Summer 2024
Housing Choices New Strategic Plan 2024-29 P3
Growing Together
Gardening Awards P5 2024 End of Year Resident Celebrations P7
HChoicesSA
From the Executive Director Operations For many of us, Summertime across Australia is a chance to rest and recover - slow down, take a break and spend time with neighbours, friends and loved ones.
Around the country many of our residents enjoyed end-of-year celebration events, which are always a major highlight for Housing Choices staff as well. On behalf of everyone at Housing Choices I thank all our wonderful residents for their support and valuable feedback over the year, and we look forward to delivering more and better services to all our communities in 2025.
It’s also a great time to reach out to others who could be feeling isolated or alone. We should all take the time to check in on an old friend or neighbour, to just see how they’re doing. Reading Home Stories is always a fantastic reminder just how important – and how much fun – it is to feel and be connected to our communities. True to form, the start of summer here in South Australia has been a busy one!
Read about the farewell for Mark that was held in the Square with the
Hannah Harvey Executive Director, Operations
wonderfully talented music group performing, and I hope you enjoy Lana’s parting words detailing some of the history of our Common Ground Program. It was great to celebrate our wonderful residents doing kind deeds in their communities at the Kindness Awards Lunch, and of course to celebrate the end of 2024 at our two Resident Christmas Parties.
Cover: Resident, Wendy at the 2024 end of year celebration.
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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It always pays to have a plan! Over the last year we’ve been working to update our Plan for Housing Choices’ future. We’ve had fantastic input from a whole range of experts, including residents, staff, partners and services providers. The result is our new Strategic Plan 2024-29 which was released in October. If you’re interested, you can find the Plan on our website at: https://www.housingchoices.org.au/ Housing Choices New Strategic Plan 2024-29 What does it mean for you?
about-us/our-five-year-strategic-plan/ But in a nutshell, what will it mean for you?
Our Plan focusses on 3 main aims
Build and offer more and better homes for people in need and
Become a vibrant and resilient, resident-focussed organisation.
Deliver more and better services to residents.
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create strong communities.
Everything we do will be with the diverse needs of our residents at top of mind. What works best for you, will ultimately work best for us. Nothing will happen or change in a big hurry. It’ll take some time for us to get our internal, staffing, and delivery systems in the right shape so we can become more efficient and responsive to your needs. But that’s the plan!
And at the centre of that plan is building a resident- focussed culture. We want to better maintain our existing homes, as well as build more homes, in more places, to help more people. But we will be making sure we stay utterly focussed on our current residents and their needs along the way. We will be shifting to a ‘national service model’ over time. That might
sound a bit ‘lofty’, but it’s really not. It’s
about making it easier for you to get in touch with us, and easier for us to respond to your needs - faster and better. We’ll keep all residents informed as our new Strategic Plan progresses over the next five years. But our progress will be steady and, as with everything we do, it will be built to last.
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Above: The group celebrated together with Lunch at Lime 2 Café.
‘Never Look Back’
At Housing Choices SA, we recognise that our residents often go above and beyond to help their neighbours. From shopping for a neighbour or taking the bins in and out or helping with a lift to appointment, these acts of kindness are not done for praise or recognition but to create a community where everyone feels a sense of belonging. Kindness Award Lunch
Meet Tara! Tara joined the Common
neighbours and sharing with us the kind and generous things they have done and the impact it has made on their daily lives. In November all of our 2024 nominees and those who nominated them were invited to a celebratory lunch at the Lime 2 Cafe in Light Square. Laughter and chatter filled the air as stories were told and new friendships created.
Ground community in 2019, and despite currently working two jobs, she is a familiar face around the building! Since moving in, she has always been busy working either on the Ghan & Indian Pacific as a cook, at a local cafe, a local brewery or in a fly in fly out role at a regional BHP site in SA. Tara uses coping strategies she has learnt along the way to keep herself grounded and takes her sobriety seriously. She hopes in the future to study Certificate III in Mental Health, and work as a peer support worker, to help others and maintain a good financial position. Her motto, and most recent tattoo is “Never Look Back”, and this is certainly how she lives her life!
Throughout the year residents have been nominating their
Do you have a neighbour who goes above and beyond to help those in the neigbourhood? Why not nominate them for a Housing Choices SA Kindness Award.
Send your nomination to communitydevelopmentsa@hcau.org.au
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Growing Together Gardening Awards
Above: Growing Together Committee.
The ‘Growing Together’ Gardening Awards were created to celebrate and showcase the gardening talents of community housing residents in Adelaide.
Above: Neat and Tidy Garden Competition.
Above: Justine from Housing Choices and Olga, the Runner up in the Neat and Tidy Garden.
This inaugural event saw residents and staff from 9 Community Housing Providers and Co-Ops (Believe Housing, Common Equity Housing, Community Housing Limited, Housing Choices SA, Junction, Uniting SA, Unity, Westside Housing, and Your Place Housing) and supported by CHIA SA, hold an Awards Lunch and Presentation at the Brompton Community Garden. Housing Choices SA were thrilled that Olga from Newton won runner up for “ Best Neat and Tidy Garden ”. The time and dedication she has put into her garden and outside areas is outstanding, and we congratulate her on her prize!
Above: Justine accepting the award on behalf of Olga.
Housing Choices hold an annual garden competition every Spring, so keep an eye out for an email in 2025 so you can get involved and show us your green thumb.
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Farewell from Lana & Mark
In November we said farewell to two long serving Housing Choices employees - Lana & Mark. Lana started at Common Ground back in 2007 and was instrumental in the establishment of the Common Ground program. Mark joined the Common Ground team in 2011 as a Case Coordinator before moving into the Inclusive Communities space. His ever-steady presence was far reaching in our community, and the dedication he showed to residents, staff and HCSA was outstanding. Residents and the Common Ground music group marked his service at a BBQ in Light Square. A personal farewell to our residents from Lana:
Common Ground and Housing Choices have been part of my life for over 16 years. In 2007 I started working on a project to establish a housing program to reduce homelessness in Adelaide – Common Ground Adelaide. The early days were very hands on with weekends and weeknights spent building flat pack furniture, making beds and hanging curtains. Residents and staff would hold a cooking group of an evening and allow people to come and grab a plate. We established a community garden in raised garden beds, and in pots that were then moved around to the current community garden location on Franklin Street. Our days would be spent talking and listening to people’s experiences. A grandmother who slept in her car and would head into work early to shower so she could keep her employment. Men sleeping in the parklands during the day because it was safer than at night. Larry who was sleeping in the old bus station watching the Franklin St site being built. Business people who had lost everything. Hearing about the impact of alcohol or drug dependency, the impact of mental illness on individuals and their families.
Seven years ago we expanded our services and took over the management of 800 plus Housing SA tenancies. This has allowed the organisation a platform to expand operations and continue to offer more housing. I believe we have done an exceptional job making our communities inclusive and creating opportunities for residents to participate in activities and events they might not have had previously. The efforts taken
Common Ground provided a safe place for people, a home that didn’t need to be packed up every morning, a warm shower, a bed, somewhere to close the door and know they would be safe. Places for friendships to form and community to develop. Diverse places with people who attended private schooling to those who didn’t go to school at all. A home where a parent could have regular visits from their children, which led to regaining fulltime care. A number of residents have been able to move from Common Ground and into home ownership. The success stories have continued year on year. In Port Augusta, Augusta Tce is like a caring extended family – people look out for each other, and let the staff know if they haven’t seen someone for a day or two and have a true sense of community. Death is a reality in life, and for those with no family, knowing that Common Ground became a home, and a community was always humbling. Common Ground holds a special place in my heart, and it always will.
to assist local residents to connect with their
wider community and the relationships built with local council and other services is showing to be a benefit for many households. Over 16 years I have been fortunate to have worked with some great leaders – many women, who shared their knowledge and support, and made Housing Choices a great place to work. The staff are the absolute best – all so very committed to assisting people in our community and each other. As we know, Adelaide is a small place, and it is likely we will cross paths again, so for now be kind to each other, and I will not say goodbye, and instead say see you later! 😊 Lana
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2024 end of year resident celebrations!
More than 180 residents and staff joined us for the 2024 end of year celebration lunches. After excellent feedback from last year, this year we again held two events at the Klemzig Community Hall, and in Adelaide, CBD, outside our office and CBD apartments. Attendees had the opportunity to celebrate with staff over a delicious hot lunch, catered by Plenty Catering. It is such a special opportunity to see familiar faces and meet and welcome new people to our community! Thank you to everyone for attending, and for celebrating another year with Housing Choices!
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1. Christmas Party Fun! 2. Rebeccah 3. Mick and Trev. 4. Shane, Haydon and Jimmy. 5. Director of Supportive Services, Julie with Joy, one of the raffle winners. 6. Anne and Jacqui. 7. Eldert from Plenty Catering. 8. Jeffrey. 9. Robbyn, Damien, Justine and Jeffrey. 10. Maureen.
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Home Stories Summer 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.
SANDCASTLEXKOSOESSDHCMHH HPMYBABNNFLCAUUSAPBIUFPS UKMRPAUDRAUTTNTDEPXSOGPO OLEROFBEESGACGSRAXI AXRAA WATERMELONGRPL INPCDGIUGG QOHALEOYNOARAADDONBNCECC SUNSHINENTGS I SENEUKCCOCC IRSRL ICAASE I LSTJJLKADZAD EEOUPXSLUWRMOEEXEHHLTELT EVASNOI TACAVASPRI 0STHUTH SWIMMINGIWLHAOHCEUQEBRAB NDGBINENMAERCECIDTLRSPRS I EUPRWGSTAPMOSQUI TOESOVA TCRLGNIPMACMANKEELZI SAI S SWIMSUI TFDAUNOIWPMETOLTO E S BPA T E ADP F FOX I NE E RCSNUS
FIND THESE WORDS IN THE GRID
Congratulations to Nikhil from Adelaide for solving the Spring Home Stories puzzle. The answer was ‘butterfly’.
SANDCASTLE SUNGLASSES HAMBURGERS WATERMELON
SUNSCREEN SPRINKLER VACATION SWIMSUIT
LUGGAGE SUNSHINE ICECREAM SWIMMING
BARBEQUE CAMPING OUTSIDE MOSQUITOES
Please tell us the remaining word before Friday 28 March 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!
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 our website: www.housingchoices.org.au/contact/report-a-repair
General Enquiries 1300 312 447
Maintenance
192 Waymouth Street Adelaide SA 5000
infosa@hcau.org.au housingchoices.org.au
1300 153 850
8 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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