Winter 2026
Listening and Learning from Residents P3 Dealing with mould and damp P4 Know your rights P7
Resident of Queens Walk sharing her Nigerian coffee with the community
HChoicesTAS
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Foreword
Above left: Leilani in Hobart with HCA staff. Above middle: Leilani spending time with TAS resident. Above right: Leilani visiting the New Street development in Latrobe with HCA staff.
Since joining Housing Choices Australia, I've been fortunate to visit many of our communities across Australia. Here are a few highlights from those visits. The highlight of these early months has definitely been the conversations I've had with residents. Hearing your stories, experiences and ideas has given me valuable insight into what matters most and has reinforced why the work we do is so important. During my visit to Tasmania, I had the opportunity to spend time in communities across the state. In Hobart, I had a chance to visit some of our sites and residents and had the opportunity to see the community in action. My travels also took me to Devonport, Shorewell Park and Latrobe, where I toured a range of properties and visited the New Street development in Latrobe, which will provide new homes for residents in the coming months.
What stood out most during my visit was the warm welcome I received (despite the cold weather) and the strong connections that exist across our Tasmanian communities. Going forward my focus is on listening, learning and building on the strong foundations already in place. I look forward to meeting many more residents in the months ahead and continuing to strengthen the communities we're proud to support. Thank you for the warm welcome I've received across the country so far. I look forward to meeting many more residents and continuing to build on the strong communities that make Housing Choices so special. Warm regards, Leilani Frew Chief Executive Officer
Hello everyone, Having joined Housing Choices Australia as CEO in June, I wanted to take this opportunity to introduce myself and say hello to residents across our communities in this Winter edition of Home Stories .
Acknowledgement of Country In the spirit of reconciliation Housing Choices Tasmania acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout lutruwita (Tasmania) and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
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Above: Residents from our Devonport focus group with facilitator Aley from CHIA NSW.
Listening and learning from residents
In our last newsletter, we shared the results of our 2025 Resident Satisfaction Survey and the actions we were taking. Since then, we have continued listening to residents through our recent pulse survey and resident focus groups. Resident focus groups In May we held 10 resident focus groups across Australia with new and long-term residents. In Tasmania we held three focus groups in Shorewell Park, Devonport and Hobart. These groups were run by an independent organisation Community Housing Industry Association NSW (CHIA NSW) and discussed important topics raised in the 2025 survey including: • what good housing service looks like • tenant rights • communication • customer service Thank you to the residents who took part in these groups. We’ll receive a report in late August and look forward to sharing the findings with you.
Pulse Survey results In June we sent a short online survey to a sample of our residents. The survey asked about your most recent contact with us and how you found our communication and customer service. Key Results 1,400 households completed the survey 78% said staff were helpful 84% said staff treated them
of residents were satisfied with communications and 69% were satisfied with response times. We also received positive feedback about the helpfulness of staff, face to face interactions and enquires around inspections, maintenance, resident groups and offers of housing. What you said we could do better We also heard that we could improve your experience when communicating with you by email, about feedback or complaints, debt and repayments, and about the outcome of your enquiry. What's next? The feedback from our surveys and focus groups will be reviewed to help improve our services.
with respect and professionalism 73% said staff clearly
explained the process or information
72% were satisfied with response times 70% felt their enquiry was handled well 64% were happy with the outcome of their query What you said we did well We heard that residents are seeing improvements compared to our 2025 Resident Satisfaction Survey, where 71%
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Dealing with Damp & Mould
Housing Choices warmly invites you to join us for our End of Year Celebration Lunch as we celebrate the festive season together. Come along to enjoy great food and the opportunity to connect with other residents and our team. End of year Celebration Lunches Thursday 26th November Somerset / Wynyard / Burnie Wednesday
Condensation and mould can occur on any surface, look unpleasant, and can increase the risk of illness. Mould is usually black but can be other colours including greens, yellows, pinks, grey, or white.
Tips to prevent mould in your home:
Open windows to ventilate rooms during the day especially when showering, cooking and washing to help remove moisture from the air.
Treating mould in the home: If mould appears, treat it as soon as possible. You can spray it with white vinegar, leave for an hour then wipe clean with water and dry.
Use your kitchen fan when cooking
Open your curtains or blinds everyday - sunlight helps stop mould. Wipe water droplets off walls, windows and windowsills when you see it. Clean your exhaust fans regularly (if you struggle to reach ask a neighbour or family member to help). Always use the exhaust fan when you shower or take a bath and leave it on until the steam is gone. Keep your home at a constant temperature, rather than heating in bursts when it is cold or wet outside.
2nd December West Ulverstone Tuesday 8th December Hobart Thursday 10th December East Devonport Wednesday 16th December Latrobe
What should I do if I take actions to prevent mould and condensation but the mould won’t go away? If you are having problems keeping the mould away or have further questions please contact your housing officer or our
If you can, hang washing outside to dry.
Please RSVP by calling us on our mainline, texting 0436 408 572 or emailing cetas@hcau.org.au by
Keep floors clear of clothes, especially if wet. Make sure shoes and clothes are dry before putting them away.
maintenance team on 1300 312 447 .
Friday 30th October . When you get in touch please let us know your name and which celebration you will be attending.
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Winter 2025 Our national service model P3 Letitia heals with art P5 Sally's winter warmer recipe P7
Resident artist Letitia's colourful bee painting.
HChoicesTAS
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Above left: Residents, staff and organisations enjoying the Queens Walk expo.
Queens Walk Expo
Have your say on Home Stories We want to make sure this newsletter supports you. We would love to hear what you think about Home Stories . Please tell us: ∞ what you find helpful ∞ what you would like to see more of ∞ how we can improve future updates You can also share ideas and let us know if you’d like to be involved in a future edition. Please scan the QR code below to complete the short feedback form. If you prefer to give feedback about Home Stories over the phone contact 1300 312 447 or email cetas@hcau.org.au .
Queens Walk Community Expo – A Great Community Success! The Queens Walk Community Expo was a fantastic day of connection, bringing together 80–100 residents, service providers, local organisations, and staff for a fun and welcoming community event. Highlights included: • A moving Welcome to Country
Residents shared exciting ideas for future activities, including: • Arts and skill-building programs in the community room. • A weekend free market with donated goods and fresh produce. • Live music events in the BBQ area. Service providers shared very positive feedback and are interested in continuing to work with the Queens Walk community. A big thank you to everyone who attended, participated, and helped make the event such a success. The Expo showed the strength of the Queens Walk community and the importance of coming together to create connection, inclusion, and belonging.
by Cody, creating a respectful and inclusive start to the day. • Positive community connections with Karadi Aboriginal Services, TasFire, Hobart City Council, Playgroup Tasmania, and local police. • Residents enjoyed meeting service providers, sharing ideas, and learning about available community supports. • Police officers built great rapport with young people through friendly activities, conversations, basketball, and ice cream. • The BBQ area became a social hub where residents connected, shared food, and built new friendships. • A resident volunteer added a special cultural touch by sharing traditional Nigerian coffee with the community. • Children and young people enjoyed the activities and showed great community spirit, including helping service providers pack up.
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Pizza in the Park: Smithton
Christmas in July
The spirit of Christmas came alive in July as the East Devonport Community House partnered with Housing Choices to provide a Christmas in July celebration, bringing together approximately 100 community members for a day filled with warmth, laughter, and connection. The event provided a fantastic opportunity for people of all ages to come together, enjoy a delicious Christmas-style meal, and embrace the festive atmosphere despite the winter weather. The room was filled with cheerful decorations, smiling faces, and the joy of catching up with friends, neighbours, and new acquaintances. A highlight of the day was seeing the community connect through conversation, shared meals, and festive activities. Events like these play an important role in reducing social isolation and strengthening the sense of belonging within our community. The East Devonport Community House would like to thank everyone who attended and helped make the event such a success. We are also incredibly grateful to our dedicated staff, volunteers, and supporters whose hard work and generosity made the day possible. With around 100 people in attendance, the overwhelming community support demonstrated just how valued these opportunities are. The Christmas in July celebration was a wonderful reminder that the true spirit of Christmas is not about the season, but about kindness, friendship, and bringing people together.
Pizza in the Park was a free community event held for our Smithton residents, providing complimentary pizza, games, and an opportunity for residents to come together in a relaxed and welcoming environment. The event successfully encouraged social interaction among residents, helping to strengthen community connections and reduce feelings of social isolation due to these residents being situated in a very remote area. Residents of all ages participated in activities, met neighbours, and enjoyed spending time together in a positive setting. Providing free food and entertainment removed financial barriers to participation and supported resident wellbeing by creating an inclusive and enjoyable experience. The event also fostered a greater sense of belonging and community pride within the housing community. Overall, Pizza in the Park was a successful initiative that promoted social inclusion, enhanced resident engagement, and contributed to stronger community relationships.
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Being a good neighbour
Housing Choices expects residents to be considerate neighbours and respect the right of everyone to enjoy the peace and privacy of their own home. As a resident you are responsible not only for your own behaviour, but also the behaviour of your household members and visitors. Showing consideration towards your neighbours can prevent problems occurring. Being a considerate neighbour ∞ Avoid playing a lot of loud music or hosting late night events and large gatherings. ∞ Don’t block other cars when you park and make sure to park in designated areas. ∞ Avoid using loud tools or appliances early in the morning or late at night. ∞ Make sure dogs are on lead outside, don’t bark all day or damage neighbours’ property. ∞ Always treat neighbours with respect — don’t threaten, harass, or use abusive language. ∞ Respect communal areas/facilities. Don’t leave rubbish or damage property. ∞ Respect your neighbour’s rights and privacy. ∞ In high density living please be mindful of making noise in lifts, hallways and late at night. Being tolerant of others We house a wide variety of people, and it is important to recognise that some noises and differences in lifestyle are normal. You should expect that there may be small common neighbourhood sounds like a occasional dog barks, people coming and going, music from a BBQ or children playing. How we can help While we do encourage understanding between neighbours, we recognise that issues can occur. We will always try to help you resolve neighbour issues whether it is to give advice on how to manage the issue, inform you of who you should report to or investigate serious claims of anti-social behaviour. Please note that as a landlord Housing Choices can only act if your neighbours behaviour has potentially breached the Residential Tenancies Act TAS 1997.
Know your rights Above: SDA resident speaking with HCA staff member.
Information for residents with disability
Your rights in your home are important to us. We want residents to feel safe, respected and included. Knowing your rights can help you make choices about your home and your life. Over the last 12 months, in partnership with VALID, the Victorian Advocacy League for Individuals with Disability, Housing Choices Australia has undertaken a co-design process with residents with disability, to create resources for residents with disability about their rights. Residents shared their ideas and experiences to help make the information easy to understand and useful. How we will share this information We will contact residents living in Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) to provide information about their rights.
We look forward to sharing this important information with our SDA residents.
Funded by the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission grants program
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Home Stories Winter puzzle Win a prize!
HAVE A COZY NIGHT IN WITH THESE WORDS IN THE GRID: SNOW is not actually in the grid. Words may be forward, backward, up, down or diagonal. Find all the words in the word search except for one, which
JVJUMPERTSKRH SEVOLGWQJSNOW LTYCDZFSJQHCU BEANI EHCSKSBT HLOMNHDA I I KVH LCIBTSORFSIEE SHMZSOCFL I I JR T I LMZSSOUPNAM VLDRHAWYAVGTA OLJNIARXDTSUL EYLEYEODKDVOS
JUMPER RAIN SOUP CHILLY COAT THERMALS GLOVES
BEANIE SKIING BLIZZARD FROST SCARF FIREPLACE
To go in the draw, contact our Community Engagement team with the remaining word by calling 1300 312 447 , emailing cetas@hcau.org.au Make sure you include your name, home address, and contact number. Entries for the competition close Friday 23 October 2026. Maximum one entry per household. Congratulations to Chloe, last edition’s puzzle prize winner.
Useful contacts
Emergency Relief Tasmania: 1800 647 995 Monday to Wednesday from 12:30pm – 2:30pm
National Debt Helpline: 1800 007 007 Lifeline: 13 11 14 QLife: 1800 184 527
1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732 SANE: www.sane.org/
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
All Enquiries 1300 312 447 contact@hcau.org.au
0451 266 242 (SMS/WhatsApp)
facebook.com/HChoicesTAS
housingchoices.org.au
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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