CEO’S WELCOME ..........................1MEET LINK ....................................2SERVICES UPDATE ........................3TENANT STORY .............................3COMMUNITY MATTERS ..............4

COMMUNITY LINK WINTER ISSUE

June 2018

LINK HOUSING LTD | ACN 003 0840 928 | LEVEL 12, 815 PACIFIC HWY, CHATSWOOD NSW 2067

Welcome to our winter issue of Community Link. It is a busy and exciting time for us here at Link Housing. The Social Housing Management Transfer program (SHMT) is progressing well and we are looking forward to welcoming our new tenants in early December. I thank our Tenant Advisory Group (TAG) for their involvement in the planning to date, and look forward to having both our current and new tenants attend this year’s No Place Like Home art exhibition and our other events throughout the year (see page 4 for details).

I am also pleased to officially welcome our Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) tenants to their first issue of Community Link. We look forward to sharing some of your stories in future issues.

We are proud to have formed a great relationship with Cerebral Palsy Alliance (CPA) and look forward to working with them on more opportunities to provide SDA housing to those who need it.

As Link Housing expands, our Board has been working on updating our strategy for the next 5 years.

We are looking towards the future and ensuring that the company’s growth provides many new services and benefits for our tenants.

I hope you are all well, and I look forward to saying hello again soon.

Andrew McAnulty CEO, Link Housing

Hello from Andrew

THIS EDITION

MONDAY, TUESDAY, THURSDAY 9:00am – 4:30pm

WEDNESDAY 1:00pm – 4:30pm

FRIDAY 9:00am – 4:00pm

OFFICE HOURS

02 9412 5111www.linkhousing.org.au

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COMMUNITYLINK

Luke is born and bred in Sydney and has 20 years’ experience working in FACS, the health sector and managing his own startup that provides services to people with disability. Luke joined Link Housing in February this year and has helped the organisation enter the area of NDIS approved services to better serve the most vulnerable in our community.

Luke, tell us a little bit about what you do at Link Housing? As the Disability and Ageing Lead I manage a team of caring and experienced Housing Managers and work closely with a number of partners, such as Cerebral Palsy Alliance (CPA) and other disability support providers. Together, we provide housing and support to over 235 NDIS Participants who have complex disabilities and require specialist disability accommodation.

What do you hope to achieve at Link Housing?Our goal is very much to help people with disability and the elderly in our community to live safely, affordably and as independently as possible. The key to achieving this goal is the close partnership we

have with our tenants and their support network.

Now for some fun, quick fire questions. If given a chance, who would you like to be for a day? Richard Branson.

You’re happiest when... I am with my family and our dog.

Favourite travel spot? Sri Lanka or Cambodia.

What is your personal mantra? No regrets.

What is your favourite thing to do outside of work? Scuba diving and motor racing - difficult choice!

If you could travel anywhere where would you go? Galápagos Islands

If you would like to find out more about the Ageing and Disability team or our NDIS services, please call the team on 9412 5111.

Each issue of Community Link, we introduce one of our team members to help you get to know us a bit better. This issue, we profile Disability and Ageing Lead, Luke Manton.

MEET LINK

NOTIFICATIONS TAG MEETINGS

Facebook Competition WinnerThank you to all who entered our Facebook ‘Likes’. We drew a winner on Tuesday 3rd April and notified them by email and phone on this date.

TAG is a forum for tenants to raise issues, discuss options, plan actions and obtain support to improve the quality of life for themselves, their neighbours and the broader community. All tenants are welcome to attend TAG meetings. If you cannot make these meetings please feel free to share your views by email at TAG@linkhousing.org.au.

Tuesday 12th June Tuesday 21st August Tuesday 30th October

Privacy Policy and Collection StatementWe have recently updated our Privacy Policy and Collection Statement. The Privacy Policy is available on our website (linkhousing.org.au) and includes updates to the personal information that we collect from you and how we use it. See the attached Collection Statement. Contact 9412 5111 or privacy@linkhousing.org.au if you have any questions.

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TENANT STORY

AFFORDABLE HOUSING HELPS A YOUNG FAMILY BUY THEIR OWN HOME

SERVICE UPDATE: CLIENT SATISFACTION

TAG MEETINGS

We recently spoke to one of our tenants while she was on her way to pick up the keys to her very own house. On this memorable day, she took the time to tell us her story so that we could share it with you.

Our tenant and her young family came to Australia a number of years ago to create a better life for their family. Their first neighbourhood in Australia was far removed from what they were familiar with in their own country, but they didn’t have time to dwell on that. They had to adjust and find jobs to be able to feed their family and stay in Australia. As our tenant says, “It was tough. Most jobs require you to be an Australian Citizen.”

After finally landing a casual job in a company in Sydney, the family had to move states. They found rents in Sydney incredibly high and had nearly given up hope when they found Link Housing online and contacted the team.

Our tenant continues, “Link Housing listened to us. After many dealings with people who just didn’t take the time to explain things to us, and didn’t understand how desperate we were, Link took the time. They didn’t rush us and were more than happy to explain the Affordable Housing rules, and so many other things that we are struggling with, like energy bills.”

With Link Housing’s help, the family were soon approved for the government’s Affordable Housing scheme and secured an apartment to rent at a 20% reduction from market rent.

“The discounted rent and support from Link, meant we could save for our own home. This was our goal. We can’t thank the team enough for helping us.”

As part of our commitment to improving our services, we recently launched a post-service client satisfaction survey.

The survey is managed by our Client Services team and consists of five questions which take 5 to 10 minutes to answer over the phone. All answers are anonymised to protect your privacy and confidentiality.

Here are some of the themes from the feedback we have received from the surveys to date:

You like: �Responsive staff and Housing

Managers who are there when you need them

�A Client Service team that listen and are clear, nice and helpful

�Email and electronic ways to communicate and return forms

You don’t like: �High volume of paperwork at times

�Lack of self service options for information and help

�Rent increases when I start a new job

Stay tuned for updates on how we are working to solve these issues for you. All tenants who participate in the survey go into a draw to win a $50 gift voucher.

To share your feedback at any time email:

feedback@linkhousing.org.au

For information on eligibility for Affordable Housing and discounted rent, please call 9412 5111. For Affordable Housing property listings, search for ‘Link Housing’ on realestate.com.au or domain.com.au.

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COMMUNITYLINK

Over the last few months, the Communities team and our TAG have been working to put together a one-year action plan as part of our community engagement strategy, Forming Links.

The plan outlines our commitment to providing more opportunities for tenants to engage with Link Housing, each other and the local community - and to improving educational, employment, social and community outcomes for our tenants and stakeholders. The updated strategy will be available soon. For now you can find our current Forming Links strategy on our website:

linkhousing.org.au/tenant.html

The Communities team have also been busy organising these very popular events and programs.

2018/2019 Education Scholarship ProgramThe Program is now open. And this year it is even easier to apply and it is open to tenants of all ages.

Eligibility: As long as you are a Link Housing tenant or live in a Link House tenancy, and are an Australian resident, you can apply.

Scholarship amounts: Primary school children can receive up to $500 each. Secondary school children can receive up to $750 each. Anyone older can receive up to $1,000 each.

Requirements: Scholarships can be used for a wide range of items and services such as school fees and uniforms; textbooks; computer equipment; sports kit/ equipment; school trips; educational visits or camps; extra-curricular activities that improves a young person’s life skills e.g. driving lessons; specialist skill development e.g. short courses; employment skills such as CV writing.

Applications: To apply contact Suzanne Sheerin in our Communities team or simply complete and return the application form enclosed.

E: enquiries@linkhousing.org.au

LEVEL 12, 815 PACIFIC HWY, CHATSWOOD NSW 2067 | ACN 003 0840 928

COMMUNITY MATTERS

Art Exhibition: No Place Like HomeLink Housing will once again host a community art exhibition in the Northern Sydney area. No Place Like Home intends to highlight the importance of having a safe and secure home and welcomes submissions from all artists and creatives. If you have a compelling story to tell around our theme please see the application form attached.

If you have any questions at all or are unsure about whether you should apply, please see our Information Pack on our No Place Like Home Facebook events page, or on our website at linkhousing.org.au/whats-on.html

Facebook: @LinkHousingCommunityHousing Email: enquiries@linkhousing.org.au

Gardening Competition: Spring LinkThe search for Link Housing’s top gardeners is on again and we are pleased to invite Link Housing tenants of all ages to take part.

This year’s 5 categories are:1. Best herb/vegetable garden: from small private

balcony gardens to entire community gardens

2. Best courtyard/balcony: private residential garden using pots, planter boxes, ornaments, walled gardens

3. Best communal or shared: any space that is tended to by multiple residents

4. Best kids’ garden: Any green space planted and cared for by children under fourteen

5. Best general garden: large private residential gardens - the whole garden or just a section.

Our panel of expert judges will come together to judge the winners in October, awarding an overall winner a $200 gift card and five category winners with a $100 gift card each. Please find the application form enclosed to apply and get greening!

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