Indigenous Housing
Professional Practice Seminar
Seminar Silver Sponsors:
23 March 2015
RYDGES CENTRAL
28 Albion Street, Surry
Hills Sydney
Improving Indigenous housing service
planning and delivery for better outcomes
This seminar aims to provide an opportunity for mainstream
public and community housing professionals to join with
experts working in the indigenous social housing field to
improve understanding of the respective sectors and identify
opportunities for service planning and delivery across all
sectors for the benefit of the indigenous community.
Indigenous Housing Professional Practice Seminar
23 March 2015, Sydney
Indigenous Housing Professional Practice Seminar
IMPROVING INDIGENOUS HOUSING SERVICE PLANNING AND
DELIVERY FOR BETTER OUTCOMES
SEMINAR PROGRAM
Time
Session
9:00
Welcome and Opening
Ken Craig | Indigenous Housing Director | Australasian Housing Institute & Regional Manager,
Northern | Department of Families and Communities NSW | Aboriginal Housing
Introduction
Donella Roberts |Manager, Training and Events | Australasian Housing Institute
09:30
Key Note Address: Improving remote Indigenous housing
Anne Bradford | Chief Executive Officer | Department of Housing | Northern Territory
Government
Overview of the NT Governments strategic approach to remote Indigenous housing, including lessons
learnt from past experience and future approach.
10:00
Future Directions of the AHO and Aboriginal Community Housing
Sector
Shane Hamilton | Chief Executive & Executive Director | Department of Family and
Community Services NSW | Aboriginal Housing Office
The NSW Aboriginal Housing Office (AHO) is currently developing new ways of working with the
Aboriginal Community Housing Sector to develop effective strategies, policies and programs to break
the cycle of disadvantage for Aboriginal social housing tenants by delivering fit for purpose, client
focused services in places where they are needed, when they are needed.
10:45
Networking Break
11:00
Update on the AHO Review of its Build and Grow Program
Michelle Craig | Madam Chair of the NSW Aboriginal Housing Office Board
The NSW Build and Grow Aboriginal Community Housing Program was launch in 2010. The purpose of
the reform was to strengthen Aboriginal housing service provision for Aboriginal Housing Providers and
Aboriginal communities throughout NSW. Key elements of the reform included: New Registration
System, Headleasing, Subleasing, Repairs and Maintenance, Subsidies, Capacity Building.
During 2014 these key elements were reviewed to see if they were meeting the intended outcomes and
objectives of the Build and Grow Aboriginal Community Housing Strategy. The session will provide the
outcomes of the review and explain the pathway on how the NSW Aboriginal Housing Office will move
forward as a result of the reviews
Australasian Housing Institute | PO Box 6100 Mawson ACT 2607 AUSTRALIA | P: +61 2 6494 7566 | www.housinginstitute.org
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Indigenous Housing Professional Practice Seminar
23 March 2015, Sydney
11:45
Innovation in Aboriginal housing – doing things differently to drive
change
Jane Bender | Gunida Gunyah Aboriginal Corporation
Margaret Girdwood | Director | Moreton Consulting Pty Ltd
Housing is fundamental to health, economic participation and community well-being. However as we
know, things are not getting any better for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people throughout
Australia across a whole range of social, health and economic indicators.
The Gunida Gunyah Board has decided to drive innovation and creativity across our organisation,
believing that if we want to make things better we need to be doing things differently. Our focus is on
four key areas: Tenancy management; Community engagement; Maintenance; Building organisational
capacity. The session will outline practical examples of innovations that Gunida Gunyah is
implementing to tackle entrenched housing issues facing Aboriginal people.
12:30
Networking Lunch
1:15
Wentworth Community Housing’s Aboriginal Access and Service
and Delivery model
Kathryn Williams | Manager, Housing Services | Wentworth Community Housing
Cheryl Barnes | Coordinator, Aboriginal | Wentworth Community Housing
Wentworth has worked to create an innovative, measurable and strategic approach to service
improvement in regards to Aboriginal Access and Service Delivery.
•
Innovation in provision of culturally appropriate services to Aboriginal tenants and
communities; as part of a continuous improvement process for customer service excellence
•
Solid formal and informal partnerships with Aboriginal community organisations have
made a difference to the organisation’s delivery of services to Aboriginal clients & staff.
•
Best practice in the creation of an evidence based and outcomes focused Aboriginal Access
and Service Delivery plan
•
Strategic thinking and transferable ideas in the creation of an identified Aboriginal Services
team that has now integrated into other client service points to support the principles,
priorities and outcomes of the Aboriginal Access and Service Delivery plan
The service model is multifaceted, with evidence based practice and a monitoring and evaluation
framework incorporated within its design.
2:00
Aboriginal
population
mobility
and
its
impact on
tenancy
sustainment
Associate Professor Daphne Habibis | Director, Housing and Community Research Unit
|School of Social Sciences | University of Tasmania
Aboriginal people are highly mobile in a way that is different from the non-Aboriginal population. This
mobility is partly due to cultural reasons, especially the need to maintain connections with kin, and
partly due to high levels of homelessness. While culturally sanctioned mobility takes place mainly in
remote settings, it impacts on urban centres because people travel to town, stay with relatives and this
can disrupt tenancies. The policies of most social housing providers are poorly aligned with these
practices so understanding them, and providing support to tenants to help deal with visitors in ways
that sustain their tenancies is an important area for policy development.
Australasian Housing Institute | PO Box 6100 Mawson ACT 2607 AUSTRALIA | P: +61 2 6494 7566 | www.housinginstitute.org
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Indigenous Housing Professional Practice Seminar
23 March 2015, Sydney
2:45
Networking Break
3:00
Sustainable Delivery of Property and Tenancy Management Services
with an aim to maximise Indigenous participation
Phillip Luck | Executive Director of Contracts Implementation | Department of Housing NT
In 2009 the Northern Territory Government, in collaboration with the Australian Government, launched
the Remote Public Housing Model to provide Indigenous Territorians with access to safe and secure
housing in 73 Remote communities and some Town camps across the Northern Territory. With over
5,000 dwellings spread across 1.3 million square kilometres, the challenge to provide a quality service is
ever present. Service delivery must be responsive, sustainable, culturally aware and cost effective. A key
to sustainability is to maximise local indigenous participation, both at the Indigenous Business
Enterprise and individual employment levels. Operational constraints, logistics and capacity of
resources require a flexible and adaptive approach to service delivery. Sustainable tenancies support
healthier lifestyles, contribute to social and economic independence and longevity of assets.
3:45
Panel Discussion: What role can Aboriginal housing providers play
in wider Aboriginal service delivery?
Discussion areas:



Engaging Aboriginal communities and staff
Culturally sensitive strategy and approach
Building workforce capability
Convenor: Donald Proctor | President| Australasian Housing Institute
Panellists:





4:45
Jane Bender | Gunida Gunyah Aboriginal Corporation
Dr Owen Donald | Policy & Management Advisory
Phillip Luck | Executive Director of Contracts Implementation | Department of
Housing NT
Shane Hamilton | Chief Executive & Executive Director | Department of Family and
Community Services NSW | Aboriginal Housing Office
Kathryn Williams | Manager, Housing Services | Wentworth Community Housing
Conclusions
Ken Craig | Indigenous Housing Director | Australasian Housing Institute & Regional Manager,
Northern | Department of Families and Communities NSW | Aboriginal Housing
5:00
Networking Reception
Australasian Housing Institute | PO Box 6100 Mawson ACT 2607 AUSTRALIA | P: +61 2 6494 7566 | www.housinginstitute.org
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