Objective 4

Partnerships that strengthen the capacity of individuals, families and communities

The Department builds on the NSW Government’s commitment to strengthening communities and is committed to working in partnership to improve outcomes for individuals, families and neighbourhoods experiencing social and economic stress.

In 2005–06, the Department undertook a number of initiatives to build these partnerships, strengthen social housing communities, enhance the opportunities of people living in these communities and to increase their participation in the decisions that affect their lives.

Support services

Housing and Accommodation Support Initiative

The Housing and Accommodation Support Initiative (HASI) aims to improve community participation and housing stability for people with moderate to very high-level mental illness and disorders by providing accommodation support that is linked to housing.

HASI recognises the interdependence of stable housing, support services and clinical mental health services and aims to demonstrate the benefits of a partnership approach in facilitating improved outcomes and community participation for all clients.

• Under this program NSW Health provides clinical support, while the non-government sector provides non-clinical support that helps people function in their daily lives while living in the community. The Department of Housing provides the accommodation, either through community housing providers or directly.
• During 2004–05 the initiative provided 100 places of housing and support to people with high-level mental health support needs;
• In June 2005 this program was expanded to provide 460 packages of support to people with low-level mental health support needs; and
• During 2005–06 the Department of Housing and NSW Health agreed to expand the high-to-medium term HASI to provide an additional 126 units of accommodation in areas throughout NSW.

In February 2006, the Minister for Housing announced an additional 50 places dedicated to people with a mental illness who have very high support needs. This took the number of packages provided under HASI to over 700. The new packages will be located in: inner-city Sydney, East Sydney, Randwick, Bondi, Liverpool, Inner West, Hunter and Western Sydney.

The NSW Housing and Human Services Accord

The NSW Housing and Human Services Accord is an agreement developed in 2005 between the Department of Housing and NSW human services agencies including:

• Aboriginal Housing Office
• Attorney-General’s Department
• Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care
• Department of Community Services
• Department of Corrective Services
• Department of Education and Training
• Department of Juvenile Justice
• NSW Health
• NSW Police.

The Accord aims to ensure the most vulnerable and disadvantaged in our community receive reliable housing and support services, as they need them, reducing the need for crisis intervention.

It establishes a partnership approach across human services agencies for the provision of housing and support services for people with complex needs, helping them to live independently in social housing.

The success of the Accord is underpinned by principles of collaboration, respect, commitment to shared values, fairness and transparent decision-making, as well as strong relationships and partnerships between Government agencies and the non-government sector.

Work done to date in relation to the Accord has included:

• drafting a schedule that documents the partnership commitments of signatory agencies for the first stage of the Accord’s implementation
• identifying priority target groups for the trial projects commencing in 2006–07
• developing business processes and tools to assist with trial implementation.

The agreement will be finalised and issued in 2006–07, in conjunction with the commencement of the trials. Please see Objective 1 for more information on Reshaping Public Housing.

Joint Guarantee of Service for people with Mental Health Problems and Disorders

The Joint Guarantee of Service (JGOS) is a multi-agency, multi-sector initiative that coordinates the delivery of services to people living in social housing who have mental health problems and disorders and who have ongoing support needs.

JGOS provides a coordinating framework for government and non-government agencies to guide the delivery of mental health, support and housing services to people with mental health problems and disorders who live in social housing and have ongoing support needs.

JGOS signatories are:

• NSW Health (including the Department of Health and the Area Health Services)
• Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council of NSW
• NSW Department of Community Services, on behalf of the Supported Accommodation Assistance Program
• NSW Department of Housing (including public housing and the Office of Community Housing)
• NSW Aboriginal Housing Office.

From late 2004, and throughout the second half of 2005, a series of public information forums, led by the Department of Housing, were held across NSW, to implement the expanded JGOS program.

As a result, regional and local JGOS committees were formed to formulate action plans that would engage local partners. The next phase of JGOS implementation will take place throughout 2006–07.

The JGOS Implementation Reference Group will be looking at strategies to develop and strengthen the area/regional and local JGOS committees. This will include a central register of action plans, key area contacts and memoranda of understanding (MoUs).

The JGOS Committees are also preparing materials to assist in implementation – this includes an Operations Manual and Resource Kit, which will be available in 2006–07.

Neighbour Aid

The Neighbour Aid public housing projects provide social support in the localities served by four public housing estates – Blandville Court in Gladesville, Redfern, Surry Hills, and Waterloo.

Neighbour Aid volunteers offer help with everyday activities such as:

• taking clients shopping or to the doctor
• visiting people at home
• reading a book or newspaper
• putting out the garbage
• calling at a regular time to check that the client is well.

A comprehensive evaluation of the Neighbour Aid program was completed during 2005–06. The evaluation found that Neighbour Aid projects successfully supported people to continue to live in their own homes without inappropriately increasing their involvement with more intensive health and welfare services.

The Partnership Against Homelessness

The Partnership Against Homelessness (PAH), established in 1999 and led by the
Department of Housing, brings together a range of human services agencies with a responsibility for homelessness service provision.

A number of working groups have been established under the auspices of the Partnership to develop specific strategies around high need groups and geographical locations.

A number of projects are under the auspices of the PAH. In 2005–06 key Partnership projects included:

• After-hours Temporary Accommodation Line
• Evaluation of the Inner City Homelessness Action Plan, including the development of the new Inner City Homelessness Outreach and Support Service (I-CHOSS)
• Staying Home Leaving Violence – East Sydney pilot project
• Evaluation of the Signpost, including implementation of the recommendations.

During 2005–06, the Partnership evaluated the Inner City Homelessness Action Plan and the Signpost Hunter Assessment and Referral Service, and began implementing the evaluation’s key recommendations.

The Partnership’s structure was also reviewed with a view to improving the NSW Government’s response to homelessness. Planned future actions of the Partnership include continued development, implementation and review of strategic approaches to homelessness.

‘My Place’ homelessness initiative

‘My Place’ was developed under the Partnership Against Homelessness Inner City Action Plan, and is designed to provide secure long-term private rental accommodation linked to support services for homeless people in the inner city of Sydney.

Up to 60 units of leased accommodation are managed by three housing associations. Under the ‘My Place’ initiative, three housing associations and five support agencies jointly provide support and accommodation to homeless people.

The three housing associations are Women’s Housing Company, Marrickville Area Community Housing and South West Inner Sydney Housing Cooperative.

The five support agencies are Mercy Arms, the Salvation Army Youth Support Network, Edward Eager Lodge Wesley Mission, Mathew Talbot Hostel and the Inner City Homelessness Outreach and Support Service.

A total of 56 households were accommodated under the ‘My Place’ initiative as at 30 June 2006. An evaluation of the ‘My Place’ initiative will be conducted during 2006–07 to identify factors that led to the success of the initiative and to investigate areas for improvement.

Inner City Homelessness Outreach and Support Service

The Inner City Homelessness Outreach and Support Service (I-CHOSS) provides a range of services to homeless people in the inner city.

The Inner City Homelessness Outreach and Support Service began on 27 January 2006. This service replaced two separate services that had been operating in the inner city, the Homelessness Action Team Support and Outreach Service (HATSOS) and the City of Sydney Street Outreach Service (CSOS).

The new service model is a result of an independent evaluation of phase one of the Inner City Homelessness Action Plan (ICHAP) undertaken by an independent consultant, which recommended that a ‘one service’ model of support be developed to help homeless people in the inner city.

The new service operates seven days a week and provides regular patrols to all key and emerging ‘hot spot’ locations across the inner city. I-CHOSS works directly with homeless people on the streets, providing a range of support to meet their individual needs.

I-CHOSS staff provides assistance with health care, counselling, mental health and drug and alcohol issues and transport.

I-CHOSS works closely with a range of government and non-government agencies to ensure that homeless people can sustain housing in the long-term. An evaluation of the ICHAP recommended that strategies for enhancing the service’s capacity to support people with high and complex needs be developed, along with options to further develop effective housing and support models.

In particular, the evaluation recommended that existing governance structures be strengthened, including extending the membership to a broader range of stakeholders. As a result of this, the former Street Outreach and Support Services Committee (SOSSC) has evolved into the Inner Sydney Homelessness Action Committee (ISHAC).

Staying Home Leaving Violence pilot

The Department supports the Staying Home Leaving Violence (SHLV) pilot project in East Sydney with funding from the NSW Department of Community Services. The project aims to prevent women and children becoming homeless by helping women who have experienced domestic violence to remain safely in their own homes.

The SHLV pilot provides outreach support and advocacy to help women sustain housing, economic security and support networks. Between November 2005 and May 2006, 51 women were referred to the project seeking information on exclusion
orders after a domestic violence incident.

A further 19 referrals have been made for women wishing to remain in their own homes, 12 of whom have become clients of the service. Of the other women, seven chose to return to their relationships and three were unsuccessful in gaining an Apprehended Violence Order (AVO) that excluded their partner from the home.

Case management has included risk assessment and safety planning, assistance with financial, tenancy and children’s issues, court support and referrals to mental health, counselling and legal services.

Support periods have ranged from three to seven months, depending on the complexity of the client’s circumstances. The SHLV project worker has also provided 12 information sessions to groups including police, community, general and mental health services, child protection agencies and domestic violence services. The pilot was recently extended for a further year.

Tenancy reform initiatives

During the year the Department continued with its commitment to managing nuisance, annoyance and anti-social behaviour holistically.

Nuisance and Annoyance Coordinator positions were piloted in three locations. Client service staff from the pilot areas received training in nuisance and annoyance best practice, the Consumer Trader and Tenancy Tribunal process and mediation services.

A review of the pilots was undertaken and completed in early 2006. A Human Services Agencies Reference Group and a group with representatives from peak non-government organisations have been meeting on a regular basis to develop a cross-agency strategy for these Agreements and multi-agency Teams.

During the course of the pilots an extensive training program was delivered to Department staff including, a nuisance and annoyance best practice program, a Community Justice Centre mediation workshop, and training in child protection,
domestic violence, and disability awareness.

Following the training, Department staff reported an improved understanding of the work of other agencies especially the Community Justice Centres. This has been demonstrated by the reported increase in use of mediation services and earlier referral to stop problems from escalating.

As a result of this initial training, the Department is currently trialling a new project at Rosella Cottage, involving an outreach mediation service. During 2006–07, strategies for the management of nuisance and annoyance, and anti-social behaviour, will be rolled out across the state.

Other aspects of the Anti-social Behaviour Strategy include the review and strengthening of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Department and NSW Police and the expansion of safety audits to all public housing estates.

Surveys of Department staff have been undertaken in relation to use of the MOU with NSW Police and together with research undertaken in this area will form the basis for advice on a proposed way forward for reviewing the agreement.

A survey was undertaken of the incidence and use of safety audits in the Department and work is underway to develop a policy and resources to support their introduction in a more comprehensive and consistent manner.

Other Projects

Bonnyrigg Living Communities Project

The Bonnyrigg Living Communities Project aims to enhance the quality of life of those living on the Bonnyrigg Housing Estate by:

• renewing housing and public areas and achieving better integration of social and private housing within the community;
• improving services and providing residents with better opportunities; and
• supporting the local community to build its strengths, skills and overall capacity.

Working side by side with the Fairfield City Council, the Department has established a strong reputation in the community for its desire to listen to the views of residents.

The Department’s emphasis on a partnership approach has lead to the establishment of community groups to identify community needs such as the Bonnyrigg Resident’s Group, the Bonnyrigg Community Reference Group and the Bonnyrigg Network.

Work to achieve community outcomes in Bonnyrigg also involves the Department and the Council working with other agencies to improve community services such as health, education, employment and training.

Other achievements in Bonnyrigg in 2005–06 have been:

• the continuation of an extensive consultation program started in 2004, including 48 sessions and activities.
• popular community activities centred around local capacity building, including the Building The Dream workshops that were attended by over 950 residents, which enable local residents to understand and comment when the preferred proponent consults with residents on plans for the estate.

The Department is seeking a long-term private sector partner to delivery many aspects of the renewal.

Minto Renewal Project

The Minto Renewal Project is part of the Department’s Living Communities approach to estate renewal. There are three key objectives for Minto:

• to improve the social services and opportunities for the residents of Minto;
• enhance and strengthen community networks; and
• enhance the physical amenity of the Minto area.

The project will result in the complete redevelopment of the estate over the next ten years. Minto will be upgraded with new roads, parks, community facilities and the estate will be changed from 100 per cent public housing to 70 per cent private housing and 30 per cent public housing. Additional public housing will be provided elsewhere to maintain public housing numbers.

Redfern/Waterloo

The Redfern Waterloo Authority (RWA) is a multi-agency group led by the RWA to reform human services in Redfern and Waterloo. The Department of Housing continues to work in partnership with the RWA in a number of areas.

The Director-General participates in a group of Chief Executive Officers who are managing the development and implementation of a Human Services Plan for Redfern and Waterloo.

As a large proportion of residents are public housing tenants, this plan will provide a particular benefit to them. Various other Departmental staff participate in a range of planning and advisory roles.

Stickybricks and Back Home

During the year the Department was involved in supporting two very exciting theatre productions that took centre stage within the Northcott and Mt Druitt estates. Both productions were sold out seasons as part of the 2006 Sydney Festival and were highly acclaimed by the public and media at large.

Stickybricks
Tenants, Departmental staff, the NSW Police, the Mayor and Big hART have worked together over three years at the Northcott high-rise estate in Surry Hills to develop and create stories.

This culminated in January 2006 with the sell-out, critically acclaimed multi-media event, Stickybricks, part of the 2006 Sydney Festival.

Some 200 tenants were directly involved in the story-telling processes at Northcott. This involvement has brought neighbour to meet neighbour, reducing isolation and increasing community involvement.

Back Home

The Holy Family Centre and The Shed, the Mt Druitt Community Solutions and Crime Prevention Strategy, Blacktown Arts Centre, Urban Theatre Projects and NSW Department of Housing, all provided the practical support and resources that enabled the success of Back Home.

Premiered as part of Sydney Festival 2006, Back Home was another popular and critical success, sold out weeks in advance of its season. The work has already been invited to two other major Australian festivals, including a season at The Dreaming festival in Woodford in June 2006.

Back Home is a deeply emotional story that takes the audience through the lives of men coming to terms with their past and facing up to their future. It enters the volatile world of men’s business, as four men from different cultural backgrounds (Samoan, Indigenous, Palestinian, Torres Strait Islander) reckon with issues of friendship, manhood, culture and reconciliation.

Discussions are currently underway to tour the show to social housing communities in Kempsey and Moree in 2007.

Community Greening

The Community Greening program was established in August 2000 and has approximately 100 community greening projects. Community Greening is a very successful partnership between the Department of Housing and the Botanic Gardens Trust.

The program receives significant in-kind support from various sponsors in the private, commercial and local government sectors around the state.

The program helps social housing tenants and other community groups create and maintain communal gardens and gardening activities in their local communities. It gives interested gardeners access to advice and support from senior horticulturalists employed by the Botanic Gardens Trust.

The Department provided funding to the Botanic Gardens Trust to continue the Community Greening program in 2005–06. During the year over 3,000 social housing tenants participated in gardening activities across NSW. Some notable achievements outlined below were:

• The Bidwill Community Garden was awarded a $6,220 Department of Environment and Heritage Water Grant.
• The Community Greening celebration of Arbor Day was carried out at Auburn North Public School, where a community produce garden was established. In addition, the Auburn North Public School was awarded a Department of Environment and Heritage Water Grant of $32,000 for water conservation projects including the Community Garden.
• The Edmund Rice Community Pride Nursery won ‘Runner Up’ in the Community Action Awards in the NSW Keep Australia Beautiful Awards.

Awards

• The Maloney St Rosebery Community Garden won first prize in the Community Garden and second prize in the Best Edible Garden categories in the City of Botany Bay Garden Competition.
• The King St, Enfield, housing complex won second prize in Burwood Council’s Garden Competition.
• The Eastlakes Public School won first prize in the School & Community Garden category and second prize in the Native Garden category in the Botany Bay City Council Garden Competition.
• The Maroubra Bay Public School won first prize in the Community Garden category in the Randwick City Council Garden Competition.
• South Hamilton Community Garden was awarded $4,000 for disabled access improvements.

The Department has again approved funding for 2006–07 in order to continue the program.

Aboriginal Croc Festival

To build stronger relationships between NSW Department of Housing and Aboriginal communities, staff from Kempsey and Moree Client Service Teams attended the Croc Festival in their areas to inform students and community members of services available through the Department.

The Department handed out information on employment opportunities, tenancies and services available when buying a home.

The Croc Festival is an annual event that runs throughout rural and remote Australia with the aim of uniting the community through workshops, visual and audio arts.

Information on health and employment issues is also distributed at the Festival. This year’s event was themed ‘Celebrating Community, Come Together, Learn Together, and Grow Together’. It is estimated that 50,000 people attended the nine Croc Festivals that took place throughout the country.

The Kempsey event was attended by 240 schools, with an estimated total of between 10–12,000 festival-goers. The Moree event was attended by 252 schools, with an estimated 15,000 visitors.

Training and employment

The Department is committed to linking tenants to work experience and training opportunities that offer genuine pathways to employment. Over the years a range of programs has been developed and trialled for this purpose and continues to operate in and on public housing estates.

Tenant Employment Policy and Framework

In furthering opportunities to increase the social and economic participation of social housing tenants through employment and training strategies, the Department continues to implement strategies that encourage maintenance and cleaning contractors to employ tenants.

In 2005–06 the Department adopted a tenant employment policy and developed a framework that will result in jobs and training opportunities for tenants.

WorkVentures Connect

WorkVentures Connect (a non-government organisation with expertise in

technology and employment programs) is a partnership program between Department of Housing and WorkVentures Australia.

The Connect Centres foster community economic development and aim to bridge the digital divide in public housing estates by giving social housing tenants access to computers, email and the Internet.

Centres also provide employment and training opportunities for residents to develop essential employment and life skills, particularly information technology skills, to build better lives.

Using their newly acquired skills, tenants learn to identify real opportunities by knowing how to access information quickly, easily and in a cost-effective way.

Connect Centres delivered a range of services and training opportunities, such as:

• An Employment Breakfast Club at Macquarie Fields (Vantage Community Services) provides people with an opportunity to learn job search skills, identify vacant  positions, and apply for work while also enjoying a home-cooked breakfast.
• Community Learning and Resourcing (CLEAR) and Learning 2 Learn (L2L) at Macquarie Fields and Claymore, funded by the Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs helps parents develop leadership, parenting, and relationship and life skills.
• Work for the Dole at Macquarie Fields, funded by the Commonwealth Government under the supervision of Wesley Uniting Employment, teaches participants about developing and maintaining websites for non-profit organisations.
• IT training for homeless men at Woolloomooloo, in partnership with Mathew Talbot Hostel, gives men who are homeless and experiencing drug and alcohol-related problems the ability to learn, participate and build self-esteem.

Connect IT

Managed by WorkVentures, this project refurbishes surplus business computers for re-use as personal computers for Centrelink clients, schools and other not-for-profit agencies. The PCs are loaded with software and value-adding inclusions, and then distributed to needy users at an affordable price.

WorkVentures has worked closely with the Department to ensure that this offer is promoted to tenants state-wide. Articles have appeared in the tenant’s newsletter Your Home and tenants have responded enthusiastically.

In 2005–06, 477 PCs were purchased by Department of Housing tenants. In collaboration with foundation partner Westpac, WorkVentures set up a user friendly payment plan at no extra cost to tenants.

WorkiT

WorkiT was designed as a demonstration project to create jobs and training opportunities for social housing tenants in selected areas of NSW. The Department
invested $1.9 million over two years in the program’s implementation.

Core funding of $100,000 per year was provided to selected partner organisations, which were also awarded service maintenance contracts (through select tender) to
employ a limited number of social housing tenants to fulfil the contract work.

Outcomes from 2005–06 include:

• Three WorkiT projects concluded by June 2006 and a further three will conclude by September 2006.
• All WorkiT service maintenance contracts were extended to October 2006.
• A program evaluation was conducted and the finding has informed the development of the Tenant Employment Framework.

The Tenant Employment Framework is intended to provide flexibility for Housing
Services Divisions to tender service maintenance contract work under the Maintenance Reform Program or maintain existing/establish new contractual arrangements with partners to create employment opportunities for social housing residents.

The Framework will also provide standardised benchmarks, monitoring, reporting and evaluation processes.

Cranebrook Metropolitan Technology Centre

The Cranebrook Metropolitan Technology Centre (MTC) is a partnership project between the Cranebrook community, Barnardos Penrith, Penrith Council and the NSW Department of Housing.

Initial MTC set-up costs were funded by the Department of Commerce. The Centre provides affordable access to high-speed computers and colour printing facilities.

The Cranebrook community is also accessing a range of computer training courses through a partnership with Blue Mountains TAFE Outreach, MTC Training Solutions and the Smith Family (Microsoft Unlimited Potential Program).

Major achievements during 2005–06 include:

• launch of a partnership with the School Industry Partnership and Cranebrook High School, providing work placement opportunities to Year 11 and 12 Business Studies students in May 2006
• becoming a Microsoft Unlimited Potential (UP) site in partnership with the Smith Family (i.e. providing the MTC with additional funding and resources such as access to training curricula and software)
• creation of an Internet Café with the donation of an industrial espresso machine by the Cantarella Brothers, importers of Vittoria coffee
• in May 2006, Blue Mountains TAFE Outreach commenced the inaugural TAFE Outreach Café Operations training course
• implementation of a tailored employment and training program from the Cranebrook Technology Centre with funding of $281,304 over 36 months from June 2006 from the Commonwealth Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs under its Local Answers initiative
• 59 enrolments for courses at the Centre, and access and use of Centre facilities by 693 residents since July 2005.

Airds Local Enterprise Centre

This partnership initiative builds and expands on the Connect Centre model, which provides access to information technology hardware and training to residents and the local community. The Local Enterprise Centre (LEC) will offer the Airds community access to job skills training and employment initiatives to improve economic and community outcomes and develop an enterprising community culture.

A viable social enterprise will also be developed at the Centre, to provide jobs for the local community, as well as a source of income to sustain the Centre long term.

WorkVentures has secured a range of partners and financial resources to implement this project. The site will be provided by the Department of Juvenile Justice rent free, and funding has been committed by the Departments of Transport and Community Services, Commonwealth Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, BBM Foundation and the Ian Potter Foundation.

The LEC will incorporate a micro-enterprise and loans program to be developed in partnership with another agency. These services will be networked to other Connect Centres in Macquarie Fields and Claymore.

This program will have a strong emphasis on developing innovative and engaging programs with the local Aboriginal community. WorkVentures has entered into a partnership with University of Western Sydney to evaluate the LEC over a period of three years. This evaluation will commence in 2007.

As a key project stakeholder and partner, the Department will contribute $50,000 in 2006–07 towards the employment of a project manager for the Centre. The Department of Housing will continue to play a role in the development of the project and will also participate in the reference group for the centre.

Community contracts

Where minor repairs and maintenance work are needed on its properties, the Department sometimes seeks select tenders from eligible organisations to carry out the work. In order to win the contract the service provider undertakes to directly employ tenants for up to 75 per cent of the work.

During 2005–06, 20 community contracts valued at just over $2.1 million were awarded.

The Department has developed a Tenant Employment Framework to guide all
contracting work involving tenants and provide consistency in the monitoring, reporting and evaluation of tenant employment.

Greater Western Sydney Landscaping Traineeships

The Department, in partnership with Spectrum Employment Services, has continued a landscaping traineeship in Western Sydney and South-Western Sydney. The traineeship not only builds relevant skills in the horticultural industry but also links participants to jobs and ongoing training as one component of the Department’s broader community renewal strategies.

Spectrum Employment Services commenced a contract to deliver a 12-month Horticultural Certificate III traineeship course for 20 social housing residents.

This initiative has been operating since 1998–99 in public housing estates where physical renewal activity has been undertaken, with almost 200 traineeships successfully completed and approximately 80 per cent of participants securing permanent full-time jobs in related areas such as nurseries, botanic gardens and local councils.

A budget of $1 million per annum is allocated to this initiative and trainees have landscaped 200 properties. Current locations include Bidwill, Cranebrook, Toongabbie, Macquarie Fields and Airds. The initiative has been expanded to widen
the scope for residents to gain other skills and to improve their employment prospects.

For example, residents involved in the traineeship program have developed skills in fence installation, bricklaying and have also developed high level customer service skills.

Tenant participation initiatives

Community Development Resourcing Grants Program

The Department provides small one-off grants on a biennial basis for public housing tenants to work together with tenant organisations, housing providers and other agencies to address local housing issues and needs.

In 2005–06, funding of $180,000 was available for distribution across the state. A total of 101 applications were received, 61 of which were approved for implementation.

The assessment panel includes representation from tenants. Examples of successful funded projects include:

Balmain Rozelle Tenants Group – Youth Mentoring Project

A partnership between a new tenant group and Leichhardt Council, where Council will identify and support young tenants living in public housing and deliver the Red Cross training program, “Save a Mate”.

The project incorporates mentoring, drug and alcohol and protective behaviour information. In addition participants will be supported to organise regular recreational and social activities for other young people living in public housing.

Irrawang School as Community Centre – Dads and Kids Camp Project

This group will manage and coordinate the Dads and Kids Camp Project, aiming to give fathers and significant men in children’s lives the opportunity to spend time together in a fun way.

Communities participating in decisions

The Department is committed to supporting housing tenants to participate in their communities and in the decisions affecting their neighbourhoods. The Department allocated $1.778 million to fund a range of initiatives under the Tenant Participation Program in 2005–06, including:

Housing Communities Assistance Program

The Department funds non-government organisations to deliver the Housing Communities Assistance Program (HCAP) across NSW. It does this by facilitating
tenant participation in decision-making about social activity and physical amenity in their neighbourhoods.

Total grant expenditure in 2005–06 was $606,000, providing funding to various non-government organisations and Councils across the State.

Housing Communities Assistance Program – Dubbo project

The Dubbo HCAP worker has established a weekend night patrol bus service to return young people to their homes safely. Another benefit to the community is income generation through training community members as bus drivers.

NSW Social Housing Tenants Conference

The NSW Social Housing Tenants Conference is a major tenant participation initiative. Held in November 2005, the conference provided a forum for tenants
who are passionate about helping shape the future of social housing.

The 2005 Conference was organised by a group of tenants in conjunction with staff from the Department of Housing, the Office of Community Housing and the Aboriginal Housing Office.

The theme for the conference was An Eye to the Future – The Shape of Social Housing in 2015. The aim of the program was to explore the future of social housing in NSW; how tenants might ensure that their voices will be heard and how they can play an active role in the reform and sustainability of social housing. The

Minister attended as did over 160 tenants.

Following on from the conference, a selected group of participants began framing the outcomes of the Conference into a set of recommendations and proposed actions. Over 70 tenants and Departmental staff were involved in the follow-up, through a ‘Partnership and Planning Day’.

The Department has committed to circulate the Partnership and Planning Day report to all Conference participants.

Public Housing Customer Council

The Public Housing Customer Council (PHCC) represents a partnership between the Department and its tenants, where each works to achieve goals of mutual benefit.

The council is a consultative forum to provide the Department with:

• advice on priorities for improvement in public housing service delivery
• feedback on policy and business rules
• advice on ways the Department can strengthen communication with tenants.

During 2005–06 the PHCC has:

• participated in sub-groups and working parties to assist the Department in obtaining a tenant perspective on a range of initiatives e.g. Stock Transfer Program
• reviewed and provided feedback on a number of departmental policies such as, Reshaping Public Housing and the Maintenance Reform Program.

The functions of the PHCC are being evaluated and assessed to ensure the Department has the most effective forum for receiving tenant input to its operations and hearing tenant concerns, and to ensure the structures, role and membership of the PHCC is effective.

Representational structures and services

Seven Regional Tenant Resource Services (RTRS) were funded in 2005–06 statewide to provide advisory and support services to tenants at a total cost of $968,090.

In addition, seven Public Tenants Councils were funded across NSW in 2005–06.
These tenants’ representational structures have broad membership, and provide
tenants with the opportunity to have issues and needs represented to social housing providers in their local and regional area.

During 2005–06:

• The Central Sydney North Regional Tenant Resource Group completed a workplace training package in partnership with Shelter NSW and the Tenant’s Union focussing on RTRS worker training for implementation in the coming year.
• The Western Sydney Regional Public Tenants Council continues to promote effective tenant participation through 25 affiliated local tenant groups. A communication protocol was signed with the Department’s Greater Western Sydney Division, clearly outlining processes and procedures to improve service delivery and support services for tenants.
• The South Western Sydney Regional Tenants Association hosted the ‘Volunteer of the Year Awards’ and the ‘Community Through My Eyes’ project involving local youth. It also set up an Artist Network to participate in a series of drama workshops culminating in a live stage production.
• The Northern Regional Social Tenants successfully incorporated and in conjunction with the Northern RTRS, hosted a tenant’s conference in Coffs Harbour.
• The Illawarra Forum provided valuable support for tenant participation activities to 20 groups in the Illawarra area and ten groups in the South-East area.
• The Hunter Central Coast RTRS expanded the ‘Sports on the Streets’ concept, self-funded several small projects through local tenant groups and organised a bus trip for local tenants to the Department’s Contact Centre.

Community renewal

Community renewal aims to build strong and sustainable communities in disadvantaged social housing estates by working in partnership to improve housing and living conditions on estates and by developing strategies to bring about social and economic improvement for estate communities.