Rooming Houses Womens Housing Ltd and Wombat Housing and Support - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

wombat housing and support services Rooming Houses Women’s Housing Ltd and Wombat Housing and Support Services Partnership Women's Housing Limited and Wombat Partnership 27/03/13

Wombat Housing and Support Services WHSS provides services to people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless in the West of Melbourne. Programs are provided for young people, older adults, families, single adults, people in public and community/social housing and people seeking asylum. Women's Housing Limited and Wombat Partnership 27/03/13

Women’s Housing Ltd Women’s Housing Limited is a registered Housing Provider. We are a state wide service. We manage: • 108 Transitional Properties • 96 Community Housing Properties • 181 Housing Provider Framework Tenancies • Housing Information • Outreach to the Women’s prison Women's Housing Limited and Wombat Partnership 27/03/13

Rooming House Program Women’s Housing Ltd manages Rooming Houses: • Ascot Vale • Berwick • Brighton • Mt Martha • Sunshine Women's Housing Limited and Wombat Partnership 27/03/13

WHL/WOMBAT partnership Housing Number of Gender Rooms/Units Altona Meadows 12 Mixed Gender Ascot Vale 13 Men only Footscray 10 Women only Kensington 16 Women only Sunshine 31 Men only Women's Housing Limited and Wombat Partnership 27/03/13

The Partnership In 2008, Women’s Housing Ltd and WOMBAT entered into a partnership, where WHL agreed to fund the Community Support Program through the Community Capacity Building Fund. Wombat previously provided the tenancy management of the Kensington, Footscray, Ascot Vale and Sunshine sites and these were transferred to WHL stock in 2008 as Wombat’s core business is the provision of housing support services. Women's Housing Limited and Wombat Partnership 27/03/13

Partnership Agreement Objectives The overall objective of this Agreement is to collaboratively: • improve the quality and delivery of services to tenants in the identified properties, • enhance the nature and extent of service outputs and service-user outcomes in close consultation with tenants of the identified properties, and • ensure maintenance of existing – and improving/building on – high standards in Rooming Houses in terms of amenity. Women's Housing Limited and Wombat Partnership 27/03/13

Responsibilities Women’s Housing Ltd: WOMBAT: • Property management • Community Development • Tenancy management • Sustaining Tenancies – Rental management • Short term Case – Dispute management Management Support • SAAP Singles Support Worker Women's Housing Limited and Wombat Partnership 27/03/13

Partnership Meetings WHL and WOMBAT meet at regular intervals so that we can assess the partnership. • Tenancies that require additional support • Community development program Women's Housing Limited and Wombat Partnership 27/03/13

Rooming House Meetings • Regular Meetings are held with the tenants at each site. • Staff from both WHL and WOMBAT attend these meetings. Women's Housing Limited and Wombat Partnership 27/03/13

Purpose of Rooming House Meetings • Allow residents a voice • Raise issues • Seek input into community developments activities • Discuss community development activities planned Women's Housing Limited and Wombat Partnership 27/03/13

The Community Support Program Aims: • Reduce Social Isolation • Enhance Living Skills • Improve connectedness between residents • Provide social/recreational activities • Engage/improve access with local services and community • Improve Amenity Women's Housing Limited and Wombat Partnership 27/03/13

CSP Projects • Photography • Art Therapy, Ceramics, Skill Sharing • Health and Wellbeing • Gardening Projects • Tenant Newsletter • Internet Access • Linkages to local services • Cooking Classes &Social Meals • Outings & excursions Women's Housing Limited and Wombat Partnership 27/03/13

Gardening Project • Partnership with Matchworks Employment Services • Provided a project for their clients who needed a Work Experience Activity • Matchworks contributed the co-ordinator, and job seekers with opportunity to develop landscaping and gardening skill Rooming House received a Community Garden, fruit trees and landscaped outdoor area which improved the amenity of the Ridley St Rooming House Women's Housing Limited and Wombat Partnership 27/03/13

Gardening Project... Women's Housing Limited and Wombat Partnership 27/03/13

Photography Projects • Housing Week Grant – Portraits of Rooming House – residents took photos of each other • Arts Victoria – “Everyday Treasures” – exhibition as part of Big West Festival • Equipment/Cameras are lent to residents to further develop their love for photography Women's Housing Limited and Wombat Partnership 27/03/13

Photography projects Women's Housing Limited and Wombat Partnership 27/03/13

Women's Housing Limited and Wombat Partnership 27/03/13

Outings/Excursions • International Garden Show, Tulip Festival • Tim Burton and Titanic Exhibition • Musicals Annie, Hairspray, Wicked • Fishing Group and Charter • AFL, Cricket, Ten Pin Bowling • Go Carting, Movies • Luna Park, Bellarine Peninsular, Heidi Museum • Peninsular Hot Springs, Maulden Spa • Mostly Mozart Recitals Women's Housing Limited and Wombat Partnership 27/03/13

How do we afford these activities? GRANTS GRANTS Women's Housing Limited and Wombat Partnership 27/03/13

Tenant Newsletter Tenants write articles, crosswords, recipes, movie reviews, poems or contribute photographs and artwork........ Future directions... For tenants to learn publishing and editing skills to take more ownership of co-ordinating the creation of the Women's Housing Limited and quarterly newsletter Wombat Partnership 27/03/13

Welcome Packs We provide welcome packs to all new Rooming House residents. This is thanks to a partnership that we have formed with Rotary. Women's Housing Limited and Wombat Partnership 27/03/13

Fresh Food Thanks to the generosity of Second Bite we are able to provide tenants with some fresh fruit and vegetables on a weekly basis Women's Housing Limited and Wombat Partnership 27/03/13

Books, books and more books A very successful partnership with Benjamin Andrew Footpath Library allows us to supply new books to all Rooming Houses. Women's Housing Limited and Wombat Partnership 27/03/13

Internet Access • Ascot Vale Men’s Only Rooming House • Small house of 15 residents • Residents advocated to us that access to the internet should be seen as a way of reducing social isolation because of the increased popularity of social media • Local Government grant to purchase equipment • WIFI is now self funded by tenants, though still co-ordinated through Wombat Women's Housing Limited and Wombat Partnership 27/03/13

Green Renting Exhibition We partnered with the “Green Renters” to host a “Green Renting Exhibition:” at the Richmond Town Hall. Many residents were transported in by bus. The aim was to seek to reduce operating costs at the Rooming Houses. Women's Housing Limited and Wombat Partnership 27/03/13

Challenges and Successes Challenges Successes • • Engaging with residents Builds self esteem • • Motivating residents Providing opportunities • • Targeting residents Develops friendships • • Providing relevant activities Linking to wider community • • Confusion between roles of Encourages independence WHL and WOMBAT Women's Housing Limited and Wombat Partnership 27/03/13

Future Directions Review of Program Future Projects • WHL and Wombat have auspiced Continuation of photography the services of a volunteer to workshops review our program. • Applied for a men’s health grant • • Applied for a women’s health, Written surveys well-being and art grant • Face to face interviews • Considering a grant involving • Focus Groups film – telling the story of our tenants This will help develop our planning for the future. Women's Housing Limited and Wombat Partnership 27/03/13

Client Comments Some of the comments from women that WHL have assisted over the years: “My home is important for my ongoing happiness and peace.” “The staff of Women’s Housing treat me like a person – thank you.” “Your services gave me the breathing space to focus and move forward despite the uncertainty of my future at that time. I could relax and feel safe in having Women’s Housing as my landlord. It was a huge sense of relief to feel safe and secure. Thank-you for your personal, kind and understanding approach. Rock solid rendering of services.” Women's Housing Limited and Wombat Partnership 27/03/13