Housing SA

2013 - 2018

Blueprint

Place

ConnectingPeopleto

Accessing affordable housing and appropriate support is not always easy for many people in our community. Research shows that a lack of suitable housing can affect our feelings of safety, our health, our ability to get and maintain a job, our connections to communities and the wellbeing of our families.

For this reason, when I was appointed Minister for Social Housing in January 2013, I saw that I had an opportunity to make some practical changes in the way housing and services are provided here in South Australia.

The early days of the South Australian Housing Trust were about providing housing to workers to assist the State’s development. Today, Housing SA not only provides housing, it delivers services and works in close partnership with other agencies.

For Housing SA, the future must look beyond just building houses and tenancy management. We must also focus on finding ways of providing services that help make connections between people and the places they live.

We want Housing SA to become an organisation that works more closely and effectively with families experiencing disadvantage. This means ensuring people have a clear way to access housing services, rather than having to sign up to various waiting lists, re-tell their story to different staff, or visit a number of different places just to find a way in.

We must also ensure that services are coordinated and delivered by a skilled and capable workforce that displays the highest values and behaviours. This all needs to be supported by modern systems that enhance the customer’s experience and not make it more complicated.

South Australians need Housing SA to be an organisation that meets these challenges and that takes advantage of opportunities as they present themselves.

This includes making the best use of resources and working with the Federal Government to improve the way housing is funded. It will mean building on our partnerships with the non-government sector through smarter and different models of service delivery. It will also mean that we need to plan how we will use and improve the housing and accommodation we own.

This is a big challenge, but one that Housing SA is prepared to face. This document outlines a process that will see practical changes that make life better for the people with whom Housing SA works.

Tony Piccolo MPMinister for Communities and Social InclusionMinister for Social Housing

Minister’s Foreword

Those of us who work in the Housing and Homelessness Sector know that we work in a system that can either improve or limit people’s opportunity, depending on how well we bring all the elements within our control together. We also know that the environment has changed dramatically, and what is now required of the system is the delivery of a wide range of products and services, delivered by a number of government and non-government providers working in partnership.

Housing SA has a pivotal role in this new multi-provider system and, like all strong and successful organisations, it is incumbent on us to reassess our evolving circumstances and respond to the changing environment within which we operate. We have a responsibility, on behalf of the citizens of South Australia, to seize the opportunity to transform from an organisation that is focussed on the delivery of houses to one that focuses on the creation and support of great places, and the provision of high quality services to those who are most vulnerable or at risk in our society.

In order to do this I have begun the process of change, beginning with a review and leading to a pathway as described in this document. We chose to call this document the Housing SA Blueprint (the Blueprint)

for a very deliberate reason – it is a sketch of the sort of Housing and Homelessness System we plan to design and deliver with our partnering agencies. It not only outlines our strategy, but is the beginning of a conversation with our staff and partners about how we can work better with each other, as well as with the people who access our products and services, to best meet our objectives and fulfil our obligations to the people of South Australia.

I am excited by the challenge that we have set ourselves and encourage all Housing SA staff and our partners across the Housing and Homelessness Sector to engage with the concepts and ideas that we have raised in the Blueprint. It is only through working together to implement the strategies detailed in this Blueprint that we will meet our vision of Connecting People to Place.

Philip Fagan-SchmidtExecutive Director, Housing SA

From the Executive Director

It is not the strongest that survive, nor the most intelligent, but those most responsive to change

- Charles Darwin

“ “

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Home is more than shelter; home is our centre of gravity

- Jeanette Winterson

“ “

ContentsMinister’s Foreword i

From the Executive Director ii

The context 2

The case for change 5

A values driven vision for the future 11

The Blueprint for change 13

The journey 19

The destination 24

Conclusion 26

The context

In Australia and around the world, ‘home’ is a very powerful and evocative concept. Having a place to live that is safe, meets your needs and is affordable, is a basic and fundamental right of all people. Not only is it a right, but it is also well documented as a universal determinant of health and wellbeing, critical to our sense of worth and belonging in society, and central to our ability to function as people and as members of a community. Thus the need for high quality, supported, safe and affordable housing options in our community is underpinned by principles of fairness, social inclusion and social justice.

The housing environment in Australia is a rapidly changing space. When the South Australian Housing Trust (SAHT) was formed in 1936 it had at its core the provision of low cost housing for minimum wage earners. At this stage in Australia’s housing story the work of the SAHT was unprecedented, due to its understanding that the provision of low cost housing not only contributed to the primary goal

of reducing the hardship caused by unsatisfactory housing, but also capitalised on the link between decent low cost rental housing and the industrial expansion of the State.1

Through much of the middle of the 20th century, the SAHT focussed on providing affordable rental properties through large scale developments, primarily utilising the semi-detached built form. Alongside this activity, the SAHT developed commercial sites, such as the Lyell McEwin Hospital which opened in 1959. This construction activity made the SAHT a key player in setting the overall direction of urban growth in metropolitan Adelaide. During this period, innovations such as the double unit design were developed. Such innovations enabled the continued provision of high quality housing at an affordable price. By 1986, the SAHT had been involved in the construction of more than 100,000 homes from its inception, with construction activity averaging around 2,000 properties a year.

1970sLarge scale developments

1980s

Housing for low income workers

1960s

2

1 Marsden, S. 1986, Business, Charity and Sentiment: The South Australian Housing Trust 1936 – 1986 2 CRC 2010-11 NAHA Report 3 NATSEM Income and Wealth Report 2011

100,000 homes built, average 2,000 a year

In the 1990s, there was a shift in the focus of public housing authorities around the country from the provision of low cost housing for workers to a more concentrated effort on providing housing to people who were more vulnerable or excluded from home ownership and the private rental market. This shift was in response to a changing social demographic in the community, fuelled largely by unemployment and the consecutive recessions across the country in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. The mid-1990s saw this shift formally acknowledged and supported by a change in the national funding agreement which required that states and territories give priority to people in greatest need.

In 2006, Housing SA was established as the body providing staff and services to the SAHT. Housing SA now sits as a division of the Department for Communities and Social Inclusion (DCSI), and has the dual responsibility of providing services to the SAHT and coordinating activity in line with the goals of the wider department.

What we now know about housing in Australia early in the 21st century is:

• morethan40%oflowincomerentalhouseholds are in rental stress2

• theincreaseinhousepricesacross the country over the last two decades is nearly three times that of increases in after tax income3

• thereisashortageofmorethan 530,000 private rental dwellings that were both affordable and available for low income renters4

• therearealmost225,000applicantswaiting for a social housing opportunity around the country5

• morethan100,000Australiansarecurrently homeless6.

We also know that to sustain a healthy and viable tenancy, many of the people seeking housing are in need of help and support beyond that of traditional landlord services.

Figure 1: Housing SA’s development4 NHSC - Housing Supply and Affordability 2012 5 RoGS 2013 6 ABS 2011

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1990s

Now118 providers across a Housing and Homelessness System

Housing people with higher risk / vulnerability

In response to that situation, Housing SA’s areas of involvement now extend well beyond public housing. Housing SA now facilitates housing provision, services for people and supporting systems across a range of business areas, as outlined in Figure 2 below:

Figure 2: Business areas across the Housing and Homelessness System

Public Housingproperty and tenancy management

Community Housingfunding and support for NGOs

Regional/Remote Aboriginal Housinghousing infrastructure, economic development

Housing provision

Homelessness Supporthomelessness support funding and management

Private Rentalbond and rent assistance, information and support

Access Systemsystem to assess and allocate housing and support

Services for people

Policy/Strategy/Fundingstrategic policy, service and funding program development

Regulation and GovernanceSAHT, SACCHA, HIA Acts

Supporting systems

• developedabroaderrangeofproductsandservices

• identifiedcreativewaysofdesigninganddeliveringthoseproducts

• developedpartnershipswithkeystakeholderstobroadenthescopeandcapacity of the housing system

• supportedthedevelopmentandimplementationofanintegratedhomelessnessservicessystem.

The next phase of South Australia’s housing story must highlight the importance of our provider partnerships that see us team up to deliver even better services to the people of South Australia. The future for Housing SA lies in fulfilling many roles across an integrated Housing and Homelessness Sector that provides safe, affordable and appropriate housing, support for people to maintain their tenure, and assistance for them to connect to each other and to the places in which they live.

Housing SA has worked hard over recent years to address the increasing complexity of the business and evolving client demand. To do this, Housing SA has:

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The case for change

Housing SA is now a systems coordinator, funder, provider and partner within a multi-provider service system. As an organisation and as part of DCSI it plays a significant role in addressing State Government strategic priorities and has a clear mandate to work towards the promotion of independence and participation, the creation of stronger communities, and the provision of the best possible services to those who are most disadvantaged in our community.

Within the current environment there are six areas of rapid change that are driving significant change to Housing SA’s business. They are: people, strategy, policy, funding, services, and business systems. When considered together, they create a strong case for change.

People

First and foremost of the things driving change is that the demographics of those people living in social housing, or waiting for housing and homelessness services, have changed significantly:

• tenantsareolder,whichreflectstheageing population in South Australia, and a higher proportion of older people who are applying for housing

• thereisreducedtenantmobilityout of shorter term leasing programs

• moretenantsreceiveCentrelinkbenefitsand other forms of statutory income

• thereisahigherproportionofsinglepersonhouseholds(77%)comparedwiththerestoftheState(39%),highlighting the role social housing plays in providing housing to particular demographic groups that have difficulty in the private market

• onaverage,tenantsstayinproperties for a longer period of time

• thenumberofpeopleapplyingforCategory 1 housing has remained stable, but the ability to house them has declined.

For those people seeking services from the Homelessness Services Sector there have been a number of changes also, including:

• thenumberofpeopleaccessinghomelessness supported accommodation has increased by92%since2001

• thenumberofclientsassistedby the homelessness sector increased by74%between2000and2010

• 33%ofpeopleseekinghomelessnessassistance do so primarily because of domestic violence

• themajorityofpeopleseekinghomelessness assistance are female, a proportion that has increased by13%in10years.

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Strategy

Along with the significant changes to the people who access the Housing and Homelessness System, there have also been significant changes to the strategic environment within which social housing operates. In 2011, the South Australian Government identified seven strategic priorities that sit under South Australia’s Strategic Plan and which are aimed at leveraging the State’s future opportunities. Of these priorities, four stand out as being of direct relevance.

In addition, Housing SA is part of a department focussed on promoting independence and participation, creating stronger communities, and providing the best possible services. Housing SA and its partnering agencies have a clear challenge to work at a local level with those people who are disadvantaged in the community.

Creating a vibrant city

working to have more people live, work, invest and spend time in the city

Safe communities, healthy

neighbourhoods

creating better public spaces for socialising and being active to improve safety and

create strong communities

An affordable place to live

working to keep home rental and ownership costs within reach of all South Australians

Every chance for every child

ensuring that children are supported in their early years so they develop into productive

members of society

Policy

In the mid-1990s, there was a change in the national funding agreement for housing which required that states and territories shift their focus from housing low income people and give priority to people in greatest need. This change in policy has led to a shift in the way in which social housing is delivered, and has led to a range of new affordable housing options, with traditional housing programs with higher subsidies being targeted to those who are more at risk or vulnerable in society.

In 2012, the State Government created the Urban Renewal Authority (trading as Renewal SA). Renewal SA’s vision is to create great places for people to live and work by forging strong community and private sector partnerships and accepting only the highest standards of design and planning. This has led to changes in Housing SA’s business, with key elements of asset strategy and public housing being undertaken by Renewal SA. Renewal SA is, and will remain, a key partner in years to come in achieving sustainable and affordable living outcomes for South Australians.

It is also clear that there are many emerging opportunities to support the growth of the community housing sector and value its important and increasing contribution to housing and service provision. Community housing growth programs are being developed in South Australia, with a strong emphasis on social renewal and an introduction of the concept of placemaking and localised services to tenants. These changes will be introduced alongside new national regulation for community housing providers, which will create consistent and robust oversight of the community housing sector.

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Southern Fleurieu & Kangaroo Island Housing Round Table

These significant shifts in policy come together to shine light on the importance of Housing SA thinking more deeply about its position within a broader network of providers, the way it makes connections to community and the priorities for funding improved housing outcomes. The role of Housing SA and of the broader Housing and Homelessness System in helping people to connect to each other and to their community, along with the concept of placemaking, are significant policy and service delivery concepts that will be essential into the future.

Westwood re-development

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Project team

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Funding

It has often been expressed that the work of Housing SA and its partnering agencies has become more difficult and complex in an environment of ever decreasing financial resources. This issue is closely related to the aforementioned shift in policy to provide housing to the most in need. Over time, social housing has gone from housing a majority of people on moderate market rents, to a service system that houses an overwhelming majority of people on subsidised rents. This has meant that under current circumstances and within current funding arrangements, social housing providers receive less (rent) revenue, and at the same time house people with a higher level of risk and vulnerability, arguably requiring more services and support.

Innovation in South Australia has been driven, in part, by necessity. South Australia receives significantly less than the average per dwelling funding from the Commonwealth under the National Affordable Housing Agreement. In practical terms, South Australia receivesapproximately40%lessfundingper property than most other states as a result of a higher proportion of public housing stock per person. It is for this reason that South Australia is leading work with national housing officials on a draft structural framework for developing a sustainable social and affordable housing system to redress this inequality.

In its early years, South Australia invested considerably in the growth of public housing across South Australia. Since changes in the national funding agreement in the early 1980s, the Commonwealth-State Housing Agreement (CSHA), has seen the rent model changed

progressively across the country from market based rent to the current income based rents arrangement. Further changes to the CSHA over this period have led to a progressive shift from worker housing to housing those with a higher degree of vulnerability or who are at risk of homelessness.

The consequence of this transition is that a majority of tenants are now on highly subsidised rents. As many of the fundamentals of the social housing funding model have remained the same, many housing providers have seen a decline in real income over this period.

Clearly Housing SA and our partner organisations face a number of ongoing challenges to sustainability, with many housing programs requiring ongoing subsidy of some form. Into the future it will be important to ensure the viability and resilience of the multi-provider social housing system by developing a more appropriate funding model at both a national and state level. One mechanism for this would be through a national review of housing funding arrangements.

Aboriginal Employment Program

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Services

It is clear that the services offered by Housing SA and across the broader Housing and Homelessness System are changing significantly to adapt to the changing population and environment.

Social housing providers are the owners of a portfolio of ageing housing stock. Given the changing nature of the tenant population described earlier, this stock will likely continue to reduce in suitability in relation to size and amenity.

A new multi-trade maintenance contracting model is currently being implemented within Housing SA to provide more efficient maintenance services to public housing tenants across the State. This innovative program will see regionally based head contractors given responsibility for a range of maintenance services.

Community housing in South Australia is poised to become more prominent in the State’s social housing system. The sector has recently grown and the transfer of management of some public housing properties to the community sector will further increase its capacity. The partnership between the State Government and the non-government community housing organisations will make the sector stronger, and the social housing system will become more accessible to vulnerable people.

South Australia has led the country with reforms in the Specialist Homelessness Services sector. By combining existing funding with new funding Housing SA, working with its partnering agencies, has redefined the way services are provided to people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. The ongoing commitment of new resources to address homelessness is a national issue.

Without a stabilised and sustainable funding model into the future, the improved capacity of this system across South Australia will be substantially diminished.

Funding through the National Partnership on Remote Indigenous Housing has fundamentally changed the way services are provided to Aboriginal people. New assets, resources and management models are being implemented to improve the outcomes for people in Aboriginal communities. Continued achievement of capital outcomes and reform to housing service delivery for Aboriginal communities remains a priority across the State.

Service delivery has also changed and broadened over recent times. This is evidenced by the large proportion of people presenting to Housing SA service offices across the regions for assistance to access the private rental market. In 2012, Housing SA assisted more than 27,000 people to enter private rental accommodation, representing almost half of the front counter requests across service centres.

Business systems

Adopting new technologies to provide services and updating legacy information and communication technology systems will form part of the solution. Many of our current business systems do not support self-service options, or enable the choice and quality required by the people of South Australia.

In developing new business systems we must consider new ways of allowing people to access services online and through other means. We must also seek to use technology to connect with our other system partners. New systems, such as the Community Housing Customer Register and the Homeless 2 Home case management and data collection system, have started to pave the way toward this goal.

The challenge

These new challenges and directions make it clear that maintaining the status quo is not a satisfactory option for the future. Housing SA now has an excellent opportunity to ensure that it develops a strategy to adapt and thrive in this changing environment. Our collective challenge into the future is to achieve further integration and coordination across the evolving multi-provider and multi-faceted Housing and Homelessness System in order to provide high quality housing and service options for the people of South Australia.

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Resident in her self contained unit at The Square, Woodville West

A values driven vision for the future

As the diagram suggests, the foremost of these drivers is the idea that Housing SA is an organisation with a responsibility to work with the community to connect people to the places or local communities in which they live. The concept of place provides an opportunity for Housing SA to embrace its role in understanding what it takes to create great places to live. Connecting people to the places in which they live is a concept that is about creating enjoyable and safe places that people want to live in, and supporting people to be meaningfully engaged in a variety of ways with each other and their environment, to enhance their sense of wellbeing and safety within their place.

A new Organisational Vision

Central to any organisation’s strategy is the articulation of its vision for the future and its underpinning values and principles. Guided by the strategic drivers above, the new vision for Housing SA is Connecting People to Place. This vision will be achieved through an integrated multi-provider Housing and Homelessness System that provides high quality housing and services that build on people’s strengths and enhance the wellbeing of people and communities.

The things that define Housing SA and its staff as it implements this vision are:

At the centre of everything we doPeople

Harnessing community potentialPlace

Drives our service delivery outcomesProfessionalism

Figure 3: Housing SA’s strategic drivers

Housing SA strives to improve our systems to ensure

professionalism and accountability 

Housing SA is outcome driven -

effective, not just efficient

Housing SA ensures the best use of resources and employs best practice models

Housing SA’s primary driver is to work with the community to

connect people to place

Housing SA is a key advocate for the importance of housing as

central to health and wellbeing

Housing SA is a systems co-ordinator, funder, provider and partner within a multi-provider

and multi-service system

Housing SA uses our contact with clients and communities as our opportunity to influence

To capitalise on the existing environment and seize the opportunity to thrive as a resilient, responsive and innovative organisation, Housing SA has identified seven key strategic drivers that will guide the organisation’s future strategic direction, as outlined in Figure 3.

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To support the organisation’s new vision of Connecting People to Place a set of organisational values and guiding principles will define the way Housing SA goes about its business into the future. These, along with the strategic drivers and an organised and well-governed framework to link the business functions, will provide structure and shape to a repositioned and transformed Housing SA. Figure 4 shows the principles and values that have been developed and describes how they align with the vision and objectives for Housing SA.

Figure 4: Housing SA’s vision, objectives, principles and values

Effective en

gag

emen

t and

com

mu

nicatio

n

Professionalism Drives our service delivery outcomes

The needs of people drive product and service

development

Everyone deserves a safe, affordable and appropriate

place to live

Decisions are made close to the people they affect

One person - one system Housing is sustainable, accessible and appropriate

We adopt inclusive principles and practices

ResponsiveDiverse Flexible

Adaptable

ResilientLeadership

Accountability Integrity

InnovativeOpportunity Partnership Learning

Housing SA - Connecting People to Place

Objectives

Vision

Guiding Principles

Organisational Values

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People at the centre of

everything we do

Place Harnessing

community potential

The Blueprint for change

One person – one system

The focus of Housing SA in the future will be to shape the way services are delivered internally and externally across the Housing and Homelessness System. Central to this will be ensuring that services are not exclusive and aligned to particular programs, sectors or professional disciplines, but rather are centred on the experience and needs of the people who require them.

To achieve this Housing SA will apply four key concepts to its service system design and development in the future:

People at the centreWho are the people and what do they need?

Co-ordinationHow do we work better together across the organisation and with our partners to design

and deliver services as close as possible to the people who need them?

CollaborationHow do we involve the right people in the

decision making processes?

GovernanceHow do we operate a system that makes good

decisions and is accountable to them?

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Community consultation

The concept of an integrated regionalised approach to housing and services is underpinned by the prevailing belief and supporting evidence that people get better outcomes if decisions are made with them, or as close to them as possible. The aim of a regionalised approach is for communities to come together to define their own issues and design local solutions for their diverse circumstances.7 Furthermore integrated, regionalised responses are of even more benefit to those who experience higher levels of risk and vulnerability due to their need for multiple services to work together in a coordinated, consistent and responsive way close to their own community.8

Through the implementation of this Blueprint, Housing SA will work with its partnering agencies to develop and implement a framework for the delivery of

An integrated regionalised approach

housing and services across South Australia that promotes and supports local integrated processes of decision making and service delivery across the multi-provider system. This framework will also result in changes within Housing SA to ensure that there is a clear link to an organisational governance structure which will integrate the intelligence of local planning and systems development with the important central function of strategic planning and program development.

What this means is that people in local communities will get an opportunity to come together with housing and support providers to plan, develop solutions and agree on actions that will benefit the local community, as well as feed into a wider strategic approach to the development of the social housing sector across South Australia.

The service system

To achieve the vision of Connecting People to Place Housing SA will embark on an extensive change program over the next five years to design and implement an integrated model of housing and services across the three key objectives of People, Place and Professionalism.

To do this each regional service location will deliver three integrated service systems: People Systems; Place Systems; and Professional Systems.

7 Greffe, Carson, & Kerr, 2012, Draft outline of the Regionalisation Strategy Position Paper. Housing SA, Homelessness Strategy. 8 OECD 1998, Carson, E., & Kerr, L. (2012).

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The People Systems will be delivered locally and incorporate the delivery of services across the South Australian Housing and Homelessness System. Multiple providers will be engaged across all elements of the system. Figure 5 outlines the elements of this system.

People - at the centre of everything we do

AccessIntake and

assessment

Housing management

Tenancy and propertyPlacemaking

Connecting people and the community

SupportSpecialist

intervention

Figure 5: Elements of the People Systems

Risk / vulnerability

Inclusive practice

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Access

This is the process that enables people to apply, be assessed, and subsequently receive the housing and homelessness services that are available across the system. Access to a multi-provider system must be available through all points of entry to the system and through all providers.

Housing management

Housing management is the process of managing locally all things related to a person’s property and tenancy. In a multi-provider system, housing management will be undertaken by all housing providers, including Housing SA, not-for-profit housing providers and private landlords.

Placemaking

Placemaking in this context is the process for connecting people with community by facilitating the linkages and connections between wellbeing, home, place and community. Placemaking is both an activity and a philosophy that capitalises on individual capacity, local community assets, inspiration and potential, with the ultimate aim of enhancing people’s health, happiness and wellbeing. Placemaking could involve helping people negotiate the Housing and Homelessness System, assisting with links to employment and education and, on a more practical level, could involve matters such as supporting community events.

The development of place and the subsequent provision of enhanced opportunities for people to connect to each other and to the local community can encourage stronger community engagement and community sustainability while also contributing to greater social and economic participation.9

The contributions of social housing providers have a significant impact on the health of our communities and can complement current effort in the areas of community engagement and community building, as well as help to develop new and contemporary practice methodologies to support the delivery of placemaking activities.

Support services

Support services are specialist interventions provided in response to people’s specific needs. Support services are provided by specialist providers, including non-government support agencies, mainstream specialist services, Housing SA specialist services and private providers.

9 Places Victoria, Place Making and the Urban Renewal Authority, available at http://www.places.vic.gov.au/cs/Satellite?c=VPage&cid=1316149687743&pagename=VicUrban%2FLayout&site=Places

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Risk and vulnerability

The concept of variable risk and vulnerability is related to the circumstances of the individual that may impact on their ability to be included in the community. Through the implementation of this Blueprint, Housing SA will work with its partnering agencies to develop a framework to respond better to the variable risk and vulnerability of people as it is linked to a number of things:

Risk - to the personal health and safety of the person experiencing the need or those around them.

Breadth of need - the number of interrelated or interconnected needs that a person experiences.

Depth of need - the severity or seriousness of the needs that a person experiences.

Multiple disadvantage - the experience of interconnected issues related to social disadvantage, including poverty, unemployment, literacy, or numeracy.

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The Place Systems will comprise resources and processes for ensuring that the Housing and Homelessness System is delivered in an integrated and linked up way. It will support a collaborative process towards the design, development and delivery of partnerships, service system responses and asset decisions relevant to local need. All relevant providers across government, non-government, private and not-for-profit sectors will be engaged in the Place Systems. The key components of the Place Systems will be:

Housing SA will continue to strive to be a professional organisation with clear leadership and decision making, driving positive change across the Housing and Homelessness System. The professional systems will encompass business systems, finance, human resources and the workforce to enable consistency, effectiveness, efficiency and quality. The professional systems will be delivered and maintained through the deployment of contemporary business tools, effective human and financial resource management, and a skilled workforce.

Work undertaken to develop Housing SA’s professional systems further will include the development of a framework of evaluation across the organisation to assure appropriate measurements are in place to gauge success against identified outcomes. The delivery of these systems will ensure Housing SA is an organisation that has high expectations, holds its own systems accountable and provides an effective framework to achieve the vision of Connecting People to Place.

Place - harnessing community potential

Professionalism - drives our service delivery outcomes

Access - is easy, seamless and appropriate.

Assets - housing products are appropriate, well maintained and meet the needs of tenants across the continuum.

Integration - responses are integrated and the system is working well together.

Partnerships - across the system are well developed, well governed and well supported.

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The journey

The framework

To make sure we deliver on the vision for Housing SA, we have developed a plan that looks at three things: initiatives and projects (the work we are going to do), tools (the controls we will use to monitor and measure our progress and projects), and outcomes (all outcomes will be measured and reported as part of the organisation’s professional accountability).

The initiatives

The Organisational Change initiative is designed to guide Housing SA toward becoming an organisation that connects people meaningfully to their local communities and embraces activities such as placemaking. As the diagram suggests, this initiative encompasses all the other initiatives within the change program.

The Cultural Inclusion initiative will ensure culturally inclusive principles remain a priority within all change projects and uphold the organisational commitment to pursue culturally competent policies, programs and workforce as stated under the South Australian Cultural Inclusion Framework. As the diagram suggests, both initiatives sit over all of the other 10 project initiatives.

HOUSING SA BLUEPRINT

Organisational Change

Cultural Inclusion

Responsive Resilient Innovative

Practice and Placemaking - developing a practice culture

Access - improving people’s access to services

Housing and Accommodation - strategically managing assets

Communications - better internal and external communication

Sustainable Funding - getting a better social housing funding deal

Professional Accountability - improving effectiveness and accountability

People and Culture - workforce development and planning

Better Places, Stronger Communities - building a strong multi-provider sector

Business Systems Transformation - improving business capability

Regional Governance Framework Decision making and planning close to communities and people

Benefits for people

• Improved inclusion

• Improved wellbeing

• Improved safety

System outcomes

• Multi-provider integration

• Strong local governance

• Better communication

Organisation outcomes

• Sustainability

• Strong partnerships

• High quality practice

Initiatives

Pro

jects

Outc

om

es

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Access

The Access project will broaden the range of information, services and supports available to people at their first point of contact with the Housing and Homelessness System. Outcomes for people will be improved through increasing choice and control when they access the system. These objectives will be achieved through the creation of a single gateway, the single housing register and the formation of connected and appropriate assessment. This project will improve people’s experiences of services through improving service consistency, providing more choice and streamlining access points.

Practice and Placemaking

Practice and Placemaking will play a pivotal role in achieving the vision of Connecting People to Place. The project will develop place based approaches designed to assess diverse community need and capture local opportunities. A practice culture for Housing SA will be refined and implemented through three key elements. These elements include the development of a clear Housing SA practice framework, tangible place based service models, and inclusive practice strategies that are in line with the State Government’s Cultural Inclusion Framework. Housing SA’s role in placemaking will also be explored and defined through this project.

The projects

The 10 change projects have been specifically designed to target the areas of practical change required across the organisation. These projects each have clear scope to deliver independent objectives, but also must interact with each other to work systematically toward the vision of Connecting People to Place.

Port Pirie staff forum

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Better Places, Stronger Communities

Better Places, Stronger Communities will position Housing SA as a lead agency within an increasingly diverse Housing and Homelessness System. This multi-provider system improves choice and quality for service users. Strategies include the growth of the not-for-profit housing sector and the establishment of specialised models for housing delivery. It will be critical for all initiatives to have significant regional stakeholder input and they are likely to have a strong placemaking focus.

Communications

The Communications project will develop a set of strategies and tools to assist the organisation in achieving its vision, promoting successes and engaging stakeholders. These strategies will address both internal and external communication to improve outcomes for people, staff culture, and the public image of Housing SA and its partnering agencies. Internally, the project will develop tools to increase opportunities for staff contribution and feedback, while responsiveness, consistency and integration will be improved across the organisation. Externally, a media, communications and engagement strategy will allow the community and stakeholders to provide feedback and recommendations.

Housing and Accommodation Strategy

The Housing and Accommodation Strategy will integrate a regionalised approach to strategic asset development and management. The approach will encompass an understanding of the conflicting needs, priorities and limits of available resources in meeting community needs. New supports and community engagement processes will be created to ensure clear decision making across the entire organisation, to address issues pertinent to scarce resource allocation and ageing stock. Asset management’s new regionalised governance approach will involve, and be dependent on, a high level of community, cross-sector and project collaboration to ascertain the needs of particular communities.

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People and Culture

People and Culture focuses on the development of a strong and competent housing and homelessness workforce. The provision of ongoing workforce professional development is central to ensuring staff in the housing and homelessness workforce are supported and capable of achieving the goals and objectives stipulated in the Blueprint. This project will identify new learning opportunities and recruitment strategies in order to develop the necessary skills and expertise to achieve the vision of Connecting People to Place.

Professional Accountability

Professional Accountability will improve organisational accountability procedures by developing a single and powerful accountability framework across all levels of Housing SA. The project will assist in establishing an organisation grounded in upholding and promoting strong social justice principles. The project will map current performance measures to ensure adequate accountability to key stakeholders, as well as incorporating new measures to hold accountability to the vision of Connecting People to Place.

Sustainable Funding

Sustainable Funding will investigate both policy and operational elements within national and state funding environments to assess the best opportunities for a better funding structure, in line with strategic direction and service outcomes. Policy and technical analyses will be undertaken to create a strong and credible evidence base to advocate for a more rational funding deal across the whole Housing and Homelessness System.

Southern Fleurieu & Kangaroo Island Housing Round Table

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Business Systems Transformation

Business Systems Transformation will progressively deploy modern information systems across Housing SA’s business areas. This project will assess the current capabilities of existing technology, plan and propose system transformations required for future work, and explore how new technologies can increase the sustainability and organisational efficiency of technology supporting the Housing and Homelessness System.

Regional Governance Framework

The Regional Governance Framework project sits broadly across all other change projects. It is through this project that an integrated regional approach will be developed and implemented. This approach enables decisions to be made as close as possible to the people those decisions will affect. It will provide a governance structure that will connect localised decision making and resource allocation to central strategic planning and program development. All other projects are required to engage systematically with the Regionalised Governance Framework project.

These projects come together to deliver an integrated program of change toward the vision of Connecting People to Place, and to deliver on our three objectives of putting people at the centre of everything we do, harnessing community potential through the development of place, and ensuring that our professionalism drives our service delivery outcomes. Together, the program of change will engage staff across the whole organisation to work systematically toward the achievement of Housing SA’s vision for the future.

The tools

Three tools (or strategies) have been developed to describe the process that will be applied through an implementation framework. The first outlines the change management approach, the second describes a framework for project and program management, and the third stipulates the key communication mechanisms that will be employed.

APY Lands

Benef ts for people

System

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Place

The destination

The successful implementation of this Blueprint will result in three levels of outcomes: system outcomes, organisational outcomes and, most importantly, the benefits for the people.

System outcomes

This Blueprint and subsequent implementation plan is designed to create a system of housing and services that will display the following system outcomes:

• acomprehensive,rationalfundingmodel(including a better national deal)

• astrong,integratedand connected multi-provider sector

• anappropriatelyskilledand motivated workforce

• strongandcommittedleadership

• aprofessionalandwell governed organisation

• anintegratedHousingand Homelessness System

• asinglestate-wideHousingandHomelessness Access System

• aregionalisedservicesystem where collaborative decisions are made as close as possible to the people they affect

• anappropriateandeffective property portfolio

• forwardplanningwhichisproactive,deliberate and embraces the changing environment

• systemdesignthatembraces cultural diversity

• harnessingofnewtechnologies in positive and creative ways

• diverse,openand inclusive communication

• constructiveandcreativepromotion of the system benefits

• encouragementofnewideas and initiatives.

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Organisational outcomes

This Blueprint and subsequent implementation plan has implications for the broader Housing and Homelessness System, and is specifically designed to make Housing SA a resilient, responsive and innovative organisation by achieving the following organisational outcomes:

• HousingSAdisplaysimprovementsinfinancial and operational sustainability over the next five years

• HousingSAhasanimprovedcapacityand ability to act as a partner within a multi-provider system

• thecommunitydevelopsanincreasedawareness of Housing SA’s business and sphere of influence

• HousingSA’simageinthecommunity is improved

• HousingSAdevelopsimprovedpartnerships and strategic alliances with external partners

• HousingSAemployeesexperienceimproved workforce capacity and job satisfaction

• HousingSAdevelopsamoreappropriateand sustainable funding model for the Housing and Homelessness System for South Australia

• HousingSAdevelopsandimplements an improved organisational governance model

• HousingSAachievesimprovedlocaloutcomes linked to comprehensive regional planning.

Benefits for the people

Ultimately the successful implementation of this Blueprint will produce the following benefits to the people of South Australia:

• peopleintheHousingandHomelessness System have significant improvements in their levels of social inclusion and sense of place

• peopleintheHousingandHomelessness System have significant improvements in their health and wellbeing

• peoplewiththegreatestriskandvulnerability receive appropriate support to secure and sustain appropriate housing

• peopleaccess(orreceive)arangeofhousing and services to meet their needs

• peopleintheHousingandHomelessnessSystem have improved uptake of education and employment opportunities

• childrenlivingwithintheHousingandHomelessness System have significant improvements in their health and wellbeing

• childrenlivingwithintheHousingandHomelessness System have significant improvements in school attendance rates

• childrenlivingwithintheHousingand Homelessness System have improvements in their level of safety

• AboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderpeople have improved access to affordable and appropriate housing outcomes and improved tenancy sustainment

• womenwithintheHousingandHomelessness System have access to appropriate support and report improvements in their level of safety.

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Conclusion

This Blueprint describes the journey that Housing SA is about to take. It tells the story of an organisation with a proud and successful history that realises it is now facing significant challenges and is prepared to face them with sound and creative solutions that benefit people.

Housing SA must change and evolve to keep up with and respond to changes in the community and its responsibility to support those most vulnerable and at risk. This Blueprint makes clear a vision for the organisation that is based on principles of fairness, compassion, social inclusion and social justice. Connecting People to Place is critical if we are to support people and communities to engage in an integrated local approach to decision making and the achievement of outcomes.

Underpinned by an organisational focus on People, Place and Professionalism, a commitment to partnerships and the delivery of outcome driven projects, this Blueprint paves the way toward the development of a service system that prioritises the lived experiences of the people who require it. Your support and commitment to the vision of Connecting People to Place will ensure our arrival at a destination that has clear and significant benefits for the people of South Australia well into the future.

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Resident in her self contained unit at The Square, Woodville West

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www.dcsi.sa.gov.au

Housing SA

Telephone: 131 299

Email: DCSIhousing@dcsi.sa.gov.au

Website: www.sa.gov.au/housingsacustomer