2025 End of Year Celebration Highlights P3 Our Perth Office is moving P5 We are making it easier to contact us! P7 Summer 2025
Residents at our 2025 Bunbury End of Year Celebration.
HChoicesWA
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Hannah Harvey Executive Director – Customer Services Foreword from
Welcome to a new year with Housing Choices. As we step into 2026, I’m pleased to share some updates, reflections, and news from across our communities. We ended last year on a high with our end-of-year lunches across the country. These events were a wonderful way for our residents to enjoy a shared meal, connect with staff and neighbours, and celebrate the end of another year together. Thank you to
everyone who came along and helped make them such a positive way to finish 2025. Reflecting on the year that has been we have made a huge impact with delivering several development projects across the country including 210 new homes that add to our social and affordable housing stock and house more people in secure accommodation. I also want to sincerely thank all residents who completed our 2025 Resident Satisfaction Survey in December. Your feedback plays a central role in shaping our direction as an organisation. It helps us understand our residents’ experiences, focus on what matters most to you, and continue strengthening the services we provide. We look forward to sharing the results with you in our next edition. We’re also pleased to share that this February marks the launch of our new digital Contact Centre, designed
to make it easier for our residents to connect with us in the way that suits them best. Whether you prefer to call, email, message, or use new digital channels, you will have more choice and a smoother experience when you get in touch. You’ll find more information in this edition about the launch, what it means for you, and what to expect.
This year also brings an exciting change for WA,
with our Perth metro office moving from Rivervale to a more central location in East Perth. The new space will offer closer connections with our sector partners and residents. You can read all the details about the move inside this edition. As we look to the year ahead, we’ll keep building on our foundations and delivering services shaped by what matters most to residents. I wish everyone a great start to the year.
Acknowledgement of Country In the spirit of reconciliation Housing Choices WA acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Noongar boodja (land) where we are based. We acknowledge their connections to land, sea and community and 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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2025 End-of-Year Celebration Above and below: Residents and staff at our Bunbury, Mandurah and Hilton end-of-year celebrations.
To wrap up 2025, we held three festive end-of-year lunches in Bunbury, Mandurah and Hilton, bringing together residents from across the Perth metro area, the Peel region and the Southwest. More than 150 residents, support workers and staff attended, filling each event with energy, laughter and friendly conversation. This year, we also introduced a fun new addition - prizes for the most festive and fun outfits - which added to the sense of celebration. Live music at the events created a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere, and at our Mandurah lunch the music was so good it even sparked a conga line around the room. Between the delicious meal, light-hearted quiz games, photo booth moments, and raffle prizes, the celebrations offered plenty of opportunities to connect and reflect on the year that’s been, surrounded by good food, friendly faces and plenty of smiles.
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Spring Gardening Competition winners
Before
After
Our 2025 Spring Garden Competition brought in some truly outstanding entries, and we’re excited to share the winning gardens and the residents behind them. Winners received a $100 Bunnings gift card, with $50 awarded to our highly commended gardeners.
Best Transformation Garden – Joe and Elizabeth (above)
Joe and Elizabeth were new to gardening but wanted a space to grow their own food and enjoy the outdoors. Using free materials from Gumtree and learning new skills over time, they’ve transformed their yard into an impressive space.
Best Edible Garden – Raymond (above) Raymond’s edible garden is filled with natives, aloe vera, chillies and herbs which he uses to make chutneys, sauces and pickles. With six olive trees and a homemade tube garden, his space showcases an impressive harvest.
Best Backyard Oasis – Melissa (above) Nominated by her Housing Officer, Melissa has created a beautiful backyard oasis with lush greenery and gentle shading that creates a calm, jungle-like atmosphere.
Highly Commended gardens: Trish for her verge garden transformation Kaiya a 12-year-old gardener developing her green thumb Margaret for her blooming flower garden Natalia for her well-manicured backyard.
Best Flower Garden – Anna (above) Anna’s backyard is alive with colour. Blooming pots and leafy plants create a bright, joyful space that is a well-deserved winner of Best Flower Garden.
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Our Perth office is moving!
We’re excited to share that our Perth head office will be moving from Rivervale to East Perth in mid-February 2026. When we move, our Rivervale office will close, and we’ll start welcoming residents at our new location at Level 2, 6-8 Bennett Street, East Perth. Our new location reflects feedback from our resident advisory committee to be more central, closer to other services and easier to access via public transport.
Our new office location Address: Level 2, 6–8 Bennett Street, East Perth WA 6004
What this means for you Nothing about your tenancy or our services will change because of the office relocation. There may be a short period when the office is closed while we move and visits are by appointment only while we settle in. We’ll share further information about our office opening dates and arrangements as soon as they are confirmed. Please note only our Perth office is relocating.
Getting to our new office Our new office location makes it easier to visit us by public transport, with frequent train and bus connections across Perth. Residents on any train line can get off at Perth Station and catch the regular, free Yellow CAT bus, which stops a short walk from our new office. Paid parking is also available via short-stay street parking on Bennett Street or the Wilson car park connected to our office building. Our new building has ramp and stair access to a ground floor lobby. Our office is on level 2 accessed via a single lift. We will have plenty of signage to help make your visit to our new office as smooth as possible.
Any questions? If you have any questions, please get in touch. We’ll continue to keep you updated, and we are excited to welcome you to our new space.
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Staying safe this bushfire season We have already seen many bushfires across the country this Summer so it’s important to take a few simple steps to keep your home and household safe during bushfire season.
A slice of community fun in Mandurah In October we held our first Pizza in the Park event in Mandurah - a relaxed, family-friendly way for residents to connect with each other and with Housing Choices staff. More than 40 residents, family members, children and staff came along for an afternoon of pizza, games, arts and crafts during the school holidays. The event created a welcoming space for residents to chat to staff, ask questions and build relationships in an informal setting. It was great to see neighbours meeting for the first time, reconnecting with familiar faces and enjoying time together in the sunshine. We look forward to bringing Pizza in the Park to more areas in 2026.
Prepare your home and garden Clear away dry leaves, branches and rubbish from balconies, courtyards and garden areas. Regularly mow lawns and trim back dry or overgrown plants where you can, especially near doors, windows and air-conditioning units. If using a BBQ this summer, keep it away from flammable materials, never leave it unattended, and make sure to turn it off after use. Be ready for emergencies Stay informed by downloading the Emergency WA app visiting emergency.wa.gov.au or calling 13 33 37 . Have a bushfire plan, especially if you live in a bushfire-prone area so you know what to pack, when to leave and where to go. For advice and examples of bushfire safety plans, visit your state emergency services website or app listed above.
Say hello to Pet Social!
Have you thought about contents insurance?
We’re kicking off a new regular feature in Home Stories that celebrates the animals who brighten our lives every day. Each edition, we’ll feature a resident’s pet and their story and they will win a $25 voucher and personalised pet pack . Want to be featured? Send a photo and a short story about your pet to alex.kepes@hcau.org.au or text 0437 887 675.
Contents insurance is optional, but it can help protect your personal belongings if they’re damaged or lost due to accidents or emergencies, such as a fire. Having cover in place can provide peace of mind. If you’re considering contents insurance, take time to find a provider and level of cover that suits your needs and budget.
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We are making it easier to contact us!
What’s changing? For all your enquiries including maintenance you can now reach us using: • One phone number • One email address • New digital options: SMS, WhatsApp, and website Live Chat All enquiries go to the same Contact Centre team and are recorded in one system. This means you won’t need to repeat your details, and our team can help you faster. Our Contact Centre is staffed by experienced Customer Service Officers who work from our Housing Choices offices. Having one team and one system helps us respond quickly, provide more consistent service, and better understand your needs over time. From Monday 2 February 2026, Housing Choices will have a new Contact Centre and updated contact details. This will help us respond faster, provide consistent service, and make it easier for you to get the help you need.
Our new contact details From Monday 2 February 2026 , you can contact us via:
Phone: 1300 312 447
Email: contact@hcau.org.au
SMS & WhatsApp text function: 0451 266 242
Live Chat: housingchoices.org.au
You’ll also see these details on the fridge magnet and flyer included with this newsletter.
Transition period Our old contact methods will remain active for a short period to make the change smooth. Over time, the new details will replace our maintenance hotlines, local phone numbers and emails.
If you have questions or need help, please get in touch. Our team is ready to support you.
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Home Stories Summer puzzle Win a $50 Bunnings voucher! To celebrate our diverse and multicultural country– our crossword is filled with delicious foods from around the world. 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.
AWXTPHCREPERE OSPUIATYNMVIN PUHMZNEBXZQSC TSGFZBJLKWAOH JHLYAXSELFVTI K IMCHIWKRAATL STRUDELZBALOA FALAFELAKPKID KHOSUMMUHYAQA DUMPL INGQRBOP IDBIRYANIVBYL
FIND THESE WORDS IN THE GRID: Sushi Paella Hummus Kimchi Pizza Gelato Enchilada Baklava Falafel Crepe Dumpling Risotto Biryani Strudel Injera
Tell us the remaining word for a chance to win a $50 Bunnings voucher! Send us your answer before Friday 27 March 2026 by: Email: alex.kepes@hcau.org.au Post: PO Box 105, Burswood WA 6100 Only one entry per household is allowed. The winner will be drawn from all correct entries. Good luck! Congratulations to Robyn from Coolbellup , winner of last edition’s puzzle.
Useful contacts National Debt Helpline: 1800 007 007 Ask Izzy: askizzy.org.au Carers Gateway: 1800 422 737
Lifeline: 13 11 14 Mental Health Emergency Response Line: 1300 555 788 (Perth region) 1800 676 822 (Peel region) Rurallink: 1800 552 002 (rural/regional WA)
Peel Office 4 Stevenson Street PO Box 1200 Mandurah WA 6210
Perth Metro Office Level 7, 25 Rowe Avenue Rivervale WA 6103 PO Box 105 Burswood WA 6100
South West Office 1 st Floor, 25 Victoria Street PO Box 1539 Bunbury WA 6230
Moving soon to Level 2, 6-8 Bennett Street, East Perth
1300 312 447 housingchoices.org.au facebook.com/HChoicesWA
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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