2024 Resident Survey snapshot P3 Who you gonna call? P4 Community Garden in the CBD P5 Autumn 2025
Mr Honey the rooster with chickens at the Common Ground Community Garden.
HChoicesSA
a positive impact and ensuring everyone has access to an affordable, comfortable, and supportive home. Thank you for being part of our journey, and we hope you enjoy reading about the progress we are making together. I would also like to take this opportunity to share a good news story with you. A former Transitional Housing Management (THM) tenant, who had been homeless for five years, started his tenancy with us in 2020. With the support of our partners, Thorne Harbour, he has stabilised his physical and mental health, secured employment, and rebuilt his life. By the end of 2024, he reached an incredible milestone- purchasing his very own one-bedroom home and becoming a proud homeowner. This is a strong reminder as to why we do what we do - helping people find stability, security, and a place to call home. The Community Engagement Team in South Australia is evolving, and we’re excited to
welcome some fantastic new team members on board! If you see them around, be sure to say hello and give them a warm welcome. I am also thrilled to introduce our new Director of Housing Services, Cynara Miles. Originally from Perth, Cynara brings over two decades of experience in the housing and community
I hope you all had a wonderful summer and found some time to relax and recharge. This edition of Homes Stories is packed with exciting updates, stories, and important news. We’ve included a special section highlighting some of our most anticipated housing projects underway across Australia, where we’re not only building more homes but also improving the quality of living for people and families in need. From new developments to community initiatives, we are committed to making From Hannah Harvey Executive Group Director Customer Services
housing sectors. She is deeply committed to
enhancing our services for you, our residents, through our national services model. Cynara is also passionate about addressing the needs of diverse and vulnerable communities, ensuring that we continue to improve and meet everyone’s unique requirements. We are incredibly fortunate to have Cynara join the Housing Choices team and she is looking forward to meeting you as and when opportunities arise. Please join me in giving her a warm welcome when you see her.
Acknowledgement of Country Housing Choices South Australia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land where this publication is produced, the Kaurna people, and pay our respects to Elders past and present. We celebrate the stories, culture and traditions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples who are part of the Housing Choices community.
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2024 Resident Survey snapshot
A huge thank you to all residents who took part in our 2024 annual survey! With 35% of SA residents sharing their feedback, your input is essential in shaping our services. While the survey is conducted nationally, we’re highlighting state specific results to make sure what you see aligns with your experiences locally. Our learnings from each state will allows us to focus on local improvements but also share best practices across the country as we move toward a national service model, ensuring a consistent and high-quality experience for our residents across the country. We’re now developing local and national action plans based on your insights and will share updates in the Winter edition of Home Stories .
Your satisfaction with our services
satisfied with neighbourhood 84 %
satisfied with condition of home 80 %
72 %
74 %
satisfied with repairs and maintenance service
satisfied with repairs and maintenance quality
satisfied with resident involvement 69 %
satisfied with communications 78 %
72 %
satisfied with how we take your views into account
1. Repairs and Maintenance. 2. Overall condition of home. 3. Communications with Housing Choices. 4. Listening to tenant views and acting on them. Areas of service most important to residents
1. Social and wellbeing activities. 2. Understanding more about maintenance and repairs. 3. Dealing with anti-social behaviour. 4. Learning about local community services. Activities residents are most interested in
Survey prize draw winners
Congratulations to the winners of our survey prize draw! 10 residents from across WA, VIC, SA, and TAS were randomly selected from all national survey respondents to receive a $100 gift voucher. Our winners are Glen, Alice, Scout, Michael, Anne, Beverley, Gaylene, James, Jayleesa, and Kylie.
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Have you ever wondered who to call when you need help with something? Check out our handy guide below! Who you gonna call?
Tenancy
• Rent questions
1300 312 447 infosa@hcau.org.au Your Housing Officer
including rent review
• Water bills • Home visits • Neighbour disputes
Ask Izzy – support service online tool With the changes to the Community Engagement Team in mind, we take this opportunity to share a great and handy resource. Ask Izzy is a mobile website that connects people who are in crisis with the services they need right now and nearby. Ask Izzy has over 450,000 support services for you to explore, covering topics such as food, money help, health and wellbeing, work and much more. Simply head to https://askizzy.org.au/ and explore or scan this QR code .
Resident Activities
• RSVP to activities on the Stay Active Calendar • No longer receive communications for resident activities
Our Community Engagement Team
1300 312 447 communitydevelopmentsa @hcau.org.au
Complaints
• Pet noises • Bin issues
Your local council Give us a call or email if you need assistance finding their contact information
Property
• Property Condition Survey • Smoke alarm testing
1300 312 447 infosa@hcau.org.au Your Property Officer
Complaints relating to
• Noise/loud music • Fighting • Drug-related activities or other criminal acts • Concerns for your safety
Police For emergencies
000
For non-emergencies
131 444
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Did you know that Housing Choices has a community garden, right in the heart of the CBD? The future of the garden has been hazy recently however we are proud to announce that in conjunction with Conservation SA and The Joinery, we have been able to secure its future until 30 th September 2025. Here are some key outcomes from the Adelaide Sustainability Hub Roundtable: • 68% of participants have adopted more sustainable gardening practices after engaging with the garden. • Partnerships with local schools, environmental groups and government bodies have strengthened community ties and facilitated resource sharing. • The garden acts as a visible demonstration of the benefits of urban greening, inspiring visitors to explore sustainable practices in their daily lives. Community Garden in the CBD ‘The Common Ground Community Garden is not just a green space; it’s a vibrant community hub that brings people together and inspires change. It’s taught me to see my urban environment as full of potential.’ – Garden Volunteer
The Gardening Group meets every Friday at 11am . Come on down and join us, Mr Honey the rooster, and the rest of the chickens.
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Do you know someone who is a particularly good neighbour and ticks some of the boxes below? Housing Choices Australia would like to help you thank them and recognise their contribution to the community by rewarding them. Is your neighbour: Friendly and helpful? Mindful of others? Respectful of others’ privacy and lifestyles? Or does your neighbour: Help others? Contribute to the local community? Do good deeds for others? Good Neighbour Initiative
Coffee Mornings
With Adelaide sweltering under multiple heat waves, it can be good to catch up with friends under the cool breeze of an air-conditioner. Our regular Coffee Morning group caught up twice this month to share laughter, lattes and, most importantly, friendship. Coffee mornings have always been a favourite amongst Housing Choices residents, from Walkerville to Windsor Gardens. Our Spence on Light residents have caught up with the non-Housing Choices occupants in the building since it opened to talk with like-minded people and swap stories. We caught up with Rob from Spence on Light to learn a bit more about how he came to Housing Choices and what he gets out of coffee days.
‘Close to a year before coming to live at Spence on Light, I ceased living on a boat that I owned. I used to sail and that sort of thing, but the boat became difficult to maintain due to my income.’ While he may not use his sea legs much anymore, he puts his land legs to good use in our regular walking group and coffee catch ups. ‘It’s something that I enjoy going to, I enjoy the company there. I get to meet different people not from my own building, because it’s not just for people from Spence on Light. It’s an enjoyable experience, it’s a positive experience, it’s a social experience and I’m very glad to have it nearby.’
Maintain their property? Alert others to danger?
The Good Neighbour Initiative recognises the impact that good neighbours have on our wellbeing.
To nominate a Good Neighbour, give us a call on 1300 312 447 , send us an email at communitydevelopmentsa@hcau.org.au or tell your Housing Officer . One good neighbour and one nominator will be awarded with a certificate and voucher each quarter. If you have nominated a particular neighbour before, please nominate a different one, so everyone gets a chance to be the best neighbour!
Coffee Mornings are held on Wednesdays from the common room in Light Square and all Housing Choices Australia residents are welcome to join.
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More homes, better homes across the country!
New and affordable homes at Riverwalk Estate, Werribee Victoria
Tasmania Construction at Queens Walk is well underway
Western Australia 30 new homes coming to Busselton
Residents have now moved into our 18 new homes at Riverwalk Estate in Werribee, delivered in partnership with Homes Victoria and EveryOne, a division of Metricon Homes. Eight of the houses were purchased by our valued partner Aboriginal Housing Victoria. We hope our new residents enjoy their beautiful homes and look forward to building a vibrant and welcoming community here - a part of the expansive Riverwalk Estate!
Great things are happening at our Queens Walk community in New Town, Hobart! Construction is proceeding smoothly for two new buildings, alongside the iconic 1950s towers that were renovated and expanded by Housing Choices over the last decade. This upcoming development will deliver 65 new architecturally designed social and affordable apartments for people in need. Located in the scenic surrounds of Cornelian Bay, the project will feature secure bike parking, improved landscape lighting, and inviting recreational spaces — all close to public transport and a range of outdoor facilities. Delivered in partnership with Homes Tasmania, this new community will offer comfort, connection, and convenience in a beautiful, well-connected location. Thank you to our wonderful Queens Walk residents, who have been so patient and cooperative during construction.
Located 220kms south of Perth, Busselton is a beautiful coastal town - home to the longest wooden jetty in the southern hemisphere, built in 1851! We’re excited to announce Housing Choices will build 30 new social and affordable homes here by the end of 2026, in partnership with the State Government and Development WA. Located opposite Churchill Park, a short walk from Busselton’s downtown hub of Queen Street, our residents will have easy access to public transport, shops, services, and amenities. The architect- designed development features 22 one-bedroom and 8 two-bedroom apartments, all with environmentally sustainable features. We can’t wait to kick off this exciting project.
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Home Stories Autumn puzzle Win a $50 Bunnings voucher!
Find all 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.
Find these Aussie Classics in the grid! Lamington Uluru Crocodile Dundee Platypus ACDC Wiggles Mad Max Pavlova Kakadu Bondi Wombat Mate Milo Vegemite
M A D M A X E
E X H Y U W
I
Z R
Y C M E
T B Q P
L O
L A U M O X Z N C M N M B K V R B R T W Z C L U U Y T L U A T V B M F G D K J L O P T Q L A M I N G T O N V C I P L A T Y P U S P L A B D W I G G L E S O R T D X N I V B U D A K A K M T W O P O C R O C O D I L E Q B B A Q D E D A L J
Please tell us the remaining word before Friday June 13 2025 by emailing communitydevelopmentsa@hcau.org.au Only one entry is allowed per household. The winner will score themselves a $50 Bunnings voucher and will be drawn from the correct entries. Good luck!
Useful contacts
Vinnies Emergency Assistance: Adelaide Metro: 1300 729 202 between 9am – 1pm Monday to Friday. Regional South Australia: Visit your local Vinnies Shop.
National Debt Helpline: 1800 007 007 Lifeline: 13 11 14 QLife: 1800 184 527
1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732 SANE: https://www.sane.org/
Contact us: Please get in touch at any time if you have any questions or suggestions. For maintenance requests please call 1300 153 850 or report via email: infosa@hcau.org.au
General Enquiries 1300 312 447
Maintenance
192 Waymouth Street Adelaide SA 5000
infosa@hcau.org.au housingchoices.org.au
1300 153 850
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.
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