Home in Place is a finalist in the upcoming 2023 Hunter Business Awards.
The community housing organisation is in the running for the Outstanding Community Organisation Award.
CEO Australia Lyndall Robertshaw said to again be recognised in one of Australia’s premier regional business awards is a credit to everyone in the Home in Place team.
Lyndall said Home in Place contributes to the social, cultural and environmental wellbeing of the community in many ways. She said it had adopted the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) as a framework against which to align its business operations.
“Home in Place staff take a person-centred approach to working with tenants so that they have appropriate and affordable shelter and are engaged in sustainable communities,” Lyndall said.
“Our community participation officers help our tenants to access support and opportunities to achieve outcomes such as financial stability, social inclusion, and good health and wellbeing. Tailored support coordinators take a more individual approach with tenants to develop plans to achieve their goals and engage effectively in their communities.”
“We offer a range of social activities such as craft groups, hobby groups, computer classes, BBQ’s, luncheons, bus trips, and picnics to maintain tenants’ connection to their community.”
Our Grow a Star program provides scholarships and mentoring support for young people who are financially disadvantaged – whether they are our tenants or not. Helping local young people to realise their academic, artistic or sporting ambitions helps them and makes for a stronger community.”
“As part of our Tenant Empowerment Strategy and Community Participation Strategy we have established a Tenant Reference Group in each of our branch regions. Members of these groups meet quarterly and discuss a range of issues that impact their lives and communities. Discussions from each Tenant Reference Group feed into the deliberations of an overarching Home in Place Tenant Inclusion Panel, which reports to the Home in Place Board.”
As part of our Social and Environmental Sustainability Strategy, we have initiatives for our organisation and tenants to make a difference to the environment. This year, Home in Place retained its Gold Status in the gold status in NSW Government’s business sustainability program – Sustainability Advantage. We have also worked to help other organisations to effectively adopt the SDGs.
Lyndall said Home in Place has strong partnerships with other community support and service providers. She said that ensures tenants have direct access to referral points for good health and wellbeing, financial support, literacy, training and employment, and family and DV support.
“Home in Place is also an active member of community housing industry and community networks. It is a leader in advocating for housing reform, growing the stock of social housing and affordable housing in the community, and in other community initiatives.
“In the Hunter, we are an active member of Business Hunter, Property Council, Urban Development Institute of Australia, the Committee for the Hunter, the Hunter SDG Taskforce and Hunter Homeless Connect.
“We’re about providing homes but also empowering people, connecting communities and influencing the future. Safe affordable and appropriate housing is a fundamental human right. It influences people’s ability to work, study, raise a family and effectively contribute to their community.”
“We successfully delivered the largest ever social and affordable housing contract to build and manage more social and affordable for the NSW Government in recent years. Our team, partners and local builders delivered almost 500 homes across 19 sites in the Hunter and Central Coast – on time and on budget. This program has meant more homes for local people and helped to create local jobs.”
The annual Hunter Business Awards is run by regional business chamber, Business Hunter. In its 42nd year, there are 19 awards on offer. The winners will be announced at a gala ceremony in Newcastle on August 25. For more information about the Awards or to purchase tickets click here.
Hunter-based Home in Place is one of Australia’s largest non-government social housing providers with nearly 40 years’ experience in providing secure and affordable housing, as well as delivering housing products for disadvantaged people who have difficulties sourcing adequate housing. It provides tenancy and/or property management for over 7800 social housing, affordable housing and disability housing properties in New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, and New Zealand. The Home in Place Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) team manages 1500 places for people with high support needs.
