PICTURED ABOVE: CHRIS COCKBURN FROM NEWCASTLE PERMANENT, LAUREN MCCOY AND JESS COWAN

Home in Place has been recognised as the Hunter Region’s Outstanding Community Organisation at the 2022 Hunter Business Awards.

Executive Manager Southern Operations Lauren McCoy accepted the award at the Hunter business community’s annual gala night of nights in Newcastle on August 26.

Lauren said Home in Place is about creating better communities by providing quality social, affordable and disability housing. She said its passionate team of people strive to put more than a roof over people’s heads.

“We believe everyone should have appropriate and affordable shelter and be engaged in sustainable communities,” Lauren said. “By empowering tenants and connecting communities, we can positively influence the future for our tenants and communities,”

Lauren said Home in Place actively works with, and supports, other organisations to reach common goals. That includes property sector organisations, regional development organisations and community organisations.

“From humble beginnings in the Hunter 35 years ago, we have grown to be one of the largest non-government providers of subsidised housing in Australia, managing almost 8,000 properties in NSW, Queensland and Victoria.”

“We contribute to the social, cultural, and environmental wellbeing of the community by addressing the structural social and economic factors that have led to the local and national housing crisis. Our significant in-house research, our partnerships with peak bodies and other housing experts, as well as the forums, workshops, conferences and work groups we facilitate are all aimed to identify and tackling the root causes of housing poverty.”

“As well as providing world class tenancy and property management services, we have made a substantial contribution to the supply of social and affordable housing in the region delivering close to 1000 dwellings over the past decade including 500 over the past two years in partnership with the NSW Government.”

“Home in Place’s globally minded “whole of community” approach to social housing adopts a holistic model of service delivery to address some of the structural economic and social barriers that can prevent people from leading dignified and rewarding lives.”

Home in Place was a finalist in three categories on the night for a second year running.

Lauren congratulated all of the other award winners and finalists.

“It is humbling to be recognised in a field of so many outstanding businesses and organisations.”

She also thanked Newcastle Permanent for sponsoring the award and for all it does to support local communities.
This year’s awards were the most contested yet in its 41 year history. More than 170 entries were judged across 16 categories.