Haven Home Safe Annual Report 2021 by HavenHomeSafe

ANNUAL REPORT 2021

Showing up matters Stories from the frontline We are a socially-impactful, commercially-operated not-for-profit. This means we have a deep empathy for the communities we are embedded in; always focussed on the people who need us most. Those people who urgently need to be safe. The family that needs to focus on healing and moving forward. The individual who is without a safety net. It is for these people that we show up.

KERRI GRIFFIN-KARASAWA H2H Program Coordinator, HHS

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Wominjek a

Wominjeka At Haven Home Safe we acknowledge that the land we reside and work on was never ceded. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land and pay deep respect to the Elders, past, present and emerging.

Contents Introduction

Why we serve

Wominjeka, hello and welcome

Showing up for Wendy

Our journey of change

Showing up for Cathy

Our collective commitment

Showing up for Melissa

Delivering on our purpose

Showing up for Sonny

Diversity and inclusion Showing up for everyone

Showing up for Kim

Customer at the core

From the frontline Michelle Hewett

From the frontline Caitlin Rogers

From the frontline Kerri Griffin-Karasawa

More Supports

Hope, Care and Help

Pivoting through the pandemic

More Homes

Building back bigger and better

New Epping takes shape

Building better lives

Safe and satisfied

More Partnerships

Our partnership network

Changing lives for the better

Digging deep and going digital

More Capacity

Transforming from the inside out

Innovating with Tank

Exceptional quality service

Financial Summary

Our Board

Our Executive

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Intro d u c t i on

Introduction

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Intro d u c t i on

Wominjeka, hello and welcome

At Haven Home Safe, we are privileged to service people across Victoria. In this privilege we acknowledge the Aboriginal People as the Traditional Owners of this land and we pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging. We value the stories of resilience and survival which make up Indigenous Australia This year we reflect on the people we served, the work we did for them, how we provided for them in times of need and those moments where each of our paths crossed. To look back on our last year with sincerity we must look deep within ourselves — to truly see what makes our organisation tick — and ask ourselves some confronting questions: → Are we meeting the expectations of the communities we serve? → Are we living up to who we wish to be? → Are we showing up where it matters most? → Are we living up to our purpose, values and principles? 5

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C h a i r R eport

Our journey of change

Damien Tangey Chair, Board of Directors

It has been a significant year of resilience, change and achievement for Haven Home Safe. This last year has been deliberately about building capacity not only for HHS but particularly for those people in communities of greatest need for whom day-to-day complexities were further magnified by factors out of their control. 6

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C h a i r R eport

Our significant thanks go to the HHS team and clients who have worked together through the ongoing constraint of COVID-19 impacts to innovate and overcome. Any such period should challenge the thinking of an organisation. Throughout the year we reaffirmed the significant benefits that an integrated housing and client support organisation can offer to homelessness. We also deeply considered the need to remain relevant well into the future as we plan and fund the continued growth and transformation of HHS to build greater internal and external capability to deliver on our strategic pillars of More Homes and More Supports through More Partnerships and More Capacity. We have developed More Capacity to centre on client outcomes and their perspectives and needs when key decisions are made, ensuring their voice and experience remain central to how we work — truly human-centred decision-making. More Support is better provided through our deep metropolitan and regional understanding and lived experience allowing us the empathy and insight to better serve our clients, whilst also ensuring that families within each community who are in need of housing and

Significantly More Homes are being provided through our enhanced expertise in bringing together a range of impactful partnerships with an alignment of purpose fostered by key government investments from programs such as Big Housing Build. More Partnerships with a clear approach and shared outcomes. Partnerships that innovate and bring industry and government together at scale in solutions to address whole of community issues. Providing the principle of integrated housing and support into these partnerships defines the shared outcome opportunity for all partners and allows us to go beyond the built form in working to prevent homelessness in Victoria. Partnerships may measure outcomes in different ways from ESG investing, fusions of social outcomes and investment logic or in organisational performance measurement. Whilst all valuable means of seeking to uplift and improve outcomes for HHS it is best measured in the eyes of our clients that we can help find and sustain a place to call home

support are seen and heard. Our ability to mobilise,

We thank those partnering with this vision. We

respond, innovate and influence key regions across

look forward to delivering a range of exciting

Victoria is central to serving people of the highest need.

new outcomes over the next year. 7

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CEO REPORT

Our collective commitment

Andrew Cairns CEO

We are a homelessness organisation specialising in housing solutions, entrusted, obligated, and expected to be in a position to provide people with outcomes around hope, care and help. In this past year we have offered support for vulnerable Victorians whose livelihoods were under dramatic change; a context where a sense of control and certainty had been lost. 8

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CEO REPORT

At the same time, our staff have experienced undue pressures and their own personal upheavals within the pandemic. The manner in which our staff and the communities in which we operate continue to collaborate to

We know that experiencing poverty is the single

provide support services and housing solutions for

biggest reason why people are experiencing

a varied set of needs and expectations within their

homeless — and we also know that more people

respective communities has inspired me greatly.

from different areas in our society are experiencing

And this inspiration has strengthened my belief in our ability to offer hope, care, and help where it is most needed. Core to this ability is clarity around the foundations and pillars that enable us to deliver for our clients.

poverty for reasons never seen before. This — unfortunately — sees the demand for services offered by HHS increasing. An unfortunate reality of our time and a challenge we are motivated to meet head on.

For several years we have had clarity around the focus

Mechanically, Haven Home Safe serves the community

of More Homes, More Supports through More Partnerships

as a regulated affordable housing organisation that

and More Capacity. This is all within a mantra of focusing

provides integrated services through a variety of support

on outcomes over ownership and realising the greatness

programs across the state of Victoria. As a trusted

that can be achieved when working with like-minded

partner and provider, we need to ensure that not only

and values-aligned partners to assist us in our focus

do we deliver on the State Government's policy needs,

on quality client experiences.

the community’s strategic needs, but also the individual

As I reflect on this year, the resilience of the organisation

needs of the clients and customers which we serve.

and the passion of the people within it, is at the forefront

Dynamically, HHS shows up by caring for

of my mind.

the personal, emotional, and physical needs

Collectively, there is a commitment to what we’re trying

of the people who call us for help.

to achieve and a strong sense of belonging to something

It is that selflessness and commitment of staff that

meaningful — to make sure we all take responsibility for

inspires me, humbles me, and makes me exceptionally

the delivery of equity, equality, inclusion, and social justice.

proud to be part of such an organisation. 9

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DEPUTY CEO REPORT

Delivering on our purpose

Trudi Ray Deputy CEO

The COVID-19 pandemic has continued to highlight the long-standing inequities and the need for safe, secure, affordable, and appropriate housing throughout 2020-2021. The impact reflects long-standing inequities in housing that the crisis has only exacerbated. Many Victorians previously unaffected by housing insecurity are now experiencing factors directly linked to housing stress. Thankfully, the Victorian Government's range of policy and investment interventions during the year helped us and others meet much of the demand for emergency accommodation and support at the height of the pandemic. 10

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DEPUTY CEO REPORT

The program design recognises the importance of pairing housing with appropriate levels of support. To ensure we remained focused on keeping our clients and their needs at the core of what we do, we adopted a range of flexible processes to provide a hybrid of virtual and localised services and keep our doors open. Although driven by necessity, we believe these new ways of working have provided valuable lessons and insights into our operations and how we can provide better, more diverse support and services.

Whilst the implementation further highlighted the lack of appropriate and affordable housing, the policy design and investment to bring together flexible support with appropriate housing is a philosophy and model that must be translated to the rest of the system. One of our highlights of 2020-2021, was expanding our Specialist Disability Accommodation management and compliance capability and working with several partners to house people living with significant

The knowledge and experience gained from

disabilities. We embarked on this expansion with

pivoting throughout the pandemic has further

the Board supporting the decision in May 2021.

informed our operational support services strategic framework and helped identify and prioritise policy improvements and system enhancements, notably the roll-out of a new Customer Relationship Management system, Connect, in late 2020.

Understanding the need for more housing that specifically addresses the needs of people with disabilities - including those with extreme functional impairment and high support needs - we increased our capacity to provide and manage Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA). A specific and

This investment in technology has the added benefit of

highly complex offering, we are proud to be able to provide

streamlining delegations and empowering our frontline staff.

specialist housing options for clients with disabilities.

Through Connect, we can now collect critical

In February, we embarked on a transformation

data on program performance, enabling us

journey with our customers at the core.

to help determine efficient resource allocation and drive our future decision-making. The quality and governance of our decision-making are more important than ever as we articulate and report best practice outcomes across 24 programs.

We are an organisation with a proud history; however as we move towards the future, we recognise what got us here won't get us to where we need to be. Our transformation ensures we continue to check in to make sure we have clarity of strategy, that we

The newest addition to our suite of programs has

complement other services in the system and be clear

been developing and delivering From Homelessness

that our priorities are outcomes over ownership. We

to a Home (H2H) in partnership with Mind

work towards ensuring that vulnerable Victorians will be

Australia and specialist support agencies across

supported by HHS and the broader service system.

the Loddon, Mallee, and Barwon regions.

Validation of our transformation aspirations and response

During the height of the pandemic, the Victorian

to the pandemic came in October with the Human

Government made a significant investment to provide

Services Standards accreditation mid-cycle review.

a pathway for eligible people who were temporarily placed in emergency accommodation during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown to transition from emergency accommodation into more secure and affordable housing.

The independent auditor recommended us for a commendation, "acknowledging the unanimously positive statements and praise of clients and stakeholders alike in appreciation of HHS's abilities in meeting extreme

There are 14 consortiums established across the state,

service demands, in innovative and compassionate

with housing and support organisations joining forces

ways, throughout the past 19 months of the COVID-19

to deliver a tailored and responsive service based on

pandemic operations and evolving responses".

individual needs. Our H2H is one of 14 government-funded programs to provide 1,845 households with access to stable medium and long term housing and support packages

It is a privilege to work with our clients. A privilege that we don't take for granted.

to people experiencing homelessness who are residing

We can't thank our staff enough.

in emergency accommodation due to the pandemic.

You are all rockstars in my book. 11

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D i vers i ty an d i n c lus i on

Diversity and inclusion Showing up for everyone

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples We understand a fair and efficient housing system is fundamental to reconciliation. In November 2020, we committed to developing a Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan, which will set out the steps for our reconciliation initiatives. Consultation in this regard will commence soon. We recognise the Aboriginal communities' inherent strengths and experience and are looking forward to having more conversations.

Diversity and inclusion are central to how we operate and who we are, both inside and out. We are committed to building an inclusive workforce that welcomes, respects, and values the diverse people we employ and communities we serve. We are on a journey and strive to incorporate these values into everything we do. To make genuine change, we are implementing intersectional community-led solutions. 12

We will be undertaking this alongside our Cultural Safety Project. During the year, HHS ran a working group to review HHS processes against the Strengthening Cultural Safety of Family Violence Services Framework and Aboriginal Cultural Safety Framework for Community Housing. We extend our thanks to Bendigo District Aboriginal Corporation for being advisory members of our group and for hosting a staff workshop with us. As part of our journey, we have focused on increasing training and cultural awareness education for our staff, including putting all new staff through the Centre for Cultural Competence Australia (CCCA) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Competency course. And we were the proud gold sponsors of the Bendigo NAIDOC Week Committee’s event. The program provided a series of activities, exhibitions and celebrations that commemorated the year’s theme, Heal County.

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People living with disability Our service - Active SDA - is dedicated

D i vers i ty an d i n c lus i on

LGBTIQ+ Communities

to the delivery of Specialist Disability

We are in the process of reviewing

Accommodation, connecting people to

our practices against National

their home and the support they need

Rainbow Tick framework, developed

to live as independently as possible.

by Rainbow Health Victoria. Staff

Leading SDA property owners choose to engage our service for our expert knowledge and experience in operationalising SDA. We deliver great outcomes for people with disability and property owners alike – by empowering people to access well-designed SDA homes and enabling lifestyle innovation in a quality framework. We consult with each property owner to tailor a management package to suit their portfolio

took part in Rainbow Tick sensitivity and awareness training provided by Thorne Harbour Health, and we have introduced a new Paid Gender Affirmation Leave. We have also joined the Welcome Here Project which supports businesses and services throughout Australia to create and promote environments that are visibly welcoming and inclusive to LGBTIQ+ communities.

Gender Equity

Older people With an ageing population and a lack of affordable housing, older people are increasingly at risk of homelessness. We want to provide equitable access, opportunities, and services to older, and prematurely aged people.

People of all genders deserve

We consider older people’ as over

equal access to power, resources

55 years, but we understand that for

and regulatory requirements.

and opportunities. Gender

many people due to cultural, social or

equality is critical to prevent

health disadvantages, many people

Multicultural communities

violence against women.

under the age of 55 can have the same

then our team ensures a seamless delivery which meets client needs

We want to ensure that people from diverse language and cultural

We recognise the importance of flexible working arrangements in

health issues as someone in their eighties due to premature aging.

maintaining a diverse and adaptable

To support older people, we are a

workforce. This year we introduced

Northern service provider for the State

new policies for Paid Parental Leave,

Government’s, Housing Support for

This year we conducted language

Flexible Working Arrangements

the Aged Program, which supports

mapping to understand diversity,

Policy, and Purchased Leave.

Victorians aged 50 years and over

backgrounds have the same access to our services as English speakers.

representation, and presentation of multicultural clients to our services. We found there are over 100 languages spoken by our clients. Arabic, Persian, Somali, and Vietnamese are the most commonly spoken languages other than English by our clients.

And we have continued to advocate on gender equity issues. Deputy CEO/COO Trudi Ray spoke at the 2021 Australasian Housing Institute’s International Women’s Day breakfast about the importance of promoting

with complex health needs and a history of homelessness. We are also an Assistance with Care and Housing for the Aged (ACHA) service delivery partner to support older people at risk of homelessness or in insecure housing.

and improving gender equity in

Based in Preston, our social enterprise

We continue to improve our

the workplace. CEO Andrew Cairns

HIVE provides non-trade maintenance

communications by offering interpreter

published an opinion piece, ‘Men

services. HIVE employs a mix of

services. We developed internal

need to do more to advance gender

people, including mature age workers

Plain English guidelines and have

equality and equity’ and continues

who have experienced long-term

introduced processes to provide

to advocate for the role men need to

unemployment for a variety of

key information in Easy English.

take in addressing gender equity.

reasons, including their age and skills. 13

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Custo m er at t h e c ore

Customer at the core We are committed to improving how we listen, understand, and respond to voice of our clients and customers by aligning our practice with the Department of Health and Human Services’ Client voice framework for community services. The client voice refers to all expression of the views, opinions, needs, experiences, and outcomes of clients. Clients include, but are not limited to renters, children, families, carers, and people who use community services and people with lived experience. The voice of clients and customers tells us what is working and where there are opportunities for improvement. Our updated Community Engagement Strategy aims to encourage active participation of clients in service evaluation, planning and design. 14

During 2020-2021: → Conducted 300+ quality client file audits → Appointed a staff member to coordinate client and customer feedback and complaints → Refreshed our website based on customer feedback → Added an online feedback tool, Appzi, to provide ongoing user feedback. → Adopted a social media engagement tool to provide better oversight and reporting, and improve response → Engaged clients and customers to review our marketing collateral → Created feedback loops for our customer experience for client stories and the complaints process to allow participants to rate their experiences → Updated our forms and surveys to include diverse background questions → Created new online service delivery feedback forms in multiple languages and Easy English → Received a 33% response rate to our biennial housing services satisfaction survey

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"Our staff are tired but come in with enthusiasm, with commitment, with a goal to be there for others. That commitment has floored me. I expected exhaustion, I expected anxiety, but I haven’t seen it. It still continues to surprise me. They stay true to the cause. They come in with conviction. They show up for the customers." Nickie Toulakis, Haven Home Safe employee

From the frontline Michelle Hewett Program Coordinator | IAP Mallee 2021 Employee of the Year

What has stayed with you this year? For me, I look at the last 12 months, I just think the life of everyone changed in the blink of an eye. Our day and our life is unprecedented. Work has made us resilient and resourceful like we never knew before. To continue to deliver our services online, and on the phone has amazed me. We haven’t had a complaint from our clients. And we have dealt with

How did you come to work at HHS?

every challenge that has been thrown our way.

I started in June 2011 on a student placement for three

The 12th March 2020, I’ll never forget it. I remember having a

days a week. The aim was for me to work across all

meeting with my manager and he asked ‘we need to make

programs as there weren't as many programs back then.

sure everyone can work from home’ and I asked, ‘work from

I started in the Intake and Assessment Program (IAP)

home, how do we do that. We can’t!’ And yet, here we are.

and I’m still here. I was employed full-time in 2012.

The generational stuff has stayed with me. I remember

I studied and worked at the same time. I will be celebrating

working with 10 year olds who are now 20 and I know

my 10 year anniversary next month which feels surreal.

their story. The strength in that history through the pandemic

We cover a lot of areas and do all the assessment across the Mallee.

has helped. We know their background so we know the impact on their families. When they ask for support we know exactly what their situation is. I have a lot of admiration

It's hard work. It's relentless work. Every day is

for technology that has kept us all safe.

something new but we can’t stop. We have to

We never closed our doors in the pandemic. We still gave

keep working for the outcomes for our clients.

our clients a little bit of normality by connecting them with

It's exhausting but you have to look after yourself,

the services they needed every day. It's a credit to HHS.

your team, and the people that come to us for help.

Every day we reset and refresh. Don’t take anything

People ask me, ‘how can you do it for so long?’

for granted. We can be told we’re in lockdown at

but the job is completely different every day.

midnight and we can completely adapt to that.

You never know what will be on the next phone call. You never know what the next challenge will be.

everything. We are chameleons, we have adapted to

On 17 July this year, we had a positive case in Mildura. We closed the office for three days for a deep clean.

It’s nice to reflect on my experiences to help mentor

We all got tested. We all worked at home and we’re still

my team. I have learned and evolved every year

delivering a service. It’s really rewarding to know that

and have learned from every situation.

we can still help people even when the office is closed.

What does 'showing up’ mean for you? We have a purpose on the frontline. It’s to make a difference everyday for people. We want to make an outcome every day. Not always positive but it’s definitely an outcome. The positive outcomes feel really good. Everyone deserves shelter. In a small town, you know a lot of people. People don’t want people to know that they are struggling, but it's our job to reassure them to not be embarrassed and that we’re here for them. We never know when we’re going to be on the other side of our own desk. The bottom line of everything we do is creating a difference to people every day.

How does HHS show up? We stand by our purpose. We always come back to that. It’s what we do across so many different sites. Our staff are supported. Our clients are supported. We’re a strong team and we work well across different areas. We work closely with our local Indigenous agencies, we work for our LGBTQI+ community, our disabled community, our ageing community, for women. We don’t say ‘you’re not in our LGA, we can’t help’ we always refer people onto another service, one that will answer their needs. We don’t turn people away. We can make sure that we always get people some sort of outcome. We can always put a square peg in a round hole. I’m so grateful I can do that for people through HHS. I’m so grateful to still have my job despite living in a pandemic. 17

From the frontline Caitlin Rogers Program Coordinator | Homeless Hub Loddon Recipient of the 2021 Barb Devcic Award for outstanding customer service.

What does 'showing up’ mean for you? How did you come to work at HHS? I worked in a variety of community services areas previously, Out of Home Care, disability and complex mental health, so have always worked on the outskirts of ‘homelessness’. Many of the clients I supported would come in and out of experiencing homelessness and I continued to see how important it was for stable housing and compassionate care around achieving this. The position was advertised right when I had just made the move to Bendigo and I thought it would be a fantastic opportunity to finally step into the housing and homeless sector further. I was so excited to be able to work at the heart of this challenging circumstance for people and to be able to support a team of staff who are making big changes in people’s lives.

What has stayed with you this year? How resilient people are, both staff and clients. It continues to amaze me how everyone has continued to keep moving forward (even when it seems like an impossible battle!). For anyone who has to reach out for assistance by HHS, they are already experiencing an extremely difficult period in their life, to have that topped off by a pandemic and unbelievable change over the last 18 months – they are still able to look to the future. The same goes for all staff at HHS!

Showing up means always being there for the people in my life, whether personally or professionally! Being there for the people in your life, even when it feels hard. Knowing that my fantastic team has support from me, on the good days and hard days. They do this themselves by giving 110% to everyone who reaches out for assistance. They make sure that we provide a safe and welcoming space for anyone who is experiencing a challenge and they work creatively to find a solution to every problem. They are some of the best and most amazing people I have ever worked with and they deserve to have me show up every day to help in whatever capacity they need.

How does HHS show up? The pandemic has been such a challenging experience for every HHS staff member. There is no one in the organisation that hasn’t experienced some extremely difficult times over the last 18 months, however we are still here. We are still working and ensuring that everyone who presents to HHS gets assisted and supported promptly, and with compassion. This goes for everyone though, not just our front line staff. HHS is as big as it is because there are thousands of tasks and functions that need to be completed to keep the doors open and supporting our clients. The business hasn’t stopped since this all began and beyond that, we’re still future focused. We are constantly trying to adapt because

The organisation has continued to move forward through

if the organisation falls behind, the clients and workers

a pandemic, massive organisational change, and is still

fall behind. After the year that we’ve had - even when it's

eager to improve and transform into a better business.

hard, the tone at HHS is uplifting and future focused.

From the frontline Kerri Griffin-Karasawa Program Coordinator | H2H Program South

How does HHS show up? How did you come to work at HHS?

The strongest thing for me is that there is a common goal.

I am usually based in St Kilda. I recently moved to the

towards a common goal. What does that look like as an

Bellarine Peninsula to care for my parents. My mother moved into residential care and when she had settled in I then had capacity to return to paid work. I looked for employment in Geelong and I came across HHS, specifically the H2H program. I applied for and was lucky to be offered this job with Haven Home Safe. I have decades of experience working with vulnerable people excluded from society. HHS and the H2H program provides a much needed service for the same client base and enables me to use my skills and experience in both tenancy and support. It is the first time, in my lifetime to see such significant State Government investment in homelessness. I believe that the H2H program, properly supported, is successful and innovative with the potential to make a big and real difference to people in their lives. I did my research of HHS - being a new brand to me - I felt it was a good fit. Everything is new for me, a new organisation, a new program, a new team, new office, new experiences but I love

organisation? It means exploring different ways of support. Pushing for more ways to help people. Collaboration, Building partnerships, building houses. Growing. The way HHS is growing is really exciting. They have housing stock and the foundation of serving communities for a long time, but the vision is forward-thinking.

What has stayed with you this year? I have a really eclectic team and they make me laugh every day. They do really great work. In our team we have a diverse age range, it's multicultural and it has wonderful energy. I firmly believe this program works if the staff are properly supported and given a lot of flexibility. I guess what stays with me, is that even though we work with a lot of challenging situations, mental health and drug and alcohol issues, we as a team and our clients still manage to find moments of

new things and am really enjoying being part of the team.

joy and humour. What I have noticed is that because of

What does 'showing up’ mean for you?

on the phone. We can’t underestimate the impact of

I think it means always being present. Whether that's

anyone calling them to ask if they’re okay. The simplicity

physically, mentally or emotionally. I think its resilience and creativity combined. It's continuing to explore every single option, to be creative in solving a problem. Showing up means maintaining a commitment to excellence, fairness and care through the good times and challenging times, and even during a global health crisis like COVID-19. 20

Everyone is here with different perspectives but we all work

COVID-19, staff have had to connect with clients weekly that supportive call each week. Many people don’t have of those phone calls has been underestimated. What has stayed with me this year is the resilience of our clients and wider community , and the hope that we will all come out of the crisis with a greater sense of care and concern for each other and for vulnerable members of our community.

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Hope, Care and Help

Our priority is to always respond to the needs of the most vulnerable people in the communities in which we operate. To do this, we are focused on delivering More Homes and More Supports through More Partnerships and More Capacity.

In 2019 we developed a three-year Supports Services Strategic Framework to better meet the needs of our clients and customers in more places. Fortunately, we have been able to execute most of the action items, albeit not in the order we had predicted, as we pivoted during the pandemic. A highlight this year has been the Board’s endorsement and establishment of an investment fund to enable greater agility, flexibility, and resources to be delivered through our homelessness support services. As an integrated homelessness organisation specialising in housing solutions, we know that we provide more than shelter; we provide coordinated support and case management with wrap-around

These are the strategic pillars through which we demonstrate hope, care, and help.

services tailored to the individual. We do not

Hope, care, and help are also how we respond to

Next year, our focus will be on creating and

everyone who needs our help; whether meeting the

documenting The Haven Experience through client

needs of those seeking urgent assistance, those in

journey mapping, listening loops, and regular focus

housing crisis or needing rental assistance, meeting bill

groups to inform our future service design placing

payments, or for our tenants to ensure their stability.

our customers at the core of everything we do.

currently offer all our support programs across all geographies, but to review this in 2022 is a priority. In the meantime, we have mapped all our partner service agencies across the state and developed a support services matrix to help staff navigate which referral services are available for their clients to find solutions in a more timely manner.

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“Showing up means the obligation and expectation - tied with the ethical and moral contract - to ensure that we improve the prosperity of the people for which we serve.” Andrew Cairns, CEO

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Pivoting through the pandemic The ongoing pandemic has had a significant impact on how we operate and deliver our services. With consecutive lockdowns in Victoria and Haven Home Safe being an essential service, we needed to respond to our clients immediately but with measures that ensured theirs and the community’s safety were top priority. Through this, our priority was - and always will be to ensure that all homeless people are helped and provided with safe housing in their time of need. In the face of a pandemic, we were able to provide temporary housing in hotel accommodation and provide people with the supports they needed.

Since January 2020 we have prioritized the needs of our tenants and clients to ensure they have all had housing security and the supports they needed during these very challenging months. The volume of clients and the differing nature of clients meant that our system wasn’t capable of keeping up with the pace of change. In order to improve our communication with our clients, we have moved towards investing in our frontline workers and the systems to better support them. We implemented a new Customer relationship management (CRM) system in late 2020 that was fully operational in early 2021.

Coinciding with these efforts was the extensive levels

As we have evolved our operations, there has already

of funding to support anyone homeless or houseless

been a clear shift and appreciation of our desire to

to be able to access private rental when possible.

simplify, transform and invest in our frontline services.

We are proud that as an organisation, we were able

The efforts made by our staff has been phenomenal during

to to evolve our digital capacity to continue to meet

this time and we applaud their dedication and work ethic

the needs of the people who needed our help.

despite they all too have been dealing with home schooling,

In our three-year Strategic Support Services Framework we had identified major digital improvements to be

working from home, lockdowns and restrictions in meeting and communicating with their families and workmates.

addressed. However, due to the immediate need to

Despite the enormous challenges, our HHS services have

communicate to our clients safely and deliver services

been able to meet the support needs of our consumers

to them via their phone, this literally occurred overnight

and pivoted to the abundant changes that have been

with the great assistance of our IT department.

necessary to keep everyone safe and secure in homes. 25

4,500 people placed in housing

12,00

2,000

homes we own and manage

$350M+

total assets seccured

clients supported annually

197

employees across Victoria TAMMY MCDONALD Special Projects Officer Office of the Deputy CEO/COO 27

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More h o m es

More Homes

Building back bigger and better In September this year, we were awarded $47 million to build more than 150 new homes for people in need in the first funding round of the State Government’s historic $5.3 billion Big Housing Build. Two-thirds of these homes will be built in regional Victoria, including Bendigo, Ballarat, Horsham, and Tarneit. The rest will be built in Werribee and Preston. We will contribute $12 million towards the construction of these properties, with building works expected to start before the end of this year.

for Aboriginal Victorians, people living with mental illness, pensioners, people with disability, family violence victims, and single-parent families to find their feet. The new homes will also meet 7-star energy efficiency standards, making them more comfortable during summer and winter and delivering savings on people’s power bills. As a trusted delivery partner of government, community housing organisations like us will share in $1.38 billion of the funding to develop 4200 new social housing homes and manage 4000 more to be built on government land or be spot purchased by the government. The next funding round, announced in October, will focus on regional Victoria as part of the

The Big Housing Build is the largest-ever investment

Big Housing Build’s minimum investment guarantee

in social and affordable housing and a once-in-a-

of 25 per cent ($1.25 billion) of the total program.

generation opportunity to change people’s lives for the better forever. More than 12,000 new homes will be built throughout Victoria over the next four years.

We have been working closely with a range of local governments, developers, buildings, numerous community organisations to develop proposals that

Overseen by new agency Homes Victoria, the

will deliver more social and affordable housing where

Big Housing Build will boost the state’s social housing

it is needed with integrated wrap-around supports

supply by 10 per cent and provide a stable foundation

to maximise the social and economic benefits. 29

H AV E N H O M E S A F E

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m ore h o m es

New Epping takes shape

The Hacer Group has commenced construction of 151 new social and affordable homes in New Epping as part of a $2 billion redevelopment of a 55 hectares site by Riverlee in Melbourne's north. Due for completion next year by June 2022, these homes are funded through the Victorian Government’s $5.3 billion Social Housing Growth Fund as part of the Big Housing Build. The one and two bedroom residences have been designed to the Better Apartment Design Standards and a minimum silver Liveable Housing Australia rating, which ensures they meet rigorous design criteria. Further to this, NATHERS modelling shows an average

the residences will contribute to New Epping becoming a ‘city within the suburbs’. Riverlee development director David Lee said the residences would offer the people of Melbourne’s North an important opportunity to access affordable housing. “Partnering with Haven Home Safe on our affordable housing mission for New Epping has been an extremely valuable opportunity for Riverlee to play our part in connecting people with secure housing outcomes that give them a sense of belonging,” he said. “We look forward to welcoming residents to their thoughtfully designed homes in the heart of New Epping’s vibrant community next year.” Back in April, we celebrated with a groundbreaking ceremony attended by The Hon. Richard Wynne, Minister for Housing and Minister for Planning along

of 8.0 stars, with the use of energy-efficient appliances,

with our project partners.

double glazing and rainwater collection, and reuse.

Minister Wynne said, “The private sector has an

Residents will enjoy a 250 square metre communal

important role to play in the development of more

area and access to the precinct’s 11 hectares of green spaces, medical and commercial services, as well as being in convenient proximity to many of greater Epping’s key amenities, including the future Northern Private Hospital, The Northern Hospital, and Pacific Epping Shopping Centre. 30

With a diverse and inclusive housing mix,

social housing for Victorians. This is an example of that partnership delivering real benefits for the community.” Top: An artist’s impression of the outdoor community space at New Epping. Bottom left: Preparing the site for the slab pour. Bottom right: The lift cores under construction.

H AV E N H O M E S A F E

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Building better lives

Residents Brayden Shafiq and Aaliyah Mouat with Elijah Shafiq.

In late 2020, we saw the opening of eight new social housing units in Lobb Street, Bendigo. Purposely developed to provide vulnerable young people with long term housing solutions, the two-bedroom units were built following a 2018 announcement of $2.7 million from the Victorian Property Fund. Partnering with the Victorian State Government,

people in the Bendigo area and we see this project as a step forward in bridging the housing gap. Member for Bendigo West Maree Edwards said the units in North Bendigo were about more than just housing. "This is also about giving young people the opportunity to go on and build a better life,”

we have invested the money into 16 units, eight

For many young people in the area, homelessness is a

of which are being built in Flora Hill.

very real and terrifying threat. This development has

As part of the 2020-21 Victorian Budget, the state government have committed $5.3 billion investment

There is a significant demand for housing for young

allowed a number of young people and their families the opportunity to access permanent housing.

in social and affordable housing and we welcome

The Lobb Street Project is part of a total of $85 million of

the opportunity to be a key partner in delivering a

the state's social housing spend flowed into the Bendigo

number of housing solutions across the state.

area. The Macedon Ranges are expected to get $30 million.

H AV E N H O M E S A F E

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Safe and satisfied

Earlier this year, we ran our biennial online Housing Services survey to measure our customers’ general well-being and satisfaction with their home, maintenance and customer service levels, and communications. For the first time, we introduced a series of cultural safety questions to help us understand if certain communities faced more challenges or barriers. A third of households took part in the survey, and we received over 75 hours of feedback. It was great to see three-quarters of renters were satisfied with our overall customer service. Still, there is room for improvement, particularly when it comes to maintenance and handling complaints. It has been a difficult time, with our limited capacity to visit people’s homes. The pandemic has been hard on renters as well, with community connectedness ranking much lower. To better understand and evaluate our survey results, we held a workshop with renters. Due to the uptake of online meeting tools, we could bring together a diverse group of people from across the state. The participants helped us to do a deep dive into the results. Based on their feedback, we are working to streamline maintenance processes and develop a tenancy support program to promote social

Tenant Satisfaction Survey key stats:

31% 74% 76% 80% 80% 84%

of households responded to the survey satisfied with our overall customer experience satisfied with rental affordability satisfied with the housing services provided satisfied with the location of their home said they were treated with respect

inclusion as we recover from the pandemic. 33

1,492 total renters in affordable housing

964

1,700

people housed in long-term accommodation in 2020-2021

599

total renters in transitional housing

tenancies maintained with private rental assistance

595

people housed in crisis or short-term accommodation MADDISON CORRIE Case Coordinator, H2H Program South

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W h y we serve

Why we serve

H AV E N H O M E S A F E

ANNUAL REPORT 2021

W h y we serve

No one chooses to be homeless. No one makes the choice to be without a safe place. No one is immune to difficult choices, unexpected circumstances and life’s most difficult moments. We know and understand this, bearing witness to it everyday — and in these moments we make sure we show up. Because showing up matters.

Showing up for Wendy

At this point in my life, all I really need is peace. It has always been a battle to keep what is going on inside my head in check, so if what is going on in my neighbourhood is just as bad, if not worse, then it sets me back.

H AV E N H O M E S A F E W h y we serve

After nine years on the public housing waitlist,

And that’s just one example … they have

and living in 13 different places, I was really

supported me through some difficult times

excited to finally get the call that they had

and helped me be there for my two girls, who

found me a place … but my excitement was

are the absolute joy of my life. It hasn’t been

short lived. Soon, instead of having a place to

easy for my girls and they have had their own

call home, it became more like a shelter from all

hurdles to overcome, but now they are both

the craziness that was going on in the street.

launching successful careers in healthcare. I am

I contacted Haven Home Safe, as I had done many times before, and as always, they listened to my concerns. I can’t tell you how much it

extremely proud of them and proud of myself for seeking support when I needed it, so that I could be there for them to the best of my ability.

means to know that the HHS team are always

HHS have helped me to secure a new unit,

willing to listen … sometimes that’s all I need and

far away from my old neighbourhood and

sometimes I need a bit more of a helping hand.

I am already feeling like a new person. To

Like the time, three days before Christmas, when my aunt was electrocuted at home in a freak accident. While we were all reeling

take a quote from the Australian classic, The Castle: “So much serenity.” I am convinced that this place is going to be forever.

from the news, we forgot that the Christmas groceries were in her switched-off fridge. The team at HHS were so kind and understanding, providing us with food vouchers and even some gifts to cheer everyone up on Christmas Day.

Wendy first came to us via our Initial Assessment and Planning or intake service and secured housing through the Tenancy Plus program.

Showing up for Cathy It’s telling that after over 30 years of working in the housing and homelessness sector …

I still find myself needing to secure social housing, so that I don’t end up homeless in my retirement.

responsibility to provide basic services,

a place, because there isn’t nearly enough

supports and infrastructure, as well as the

social housing for what is needed; and what’s

privatisation of the community services

even more alarming is that the situation has

sector, has created structural inequities

deteriorated significantly over the past 30 years.

that make progress impossible.

I am long-term single mum. I stayed home

The pandemic has really driven home the

with my son when he was really young

consequences of not providing proper support to

and then started working when he was in

the most vulnerable members of the community.

high school and more independent. During these years I was involved in a variety of community advocacy and social change groups, as a volunteer and sometime paid.

The thing is that there is nothing wrong with social housing! Adequate housing is actually a basic human right … something that the Australian Government accepts on paper,

But my work has been part-time, casual and

but still doesn’t take a legal responsibility for

full-time, so I haven’t accumulated enough super

addressing. Australia is a signatory to the United

to get me through my retirement. Add to that

Nations Convention on Human Rights – to

having to access my super for some health issues

provide Adequate Housing (as a safety net) yet,

and family members who needed a helping hand,

we as a wealthy country fail to do so properly.

and it is well and truly not going to be enough.

The system has never worked, and we keep trying

In my view, if I am in a position look after my

to fix it. It’s like trying to fix a leak in one of those

loved ones, and look after my own health by

above ground backyard pools that is filled to the

accessing my super then I will? It shouldn’t mean,

brim with water … while you’re patching up one

though, that this is at the expense of being

leak, another leak starts and so it goes, until the

able to access long term affordable housing.

whole pool breaks apart and the water washes

Why? The constant push for people to reach for the “Australian Dream” of home ownership has blinded us to the way that it is disadvantaging those who need housing but cannot break into the home ownership market. The state Government is at least tackling the need for increasing housing options – let’s hope it’s enough.

W h y we serve

The slow dismantling of government

in fact. I’m just lucky that I managed to get

H AV E N H O M E S A F E

I am one of many … tens of thousands of people,

you away. We are getting close to that point now. A completely new approach is needed. I know it isn’t simple and it can’t be solved overnight, but it’s time to look at the facts, stop this obsession with home ownership, and to commit to find a new way to deliver adequate housing for all. If we can get that right, then everyone will prosper and live their best lives.

Over my 30+ years in the community services sector, I have tried to play my part to make things better for everyone, especially those who like me, are without a secure financial future. However, instead of improvement, I have witnessed a steady decline in support, which has resulted increasingly poor social and economic outcomes for people.

Cathy is safe and secure in one of our Affordable Housing properties.

Showing up for Melissa

I was in rehab for alcohol. When I got out, I was living in a share house. It was a nightmare. I was a victim of community violence there. A man decided he was in love with me. The police were involved, but things didn’t get better.

H AV E N H O M E S A F E W h y we serve

Community violence doesn’t get spoken about

It is so hard to deal with your demons when

enough. We were living together but we weren’t

you don’t have a safe place to live. Where

‘together’. It was really difficult, and my options

I live now, I can eat properly and look after

were limited. I’ve lived on the streets before,

my health and personal hygiene.

but it was winter, so I tried to stick it out.

I was raised to be stoic. I don’t want people to

I didn’t have anyone to turn to.

pay my way. I planned to have a job by now, but

I am an only child, I don’t have kids and

the pandemic has made that hard. Most of my

my addiction had strained my relationship

income goes on rent. Last week, I bought a $2

with my parents. I’m an educated single

party pie as my treat. My phone was breaking,

older woman. The system looks at you like a

I was very lucky a kind person gave me their old

checklist and I didn’t tick any of the boxes.

one because I could not afford to buy one. It is

I was desperate. I needed to be away from addiction. I searched homelessness services online and found Haven Home Safe. They helped

still a struggle to make ends meet. Newstart allowance is not enough to find a safe home and get back on my feet, but I am in a better place.

me find a new place. It is less crowded, and I feel safer here. The managers don’t take any nonsense. Neither do the residents, by choosing to live here it is like we have agreed keep violence and addiction out of our community.

Melissa is getting her life back on track in our From Homeless to a Home (H2H) program.

Showing up for Sonny

I have been dad’s primary carer since I was six years old. People often say to me “Wow, that would have been really hard.” But, to me it was just the way things were … Dad and I made it work.

H AV E N H O M E S A F E

The restrictions also meant that Dad wasn’t

in and out of my life with her addictions,

able to be there on the night that I gave birth

but I didn’t mind, Dad was all I needed.

to my little girl. But I rang him at 1am in the

I met my partner Tim when I was 13. He was my first boyfriend and lived in Stawell, which was nine hours away from where I was living at the time, in Mooroopna. I guess it wasn’t ideal, but again, we made it work. I found out I was pregnant just before my 18th Birthday, while I was studying towards my Certificate III in Aged and Disability Care. Dad was not impressed.

morning to tell him she had arrived and he cried at the news. The next morning I checked myself out of hospital early and went to show Dad his granddaughter … it was love at first sight and now he lives to see her. It’s a wonderful thing. When our daughter was three months old, our relationship with Tim’s parents, where we were staying, deteriorated and they told us to leave. We had nowhere to go and approached Barwon Child, Youth & Family. They helped

I told him that I wanted to move to Geelong to be

us with emergency accommodation and

with Tim, but Dad wanted to stay in Mooroopna,

then transitional housing, which was such a

so we arranged for him to move into a facility

relief. When the H2H program came along,

there. On the day of the move dad got heatstroke

our worker referred us to Haven Home Safe

and ended up in hospital. He was not in a good

and we were lucky to get accepted.

way and deteriorated even more after that.

Now we are living in a new house that

We had already moved out of our house, so

has an enclosed front yard for our

I ended up commuting between Geelong

daughter to play in and I can’t wait to

and Mooroopna for a couple of months

grow my own veggie patch if I can.

to see dad and make sure he was okay. I was heavily pregnant by this stage.

W h y we serve

Dad has Parkinson’s and my mother was

Tim is looking for a job and we intend to build a good life now that we have a secure place to

Luckily, Dad was able to be transferred to

stay. Once my daughter gets a bit older, I want

a facility in Geelong before I gave birth.

to finish my studies in aged care and disability,

He was still angry about the pregnancy

so that I can help other people like my dad, I

and frustrated that he wasn’t living

think I have some good life experience to offer.

independently anymore, especially with all the COVID-19 restrictions at the time.

Sonny is making plans for the future thanks to the H2H program.

Showing up for Kim

I knew before the age of five that I was born in the wrong body, but that’s just one part of my story. My childhood home was in a fairly poor neighbourhood in Adelaide. For me, it was hell on Earth.

I became impossible at school and ended up being sent to all the special schools for misbehaving, but even they couldn’t handle me. I started drinking and smoking weed really young and by the time I turned 14, I was expelled from the last school that would have me. So, I got a job as a bricklayer. One day, mum caught me trying on her clothes at home. Her reaction was vicious. She said if she caught me wearing her clothes again, she would kill me and then proceeded to tell all my friends and family what I had done. You have to understand how prejudiced the community was to understand how bad that was for me, but she didn’t think twice about it. By this stage, mum was spending more time at home than she had when we were younger, and instead of leaving me alone in the house, she was locking me out of the house for coming home drunk, so I would end up sleeping in the shed. At 15, I moved out to live with my brother and continue my bricklaying job, but I kept getting myself in trouble and ended up in jail a few times for various offences. After that I hardly ever had a fixed address. Everything was always a confusing mess for me, I just couldn’t break the cycle. The last time I was incarcerated, I was assigned a psychologist who I trusted enough to share how I felt about being stuck in a male body. She listened and helped me get in touch with a support group called the Carousel Club, which is a transgender and gender diverse social support group. Being a part of this group resulted in me making some good friends who showed real concern for me, which was something which had been missing in my life.

My mental health was not good and after a while (and not for the first time) I selfharmed in my car. When the park ranger found me, I was in a very bad way, but he managed to get an ambulance just in time.

W h y we serve

The lack of supervision in a less than ideal environment, resulted in us boys finding all the wrong things to occupy our time. Add to that, my confusion about why I was in a boy’s body when I felt like a girl … and you had a recipe for disaster.

But it didn’t solve my problem of being homeless. I drove to Mildura just before I turned 40 to get a job fruit picking and hoping to be able to afford a place to live, but my car broke down once I arrived and I ended up sleeping rough down the billabong. Once again, everything had gone downhill.

H AV E N H O M E S A F E

Mum didn’t have time for my brothers and I … she was more concerned with her social life. I don’t know what mum’s issues were, but back then it felt like she didn’t like us kids much. We were left to fend for ourselves overnight and on weekends all the time, while she went to who knows where.

I was such a mess that they put me in an induced coma to give me the best chance of survival. When I eventually woke up, I was very confused and upset with myself for leaving my dog, Oona. Thankfully my friend, Peter was looking after her. Oona is such an amazing dog. I know everyone says that their dog is smart, but Oona is next level smart. She keeps me sane I reckon. Once I started getting closer to being discharged from hospital, the question of where I was going to live came up and that’s when the social worker referred me to Haven Home Safe. My case worker was great, she was really committed to finding me something even though I was still really confused and struggling to make a decision. In the end she found Oona and I a place at a local caravan park. During this time, I called on HHS a few times when things got a bit tough and they always helped me out with whatever they could. I stayed at the park for eight months, but then found out it was closing down, so asked HHS to help me find something else, but there was nothing available. Luckily, I stumbled across a mobile home on Gumtree one day and found out it was being sold by a lady who had helped me look after Oona over the years while I was sleeping rough down at the billabong. I spoke to HHS about it and they helped out with the cost of transporting it. Now I have my own place for the first time in forever. I can’t explain what it means to have my own space to think and recover from the hectic life that I have lived to this point.

We provided wrap around supports, medical and mental health referrals, material aid, and Emergency Relief funds to help Kim get back on her feet. 47

H AV E N H O M E S A F E

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More Partnerships

H AV E N H O M E S A F E

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The key principles of our partnership strategy are: → People at the centre

Our values guide the way we seek out, establish, and nurture our partnerships, ensuring the voice of our clients and customers are always present in decision-making.

→ Maximising value

More Partnerships is one of our 4 strategic organisational pillars. More than that, purposeful partnerships present an opportunity for innovation.

→ The Commonwealth Government

This last year has allowed us to work deeply with our partners and fully extend our partnership capacity.

→ Shared action and accountability → Sustainability This strategy focuses and acts on outcomes for both people and the system, which sees us developing pathways towards affordable housing, a keen empathy for communities, a focus on growth and a belief that an ecosystem of impactful partnerships can only come from a shared sense of purpose.

Our partnerships include organisations across the following sectors: → The Victorian Government → Local Government → Builders → Community Service Providers → Financiers → Developers → Community housing sector → Communities To deliver this strategy, we employed a dedicated Partnerships Manager who nurtures our partnerships. Over the past 10 months, we have also established partnerships with key values-led suppliers such as PwC, Bendigo Telco, and strategy and innovation consultancy, Tank to support our organisational transformation. 49

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Our partnership network We are committed to working with a range of partners to address homelessness in our communities. This includes: → Strengthening prevention and early intervention measures

Earlier this year we signed an MOU with

→ Focusing on people and connection to community

increasing the supply of social and affordable

→ Increasing the supply of affordable housing

housing in inner suburban Melbourne.

→ Applying Housing First as a fundamental principle

With the Big Housing Build regional grants round underway,

Government sector

- large and small - and their communities to ensure

As a trusted delivery partner of the State and Commonwealth governments, we are funded to provide a range of homelessness services and

it’s never been more important to connect with councils positive and lasting outcomes beyond the built form

Private sector

Emergency Relief (ER) to those most vulnerable

Our partnerships with the private sector enable

in the communities in which we serve.

us to expand on our engagement, skills and

In 2020-2021, our Initial Assessment Program (IAP)

resources for the communities we work within.

supported more than 6200 people, while we distributed

We value these partnerships highly as they

more than $8272 in ER funds in the way of vouchers.

rely on mutually beneficial goals that work

One indicator of a successful partnership with any

towards a greater community impact.

government is being awarded program or project funding.

The most recent example of this is our partnership with

Another key indicator is refunding of a program that

private development company Riverlee, which is building 151

has proven to achieve positive impactful outcomes, like

new social and affordable apartments for us in New Epping.

the Private Rental Assistance Program (PRAP) which helped 1700+ people start or sustain a tenancy, and the Rough Sleeper Action Plan, which provided temporary accommodation, material or financial aid to 117 rough sleepers in Bendigo and 26 people in Swan Hill. Both programs were refunded again this year due to meeting their outcomes of either housing people or keeping them housed and off the streets.

Moreland Affordable Housing to collaborate on

This development has allowed us to help and house more vulnerable people and families and in turn, Riverlee is able to reactivate a vacant site which better serves Melbourne’s northern suburbs. This project has enabled us to expand our capacity, broaden our reach and contribute towards building a community for the area. We have a number of partnerships with regional developers and builders with projects set to commence

We are also establishing and strengthening

in the near future. We are excited to be working

partnerships with Local Government Authorities

together with a range of people and talents to bring

across large parts of the state.

much needed services throughout Victoria.

Community sector We are grateful to be a trusted partner of government and are honoured to have been approached to deliver a unique pilot program. In partnership with the Centre for Non-Violence (CNV), we will roll out a men’s behaviour change program called “A Place for Change” which works with men who harm women and children. This program means victim-survivors of family and domestic violence can stay in their own homes while HHS work with men to change their behaviour. We are also partnering with Annie North to propose and deliver a transitional housing program for women leaving the justice system. Over the past 20 years we have worked with Annie North to deliver services that have a profound impact on people's lives. We are proud to continue this partnership, combining our resources and expertise, to design unique programs that directly address homelessness due to domestic and family violence. At a local level, we are active members of: → Loddon Campaspe Homelessness Network → Mallee Homelessness Network → Northern and Western Homelessness Networks → G21 → Greater Bendigo Coalition for Gender Equity → Be.Bendigo → City of Bendigo Pandemic Relief and Recovery committee → Mallee Family Violence Executive → Southern Mallee Mental Health Network → Mildura COVID-19 Relief and Recovery → Hands Up Mallee → Primary Health Network → Neighbourhood Housing Network → Loddon Family Violence Systems Leadership Group → Unborn Children Steering Committee → CBD Action Group Meeting (Bendigo)

Housing and Homelessness sector We are members of a range of sector associations and peak bodies through which we share knowledge, learn, and advocate on behalf of our clients and customers to increase the supply of housing and integrate support. These invaluable partnerships and affiliations include: → Council for Homeless Persons → Community Housing Industry Association → Australasian Housing Institute

→ Headspace Consortia Meeting

→ PowerHousing Australia

→ Loddon High Risk Accommodation Response (HRAR) governance group.

→ Property Council of Victoria

→ Urban Development Institute Association

Changing lives for the better Following Housing First principles, the primary aim of H2H is to house people who have experienced chronic

The From Homelessness to a Home (H2H) program has been rewarding and challenging in equal measure this year, but it is definitely on track to change people’s lives for the better. The $150M Victorian Government-funded initiative was launched in February to provide nearly 2000 households

homelessness as quickly as possible, to prevent further harm and trauma from sleeping rough or living in emergency accommodation. Once a person has a safe place to live they can begin their recovery journey and their other non-housing needs can be met more effectively. As an organisation that has a long history of both providing and advocating for more housing and integrated support programs, we welcomed the opportunity to partner with Mind Australia to deliver H2H across the Loddon, Mallee, and Barwon regions.

across the state with access to stable medium and

Together we are providing a seamless housing and

long-term housing and support packages to people

support service to 237 shared clients despite operating

experiencing homelessness who were living in emergency

for much of the year in a lockdown environment where

accommodation due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

access to suitable housing has been difficult.

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Digging deep and going digital Our Shared Futures initiative was chosen as one of several projects in central Victoria to share in more than $12 million in funding as part of Kirkland Lake Gold’s (KLG) Community Partnership program. Shared Futures is a wrap-around support program based at our Sidney Myer Haven (SMH) site in Bendigo, which offers a holistic approach to supporting individuals and families in crisis with social supports, case management, and a curriculum of educational activities to build skills and aid personal development. Activities range from parent’s group to develop parenting and childcare skills, cooking and home keeping classes, budgeting, through to fitness sessions and meditation and relaxation classes. Shared Futures also incorporates our Rent Ready program to assist participants to gain housing via the private rental market. Like many Victorian organisations at the start of the pandemic and throughout the various lockdown stages, we adapted to deliver this program on a digital platform. Engagement with participants was able to be maintained

KLG’s Community Partnership funding has enabled

and in some instances actually increased due to providing

us to bring this idea to fruition. We have a new,

participants the flexibility to participate remotely.

standalone, and secure platform to deliver the

It was then we imagined the potential impact of extending the program beyond Sidney Myer Haven to people in similar situations or life circumstances across the wider Bendigo community. So from 20 people to 2000.

Shared Futures curriculum and we’ve even built a media room to record podcasts and deliver live chat sessions from a range of partner agencies experts. Shared Futures digital will go live before the end of 2021. 53

98,200 website sessions

8,27

115,818 facebook post impressions

$125,990

emergency relief food vouchers distributed

people supported with homelessness support programs

103,653 SMS Messages sent

JACQUELINE CORBOY Tenancy and Property Manager 55

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More Capacity

H AV E N H O M E S A F E

ANNUAL REPORT 2021

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Transforming from the inside out Earlier this year we embarked on a journey to transform into an innovative and capable organisation from the inside out. From the beginning, we committed to investing in our people, processes, and systems to simplify, transform and grow the organisation from great to greater.

Transform → Defined who we are: A homelessness organisation that specialises in housing solutions → Implemented our LGBTIQ+ and cultural training

We also committed to managing the pace of change

→ Increased quality, consistency and transparency of internal communications

by occasionally pausing to reflect and adapt to new

→ Created and recruited six new roles

ways of working. One new way of working includes increasing and expanding the capacity and capability at the Executive level with the elevation of Executive Director Business Transformation Angela Boyd and Executive Director People and Culture Bernie Moss. And we have engaged external partners Tank, PwC, and Bendigo Telco to support our transformation across

to lead our transformation

Invest → Introduced a range of modern workplace benefits including Paid Parental Leave, Purchased Leave (48/52), Paid Gender Affirmation Leave, additional Cultural/ Ceremonial Leave, Flexible Working Arrangements

their respective specialist areas of brand strategy,

→ Employed more frontline staff

business modelling, and business-led solutions.

→ Leased larger office space in Geelong to accommodate

Over the past eight months, we have achieved a great deal: Simplify → Adopted a framework to deliver on our 4 Mores Strategy → Streamlined our Instrument of Delegation → Replaced minute taking with action items → Digitised our intake processes → Reduced duplication identity documentation across brokerage programs → Introduced a Stop. Start. Continue. review

future growth opportunities in south-west Victoria

Grow → Formed consortium with Mind Australia to deliver the From Homelessness to a Home program → Secure recurrent Private Rental Assistance Program funding → Formed alliances to develop new housing growth models → Rolled out Place for Change program, providing mediumterm accommodation for perpetrators of family violence → Repositioned our Specialist Disability Accommodation to focus on managed services 57

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Innovating with Tank

A number of projects are currently in the pipeline, all working towards these pillars:

This year we have continued on our transformation journey, a big part of which will be redefining our brand strategy in the markets we will work in — this will see us working with brand strategy and innovation consultancy, Tank. Tank, an accredited B Corporation, is a key strategic partner within the transformation team, advising on brand strategy, positioning and consulting on the regional grants round bids for the state government of Victoria. 58

→ Consistency in communicating our strategic opportunity, corporate identity and narrative across leadership, culture, in and through marketing. → Alignment on a single strategic trajectory for leaders, employees and stakeholders which can be reflected in our marketing communications and culture initiatives. → Linking our values with day-to-day behaviours, communications and initiatives as well as client/ customer and stakeholder-centric experiences. → Embedding empathy for the needs of staff, stakeholders and clients into marketing and culture; ensuring they see themselves and their needs within our organisation’s transformation. → Ensuring all experiences with our organisation are in sync, customer-focussed and in alignment with our organisational strategy → Researching the market, communities and their needs to provide evidence-based decision making and strategy. While on this journey, HHS is committed to ensuring that the process is collaborative and will always respond to the needs of our customers.

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Exceptional quality service We are proud to be assessed and proudly share the feedback we received: HHS is a high performing housing services provider who is an acknowledged ideal partner by various stakeholders throughout rural, regional Victoria and metropolitan Melbourne. Collaborations with sector partners, regional Councils and the Victorian Government, has resulted in successful emergency responses to address

In October this year, we successfully completed our triennial Quality Improvement Performance accreditation against the exacting Humans Services Standards.

housing emergencies and emergency relief throughout

An accreditation that provides quality performance assurance for owners, managers, staff, funding bodies and consumers, we are proud to receive industry recognition through independent assessment.

throughout the past nineteen months of the COVID-19

The audit process

unequivocally, feedback was exceptionally positive about

Haven Home Safe had 11 programs audited which were

the COVID-19 responses and prior to this emergency.

marked against the following standard principles:

the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic responses. A commendation is recommended, acknowledging the unanimously positive statements and praise of clients and stakeholders alike in appreciation of HHS's abilities in meeting extreme service demands, in innovative and compassionate ways, pandemic operations and evolving responses.

Stakeholder Interview Summary Assessors spoke with five stakeholders in metropolitan, rural and regional Victoria, once of whom was a representative of an LGA; one was a representative of a national mental health provider, one a representative of a regional community health service and two were sector partners. Universally and HHS ability to serve disadvantaged people throughout HHS is a preferred collaborator because of its historical

→ Empowerment

ability to persist in promoting service access to very

→ Access and engagement

marginalised populations and individuals. This persistence

→ Wellbeing → Participation Audited over a four day period, the Auditors conducted client and staff file audits, and interviewed

in engaging with difficult to reach individuals and groups continues throughout the on-going COVID-19 responses and HHS continues to engage in novel ways with partners and funders to support vulnerable clients with access to shelter, emergency supplies and housing assistance.

staff and customers. They also contacted key

As an organisation that values the trust of our partners

external stakeholders for the organisation as well

and customers, and exceptional service, we are incredibly

as looking at HHS’ policies and procedures.

proud to receive this highly regarded recommendation. 59

197

total of employees

94%

233

of employees feel valued and respected by their team

employees with over 10+ years of service

hours of professional development for employees

396

professional development courses completed

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Financial Summary

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Like many organisations, the 2020/21 financial year has been challenging. The continued impact of COVID-19 has changed the way we deliver our services to our clients and renters. It has also changed the way we work and the many ways we offer support, perhaps forever. Through this though, Haven Home Safe has

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We are looking forward to our future developments which will aim to provide more affordable housing for our clients. Over the next two financial years, Haven Home Safe will deliver more than $55m of new affordable housing across regional and metropolitan Melbourne with the support of the Victorian Government's Social Housing Growth Fund Round 2 - Rapid Grants Round. We will also deliver on more than $60m of new housing in Epping. As Haven Home Safe looks towards the future, we are investing in ourselves to transform the way we work to be a progressive, innovative customer-focused homelessness service provider that specialises in housing solutions. We are proud of the way we have navigated the many hurdles our organisation and communities have faced in the last year. Our customers trust us to be there in their time of need and we are determined to always respond to the call.

delivered a strong financial result for the year with a total comprehensive income of $47,817,085. Most of this result represents an increase in the Fair

Scan the QR code for the comprehensive financial report for the year 2020/21.

Value of our affordable housing portfolio. This portfolio is now worth more than $371m . Total assets now stand at $407,524,276 and net assets are $324,986,803. Our grant funding has increased 22% on the last year to $19.3m on account of new brokerage support for homeless clients and new operating funding for the Victorian Government’s Homelessness to Homes Program. Despite the economic challenges for many of our renters, HHS rental income has remained steady at $17.7m.

Or visit: https://havenhomesafe.org.au/wp-content/ uploads/2021/10/30-June-2021-Financial-Statements.pdf. 63

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Millions ($)

Haven Home Safe Income 1998–2021

Haven Home Safe Properties 2006–2021

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Millions ($)

Haven Home Safe Total Assets 1998–2021

Haven Home Safe Staff EFT 1998–2021

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Our Board We are guided, supported and driven by a committed, independent Board of Directors. Our Directors provide strong governance and stewardship on behalf of our broader community. They guide our organisational strategy, keep us accountable and help us build relationships to better our business.

DAMIEN TANGEY Chair Appointed 6 December 2018 Damien Tangey is the Managing Director of Birchgrove Property, a residential development business, and has a strong understanding of the tiers of policy and market forces impacting housing affordability. A past president of the Urban Development Institute of Australia (Vic), Damien also serves as a Board Director of the Victorian Planning Authority and Bendigo Business Council. He is a member of the Loddon Mallee Regional Development Australia Committee and President of the Bendigo Senior Secondary College Council.

JAN BOYNTON*** Director

JAN SNELL, Director

KEN BELFRAGE* Director

Appointed 4 May 2015

Appointed 7 February 2019

Co-Opted 5 November 2021

Jan Boynton is an independent executive consultant with over 25 years’ experience at Executive and CEO level in local and state government and the not-for-profit sector across regional Victoria.

Jan has had a long and distinguished career in the Victorian Public Service and has held a number of senior executive positions, more recently Deputy Secretary, North Division, Department Health & Human Services (DHHS). She is a Fellow of the Australian Institute Company Directors. She has many years of experience in delivering services to Victorian communities and in 2015 received a Public Service Medal in recognition of this work.

Ken was until his retirement a Partner at AFS and Associates accounting practice. He was a chartered accountant with 34 years in public accounting and served for 11 years as a Director on the Haven Home Safe Board. Ken was co-opted to the Board in November 2021 for twelve months.

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WARWICK CAVANAGH, Director

DAVID BRANT, Director

GERARD JOSÉ Director

Appointed 6 April 2017

Appointed 14 September 2014

Appointed 6 December 2018

Warwick Cavanagh is highly respected across the disability sector and is a Director of National Disability Services (NDS). Warwick served as the CEO of MORIA Disability and Youth services for 24 years and is now the CEO of Bayley House.

David Brant, former North East Housing Service Director and London Business School graduate with extensive skills in strategy development and implementation. With over 20 years’ experience in Corporate Governance in Australia and a number of countries in Asia, David provides management consultancy to businesses looking to improve their top and bottom lines.

Gerard has significant experience in community engagement, change management, organisation development, policy facilitation and program evaluation. He has had an extensive career in Local Government and is currently the CEO of Bendigo Community Health Services having previously served as CEO with Mildura Regional City. Gerard is committed to ethical stewardship and social justice with outstanding leadership, communication, analytical and creative problem-solving skills.

MELANIE ROGERS** Director

ANNE TERRY, Director

MICHAEL PAGE Director

Appointed 29 February 2012

Appointed 2 March 2021

Melanie Rogers is an experienced governance and HR/IT executive with many years’ experience in local government and community sector. Melanie is also a Trust Member of the Geelong Cemeteries Trust.

Anne has senior commercial, financial, governance, risk, and legal executive experience with several ASX100 companies including Macquarie Capital, Kennelly Constructions, and Lend Lease.

Michael has senior management experience at both the corporate and board level in property, finance, and construction, including 15 years of experience in social, affordable, and disability-related housing.

*New Constitution adopted 3 May 2018 determines that Director appointed at the October 2012 Annual General Meeting **New Constitution adopted 3 May 2018 determines that Director appointed at the November 2013 Annual General Meeting ***New Constitution adopted 3 May 2018 determines that Director appointed at the November 2017 Annual General Meeting 67

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Our Executive We create opportunities in the face of huge challenges. We say what we will do, and we do what we say. Our currency is delivery, results, reliability, and trust. Our Executive Management Team oversees a staff of nearly 200 people and ensures that we continue to deliver our purpose of assisting thousands of people each year who are homeless or experiencing housing crisis in Victoria.

ANDREW CAIRNS CEO Andrew was appointed CEO in February 2021 with an impressive track record and proven ability to deliver growth, shared value, innovation, and strategic outcomes. He has held senior management roles with several multinational companies, including more than 19 years with the Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Group and almost five years as CEO of Community Sector Banking. Andrew is currently a Director on the Board of Melbourne Water.

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TRUDI RAY Deputy CEO and COO

PAUL SOMERVILLE Chief Financial Officer

Trudi is responsible for growing and managing the organisation's support services and extensive housing portfolio across Victoria in her role as Deputy Chief Executive Officer. Trudi’s strong work ethic and diverse management and leadership skills developed over the past 18 years. Trudi’s passion for social justice and strong community spirit extends beyond the workplace into many roles where she strongly advocates for those who are homeless, in housing crisis, or fleeing domestic abuse.

Paul manages financial risk and leads the Finance and NRAS Compliance Teams, and he’s done so for over 20 years. Paul guides our financially sustainable business model whilst working closely with Operations to deliver on our purpose and secure growth opportunities in order to ensure long-term organisational success.

KERRI CARR Chief Corporate Officer

ANGELA BOYD Executive Director Business Transformation

BERNIE MOSS Executive Director People and Culture

Angela is a dynamic and values-driven transformation specialist known for her creative, collaborative, and pragmatic leadership style. Her career spans the fields of Finance, Risk Management and Culture and Leadership development. Angela has been the Director of 3rdi Consulting for the past 17 years where she has advised and led many organisations on their transformation journeys, including Victoria Police, the Australian Red Cross, Australia Post, and Medibank.

Bernie has over 26 years' experience in the People and Culture field and has worked across a diverse range of industry sectors and work environments, from heavy industry through to professional services, including not-forprofit organisations. Bernie joined us from Western Water, a public sector water corporation, where for the past four years he was the Executive accountable for several business functions, including People and Culture.

Kerri is responsible for managing the organisation’s COVID-19 response, risk assurance, digital technology, business systems, quality systems, legal, insurance, regulatory compliance, strategic procurement and OH&S programs as well as providing executive support to the Board Risk Committee. Kerri’s focus is on ensuring the organisation has the tools and resources it needs to enable the best possible outcomes for our clients, customers and staff.

BLAKE HOGAN Executive Director, Development and Asset Services Blake leads the Housing Development, Asset Maintenance, and Non-Trade Maintenance Teams. He approaches the day with a growth mindset and looks to achieve success in the future of the organisation by tying in Government policy, internal resourcing, and external opportunities to deliver a pipeline of growth prospects.

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"The stability and security of a roof over our head gave me a chance to breathe and set new goals. Being supported made me grateful and determined to make something of the opportunity I had." – Haven Home Safe client

This annual report provides a snapshot of Haven Home Safe's performance and achievements for 2020-2021. The information contained in this report was true and correct at the time of publishing (Dec 2021).

havenhomesafe.org.au ABN 28 081 883 623

@HavenHomeSafe

Haven Home Safe

Haven Home Safe Annual Report 2021

Articles inside

Our Executive

Innovating with Tank

Changing lives for the better

Financial Summary

New Epping takes shape

Building better lives

Building back bigger and better

From the frontline Kerri Griffin-Karasawa

Delivering on our purpose

Diversity and inclusion Showing up for everyone

From the frontline Michelle Hewett

From the frontline Caitlin Rogers

Our journey of change

Our collective commitment

Wominjeka, hello and welcome