A finalist in the Tenant Led Initiative category of the 2023 NSW ahi: Brighter Future Awards, Home in Place’s Tenant Expos are founded on the organisation’s belief that community housing is about building communities as much as it is about providing housing.
Tenant Expos are a series of showcase events that are held across the regions where Home in Place has a footprint: Newcastle, Maitland, Muswellbrook, Broken Hill, the NSW Central Coast, Taree and Brisbane. These Expos are both organised and run by the local Tenant Reference Group of that specific area who meet quarterly and discuss a range of issues that impact their lives.
“Discussions from each Tenant Reference Group (TRG) feed into the deliberations of an overarching Home in Place Tenant Inclusion Panel, which in turn reports to the Home in Place Board,” explains Gabrielle O’Boyle in their nomination for the 2023 ahi: Brighter Future Awards. “This ensures the views of tenants are able to influence Home in Place policy and decision-making at the highest levels.”
“The events invite tenants across each branch to connect with other tenants and local staff in a fun and relaxed way, and to access local services and support what might be relevant to them now or in the future.”
"We really wanted to make sure these events were for tenants but also by tenants."
“We really wanted to make sure these events were for tenants but also by tenants,” explains Jennifer Caine from Home in Place. “TRG members are involved in all aspects of the planning, including identifying which services would be the best fit for the tenants that were coming along to the relevant Expo. And we also wanted to make sure that our TRG’s were front and centre at the events, getting to know the other tenants in their areas. It was very much a case of 'Tenant Expos brought to you by your Tenant Reference Group’.”
Given the diverse needs of residents in the different areas where TRGs meet, Home in Place ensures the concerns of tenants are heard and, accordingly, the services presented are relevant for that particular area. In other words, these Expos are not just for show; they’re designed to make a real difference in the lives of their participants.
"We saw tenants being connected to services they didn't know existed or might not otherwise have known existed."
“I think the biggest impact of the Expos this year is that we saw tenants being connected to services they didn't know existed or might not otherwise have known existed,” Jennifer continues. “For example, Carer Gateway—a national program—attended a number of our events, and they have some great support they offer for carers that many people weren’t aware of previously. So, I think that's the biggest way that events like this make a difference.”
Although the TRGs have been at the centre of Home in Place communities for a number of years, 2023 was the first series of Expos since the pandemic. As well as looking to provide tenant communities with access to local services and supports, the focus on connecting people—or re-connecting people, to be precise—in 2023 was greater than ever.
“This was the first year we were able to hold the Expos again but, coming out of COVID, we've seen quite a bit of hesitation with tenants. I don't think it's just tenants; I think it's people generally attending our events, and bigger events across the community,” Jennifer adds.
“We’ve seen a tendency, which we haven't really seen in the past, where people register [for an event] but it doesn’t translate into them attending. And there was still a lot of sickness around this year, especially in the months coming into winter, so we wanted to re-engage and reconnect with our tenants face-to-face, and to bring them together as well.”
“That’s why we made the events an expo format with a range of services attending but while keeping the more fun and social elements — and lunch, obviously – in the mix. There definitely was a social aspect to help the idea of opening back up and getting back into the community.”
Jennifer says the ahi: Brighter Future Awards win for the Tenant Expos has been warmly received by the tenant groups, and by the staff who worked alongside them to make the expos a success. As she reflects, “It’s great to have recognition from the ahi:, and it's also great to have feedback on the initiatives we're running.”
"It’s useful to see what initiatives other housing providers have in place, and what approaches have been successful."
“It’s useful to see what initiatives other housing providers have in place, and what approaches have been successful. I think we’re all facing the same challenges, and it's good to learn from each other. We have some ideas that we're already looking at around focussing the Expos next year on sustainability and cost-of-living pressures.”
Jennifer was also effusive in her praise for the commitment of Home in Place staff: “Our community participation officers own the relationships with the TRGs in their area, and they ran the show in partnership with their tenant reference groups. So, yeah, they are really key to the success of the program as well.”
“Seeing our Tenant Reference Group members get really involved in the Expos was what we got the most satisfaction out of, and I think I could say the same for the team,” she concludes. “They were picking the venues, locking in the services, setting up, taking the registrations... They really invested in how the events went, and in having the right services in the room and all those things. It was great to see.”
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