Housing NSW funds this initiative to provide social housing tenants with increased access to information, advice and opportunities to more actively participate in processes related to their housing, as well as to engage in their communities.

Goals of the TPRS Program are to ensure that social housing tenants:

• are engaged in communities;

• have their needs and priorities identified and considered in planning and service delivery;

• are informed about their rights and responsibilities and are supported with their housing needs;

• have skills and resources to participate in community life; and

• receive services that are co-ordinated, flexible and responsive to their needs.

Here is a great example of how this program achieves its aims. 

The TPRS recently worked in partnership with South East Women and Children Services (SEWACS) to deliver the ‘Barb the Builder’ project. SEWACS provide housing for women escaping domestic violence. Many of these women have never lived alone, and they identified that they needed to build basic skills so they could tackle small regular maintenance jobs in their homes.

Working with a female tradesperson – to make sure they felt comfortable and unthreatened, the women learnt skills such as repairing holes in plaster, fixing flyscreens, painting and carpet removal. They were also able to connect with each other and with SEWACS staff over lunch – building stronger relationships and improving their social supports.

Through this simple project, these women have built their independence, and are able to take pride in their homes and know that they can complete small household maintenance tasks when needed. The benefits also flow on to their children who see Mum being independent and capable. And the social housing provider benefits because there is less call on their limited maintenance budgets for minor repairs.

Due to the success of this project, the TPRS is now working in partnership with members of the Barrack Heights Community Round Table initiative to deliver a similar project with social housing tenants in Barrack Heights. These social housing tenants may not have the same obstacles that the women in the SEWACS project did, but they are all living in social housing with limited access to maintenance budgets.

Projects such as this are great examples of social housing tenants taking the initiative to improve the amenity of their own homes. They are also great ways of building individual and community capacity, of bringing individuals together to build stronger communities, and of the innovative ways community organisations and NSW Government departments can work together to improve outcomes for individuals and communities.

Nicky Sloan is CEO of The Illawarra Forum.  The Forum supports community organisations, promotes expertise and innovation in community development, fosters industry development and advocates for social justice.  www.illawarraforum.org.au

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