shed. It’s a wonderful opportunity to meet friendly locals and connect with your community.
We had a wonderful time with our Tasmanian community over the last couple of months celebrating, learning, and reflecting on reconciliation during National Reconciliation Week and NAIDOC Week. During Reconciliation Week, from 27 May to 3 June our staff and the Tasmanian community truly embraced the theme ‘Be Brave. Make Change’. Many attended the ‘Welcome to Reconciliation Tasmania 2022 Reconciliation Week Breakfast’ where Above: Nicole (pictured left) from No.34 Aboriginal Health Service with Karen from Housing Choices Tasmania.
For more information or to register your interest please
contact the Devonport Community House on (03) 6424 7060 . Above: residents and HCT staff gather to launch the Library Bean café. Devonport residents with their hot meal and freshly made garlic bread.
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Home Stories Spring puzzle Win a $50 Bunnings voucher! Find all of the words in the word search except for one, which is not actually in the grid. Words may be forward, backward, up, down or diagonal. E OZ SUNSHINERPOU WCANBUTTERFLYTZ A T S TEGARDENNPPQ L OP IHSDNEIRFJBQ K BTXCETAHRCVVJN I EUMZVVKTPOLLEN N RORQATUWAHAAIS G SROSEXZOGNIRPS WRPPHLDSREWOLFR MOS SOLBJGNIGNIS
FIND THESE WORDS IN THE GRID
OCTOBER NEST WALKING SINGING
FLOWERS LEAVES FRIENDSHIP SUNSHINE
GARDEN BUTTERFLY PICNIC POLLEN
SPRING GROWTH BLOSSOM SPROUT
Once you’ve found all the words in the word search contact our Community Development Team with the remaining word on 1300 312 447 or send an email to communitydevelopmenttas@hcau.org.au to go in the draw to win a $50 Bunnings voucher. Please also include your name, home address and contact number. Entries for the competition close on Tuesday 1 November 2022 . Maximum one entry per household. Congratulations to the winner of last editions puzzle, you will be notified in the mail with the prize/voucher.
Disclaimer: To the best of Housing Choices Australia’s knowledge (Housing Choices), this information is valid at the time of publication. Housing Choices makes no warranty or representation in relation to the content or accuracy of the material in this publication. Housing Choices expressly disclaims any and all liability (including liability for negligence) in respect of use of information provided. Housing Choices recommends you seek independent professional advice prior to making any decision involving matters outlined in this publication.
General Enquiries 1300 312 447
Hobart Level 7, 39 Murray Street Hobart TAS 7000 Devonport 5 Steele Street Devonport TAS 7310 Shorewell Plaza 11A Wiseman Street Shorewell Park TAS 7320
Maintenance
1300 512 583
hctinfo@hcau.org.au
housingchoices.org.au
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