Kim Bomford STATE MANAGER , TASMANIA
2016-17 was another significant year for Housing Choices in Tasmania, with progress made on many fronts and successful achievements across a number of key business and community areas. Housing Choices values its national and local partnerships, and recognises the importance of those at the grass-roots level involving local stakeholders, such as contractors, support organisations, community houses, child and family centres and municipal councils. Each partnership is critical to the success of Housing Choices’ long-term vision, which is not only to provide good housing but also to support residents and communities to thrive. This will be a consistent theme throughout the years to come and is one of the many attractions of working with an organisation such as ours. In Tasmania, Housing Choices now manages 1,464 homes across the state with 1,142 of those located in the North West region under the Better Housing Futures Program (BHF), which was initiated by the state government in 2014. We are now three years into the initial 10-year agreement and, by any measure, it is operating very successfully. We manage a further 275 homes under separate agreements and we own and manage 42 homes in our own right. We continued to progress our goal to increase our owned portfolio and news of the success of a recent bid to deliver an additional 36 homes into the affordable housing market was received with great excitement by the team in Tasmania. We will deliver five additional homes under the state government’s Community Housing Stock Leverage Program , together with 31 new homes under its Regional Supply initiative, in which a strategic alliance with Latrobe Council resulted in approval to transfer four of these homes to local council ownership. It is this kind of collaborative effort that leads to such positive outcomes for the community. This project will see Housing Choices inject close to $4.5 million into the region, with flow-on benefits to local contractors and local industry in general. Work now begins on a development schedule for delivery by the end of June 2019.
Housing Choices’ residents across Tasmania continue to receive a high-quality service. This is reflected in their responses to the annual Resident Satisfaction Survey, which showed an increased level of satisfaction state-wide with our services (89 per cent). Residents housed through a variety of programs in Tasmania remain extremely stable, with those in the North West region continuing to embrace our local service and the extensive community engagement work that we undertake there. To a large extent, it is our willingness to engage actively in building the capacity of our residents’ neighbourhoods and communities that sets us apart. This work, in combination with quality tenancy and property management, is key to the renewal and long-term sustainability of the communities that we serve. Community-focused achievements this year included commitment of $110,000 to community development programs and activities and our Resident Community Fund Grants Program , which, in turn, helped to fund: • Living Well Program , which aims to build self-esteem and confidence, effective speaking and interview skills, savings on day-to-day living costs, healthy living and garden and home maintenance • $1,000 scholarships to the children of a number of our residents to further their educational aspirations • Inspiring Our Kids youth education program • Technology tutoring through Ulverstone Neighbourhood House • Harmony Day community cultural celebration • Teen Cuisine weekend cooking for youths, and • ANZAC memorial garden. All these projects were initiated either by residents or stakeholders and delivered in partnership with the relevant groups and organisations - a testament to the dedication of the communities involved. We also increased participation
levels through our Resident Advisory Committee and were successful in a grant funding application to deliver the 2018 Harmony Day event in Hobart. This year’s many operational achievements are the result of the dedication and hard work of the entire Tasmanian team, which was ably supported by our corporate head office. These include: • Successful implementation of the Rapid Rehousing Program , which assists people escaping family violence into affordable accommodation through the provision of properties that are head-leased from the private rental market • 100% success in approval of National Rental Affordability Scheme (NRAS) incentives • Delivery of $3.1 million in maintenance works • Delivery of $700,000 in upgrade works • Successful wrap-up of the incentive program for residents changing to a lease with Housing Choices • Achievement of a 98% occupancy rate • Reduction in turnaround times on vacated properties to seven days • Increase in the number of tenancies maintained to 89%, and • Continued compliance under the National Regulatory System for Community Housing (NRSCH), retaining our Tier 1 status. The day-to-day work of Housing Choices in Tasmania is truly gratifying. Our staff is committed, our partners are dedicated, and our residents and the broader community have a wealth of passion that is matched with the drive and ability to make real and positive change.
Our People - Annual Report 2016-17 13.
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