Dear Member,
Welcome to the March edition of HousingPeople. Last month provided many opportunities to meet with our members in Melbourne, Perth and Wellington. We hope you enjoyed the networking and look forward to seeing you at our future events.
AHI Professional Practice Seminars
Tenant Participation and Engagement Professional Practice Seminar
4 March 2014, Melbourne
On the 4th March a group of diverse housing professionals gathered in Melbourne to draw insight from presentations and join discussion about approaches for tenant participation, engagement and empowerment.
The one-day professional practice seminar bought together a respected group of speakers including industry specialists, leaders and researchers in the tenant participation field who each presented view for involving tenants as customers and stakeholders so to enhance tenant morale and communities.
Feedback from attendees included:
- It was great to hear a perspective from tenant union
- Good range of topics discussed looking at all spectrums of community engagement
- Very well presented - I liked the breadth of academic and practical topics/speakers
- Interesting to get perspective on other states
The AHI would like to extend gratitude to contributing seminar speakers:
- Hal Pawson | Professor of Housing Research and Policy | City Futures Research Centre | UNSW
- Randall Pearce | THINK: Insight & Advice
- Pablo Alfredo Gimenez | Community Economic Participation Manager | Yarra Community Housing
- Liban Yusuf | Port Phillip Housing Association Ltd
- Mark O’Brien | Chief Executive Officer | Tenant’s Union of Victoria
- Dr Dallas Rogers | Research Fellow | School of Social Sciences and Psychology | University of Western Sydney
- Jill McCabe | Director | Community and Economic Participation | Department of Human Services
Thanks also to Silver Sponsor
Lake Maintenance and Session Sponsor
North East Housing Service. Without the generous support of sponsors events such as these are not possible.
Business Continuity and Disaster Planning for Housing Providers
28 - 29 July 2014, Christchurch
Business continuity and disaster planning aims to ensure that an organisation’s critical business functions can continue to be executed in the event of a major disruption or disaster. The organisation is more resilient, survives the event and is able to minimise the impacts on its business operations and clients. With the seminar
in Christchurch a focus will be on learning from housing providers and industry professionals who have been responsible to enact business continuity and disaster plans and are actively involved in disaster recovery. The site tour on Day two provides the chance to view Christchurch reconstruction efforts.
EXPRESSION OF INTEREST
Expression of interest is now invited from community housing providers, government officials and professional service providers (consultants, developers, property maintenance groups, financiers) who have been involved disaster planning and/or recovery in a social and community housing context.
Potential sessions include:
- Business Continuity and Disaster Planning Consultant – exploring vital aspects of business continuity and disaster plans for housing providers
- Rebuild challenges – speaker to present overview of impact of Christchurch earthquakes on housing stock and state of rebuild efforts, including rebuild hurdles
- Christchurch housing providers – sharing experience and lessons learned
- Tenant perspective – a tenant group sharing experience of disaster from their point of view
- Other types of major disruptions and disaster pertinent for housing
- Australian and/or International perspectives – case studies and approaches to disruptions and disaster within housing sector from abroad
If you wish to express your interest as a potential speaker, please email your expression of interest to donella.roberts@housingnstitute.org
AHI Professional Practice Networks
Networking Breakfast with the Hon Bill Marmion
17 July 2014
It is our great pleasure to announce that the
Hon Bill Marmion Minister for Housing WA has generously accepted our invitation to speak at the AHI networking breakfast in Perth. The Minister has agreed to speak about his vision for social housing in Western Australia. Join us to meet the industry leader, catch up with your friends and colleagues, share your insights and of course enjoy a delicious breakfast.
An
Early Bird 50% discount is available to all AHI members in Western Australia. Enjoy a fabulous breakfast for only $30! This Early Bird offer is available only
until Wednesday, 30th April 2014.
NZ Social Housing Reform – Progress and Perspectives. AHI Networking Event
6 March 2014, Wellington, NZ
The New Zealand AHI Branch hosted a stimulating, topical and enjoyable networking event in Wellington on 6 March. The event titled ‘Progress and Perspectives’ gave
around 40 guests from around New Zealand the opportunity to ask questions of those at the coal face of the Government’s social reform programme, as well as hear about Australia and the UK’s reform experience, and share views in an open floor discussion.
Scott Figenshow, Director Community Housing Aotearoa spoke on the challenges and opportunities for growing third sector provision, while
Bryan Wilson from the Ministry of Social Development (MSD), provided an update on the transition of the housing need assessment function from HNZC to MSD, coming into effect next month.
Branch Committee member
Robert McBeth, provided a summary on how similar change has been introduced in Australia and the UK, followed by
Allan Pollard, CEO of Trust House based in the Wairarapa spoke on their experience of a successful stock transfer in 1999.
“This was a really useful perspective and it helped demystify some of the unknowns for us here, it was good timing.” said a guest. “We tried to make the setting really informal to ensure the conversation could flow both ways, which worked really well. We’re also very grateful for the generous sponsorship support we received from The Property Group, Community Housing Aotearoa, HNZC and Wellington City Council”, said
Vicki McLaren, AHI Branch Committee member.
Thank you to our sponsors!
Presentation of the innovative Western Australian Foyer Oxford Project. AHI Networking event in Perth, WA
13 March 2014, Perth
The AHI Western Australian Branch had their first networking event of 2014 on Thursday 13th March at the newly opened Foyer Oxford, Leederville, Western Australia.
Kathleen Gregory, AHI WA Branch Director and CEO of Foundation Housing, took the opportunity to host the event and to allow colleagues and experts in the sector to view the Foyer in all its glory.
Kathleen first spoke about building momentum here in WA with the branch. Kathleen also spoke about the breakfast networking event planned with Minister Bill Marmion in July which will be a great opportunity for housing professionals here in WA to hear from the Minister and meet with industry experts.
Guests were then invited for a tour of the building which was extremely well received, getting an insight into the difference the Foyer Oxford would make to the lives of young homeless people in WA.
The tour finished in the courtyard which was lit up by the impressive and vibrant artwork. Overall, it was a great networking event thoroughly enjoyed by all.
HousingWORKS: AHI collaborates with Community Housing Aotearoa to focus on housing issues in New Zealand
The topic for the March edition of HousingWORKS magazine will be"Social Housing in New Zealand” and we are delighted to collaborate with Community Housing Aotearoa to explore in detail the New Zealand social housing Industry. Advertising spaces are still available for your business! HousingWORKS is the most efficient media to deliver your message right to your target audience. Our readers include a broad audience of housing professionals: policy and decision makers in government leaders in the growing community housing sphere, finance and property professionals in the private, public and community sectors; housing service delivery practitioners – executives through to front line staff; Indigenous housing and community organisations; supported housing services; tenancy advice; working with the homeless; academics; tenants of social housing organisations. Our rates start just from just $380 and the March edition will be distributed not only to AHI Members and subscribers, but additional copies will be issued for CHA contacts! So don't miss this opportunity to reach the additional audience. Download our advertising brochure.
Thank you everyone who participated in the AHI discussion on the submissions to the NSW Legislative Council and the Senate Economics References Committee. The AHI NSW Branch has finalised and submitted the papers from the Institute. Branch Members kept the document concise, howver made sure that it is in line with the AHI's mission of supporting and promoting social housing professionals. A copy of the document is available to download.