20Annual Report 2020 Faces of Bridge Housing Contents About this report 2 Performance highlights 4 Bridge Housing profile 6 Our portfolio 8 Our journey 9 Our timeline 10 Bridge Housing on social media 11 Chairman’s report 12 Chief Executive Officer’s report 14 Spotlight 1: Business response to COVID-19 18 Housing affordability 20 Our advocacy work 24 Spotlight 2: Reconciliation Action Plan 26 Operating environment 2019–20 28 How we operate 33 Our Board of Directors 34 Our executive team 36 Spotlight 3: Bridge Housing on the Northern Beaches 38 Our people 40 Our governance 46 Spotlight 4: Our Place, Green Space 54 Operations report 56 Spotlight 5: Digitising our HR management system 66 Development report 68 Spotlight 6: Building our capital portfolio 72 Finance and Corporate Services report 74 Financial summary 2019–20 80 Bridge Housing in the community 86 Key facts 88 Acknowledging our partners 91 Glossary and abbreviations 92 ANNUAL REPORT 2020 REPORT ANNUAL Appendix 1: Our performance 94 Index 104 BRIDGE HOUSING LIMITED 1 About this report The Bridge Housing Limited Annual Report for 2020 is a summary of our operational and financial performance during the 2019–20 financial year. It explains how we work to improve lives and strengthen communities through the provision of affordable housing and quality services. The 2020 Annual Report is a measure This report is primarily targeted to the following audiences: of our performance for 2019–20 against the targets in our Strategic Plan residents, applicants and recipients of our housing management services 2018–2021, and helps us assess how members of Bridge Housing Limited well Bridge Housing is performing federal, state, and local government partners and where we need to improve. Our private sector partners who help us deliver more affordable housing Business Plan 2019–20 contains further details about these targets. support partners who provide services to our most vulnerable tenants; and Bridge Housing staff who deliver our services. Acknowledgement of Country Bridge Housing acknowledges the Gadigal, Darug and Gai-mariagal people as the traditional custodians of the lands on which we operate and we pay our respects to their Elders past and present. Our Mission Improving lives through affordable homes and quality services Our Vision A dynamic organisation, recognised for excellence in meeting housing need, improving resident wellbeing and governing responsibly Bridge Housing Limited ANNUAL REPORT 2020 REPORT ANNUAL Head Office: Level 9, 59 Goulburn Street, Sydney NSW 2000 Northern Beaches Office: Level 1, 660–664 Pittwater Road, Brookvale NSW 2100 Postal address: PO Box 20217, World Square NSW 2000 Telephone: (02) 8324 0800 ABN: 55 760 055 094 Follow us Website: www.bridgehousing.org.au ACN: 135 570 955 Email: [email protected] ISBN: 978-0-6481986-5-9 BRIDGE HOUSING LIMITED Report online: www.bridgehousing.org.au/about-us/our-business/annual-report 2 “I feel a strong sense of alignment with the values of Bridge Housing. I stay at Bridge Housing because I feel connected to my job and the work the organisation does.“ Staff member Our Values Socially responsible We are a socially responsible organisation with a commitment to social inclusion and improving the lives of the people and communities we support. This is the second year in which we report on activities and outcomes People-focused delivered under the Strategic Plan 2018–2021. We are a people-focused organisation. We keep our applicants and residents’ needs at the core of all activity and decisions, empathise with their needs Our services and deliver our services with fairness, respect and sensitivity. We value and We utilise our property portfolio to support our employees to enable them to perform at their best and achieve provide long-term accommodation for their full potential. people on low-to-moderate incomes. Bridge Housing has a portfolio of 3,541 Committed and passionate properties and we provide safe and secure homes for over 5,600 people. We are committed and passionate and put our hearts and minds into our We own 533 properties and manage work. We value and encourage innovation and continually seek to improve 2,094 properties owned by the NSW our performance. Land and Housing Corporation (LAHC), the state housing authority Build relationships within the NSW Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ).1 We build relationships based on trust and respect to create positive outcomes for the people and communities we serve. We also: lease 643 properties from Professionalism and integrity the private rental market We act with professionalism and integrity. We take responsibility for our manage 271 properties on behalf of decisions and actions and provide a consistent high-quality service. Our other organisations and individuals decisions are based on sound judgment and our culture engenders good acquire and develop new properties governance, transparency, and honesty. provide responsive and planned maintenance services on a property portfolio valued at $1.3 billion.1 Our Strategic Plan Growing sustainably to meet We provide services across the affordable housing needs We develop a new Strategic Plan spectrum of social and affordable every three years to help us achieve Supporting our people and housing. We meet the needs of the our mission. The Plan identifies improving workplace wellbeing most disadvantaged people in the the strategic objectives and critical Governing and managing effectively community – those who require assistance to maintain a sustainable factors for success for Bridge Engaging our partners and tenancy – by working with more than Housing, which are implemented enhancing our industry leadership. through our annual Business Plans. 22 support partners under formal The 2020 Annual Report details our agreements and many more services The strategic objectives for our organisational performance against that support individual tenants. Strategic Plan 2018–21 are: our Business Plan objectives for (See Acknowledging our partners Providing quality homes 2019–20, which are aligned with and on page 91 for more details.) and housing services progress our Strategic Plan 2018–21. 1 This figure is based on an average value of $540,000 (as per recent portfolio valuations) multiplied by the number of Bridge Housing properties and properties managed on behalf of the NSW LAHC – a total of 1,368 properties. Leasehold and fee-for-service properties are excluded. ABOUT THIS REPORT 3 Performance highlights Bridge Housing had another successful year in 2019–20, in a period of Supporting significant change that was compounded by the impact of COVID-19. our people and We went live with the management of 1,200 properties in the improving workplace wellbeing Northern Beaches Social Housing Management Transfer Program 3 (SHMTP) while continuing to improve the business and our service Key highlights in 2019–20 include: delivery. This delivered on a major objective of our Strategic Plan increased our overall engagement rate from 81 to 84 per cent in our 2018–2021. We also completed the second year of the Strategic Plan 2020 Employee Engagement Survey through our 2019–20 Business Plan. (See Our people on page 40) finalised our Diversity and Inclusion Strategy and implemented the Year 1 action plan Our performance highlights are a summary of our key achievements from our Business Plan 2019–20. completed the first year of our Career Trackers internship program to A detailed performance report on our Business Plan 2019–20 outputs is at Appendix 1 support Aboriginal and Torres Strait on page 94. Islander tertiary students through their studies into employment Providing Growing completed the fitout and quality homes sustainably to commenced operations from our new office in Brookvale and housing meet affordable services housing need delivered Bridge Housing’s positive 1 2 culture and leadership program, focusing on Emotional Intelligence Bridge Housing continued to deliver Our portfolio increased from high quality home and housing 2,334 properties in June 2019 to implemented an integrated services throughout the year. 3,541 properties in June 2020. payroll system and Human Resources Information System Key highlights in 2019–20 include: Key highlights in 2019–20 include: (HRIS) including a new Learning implemented the SHMTP implemented the Northern Management System (LMS). in August 2019 Beaches Transition Plan to business response to COVID-19 support the transfer of 1,228 (See Spotlight 1: Business social housing properties (See Governing response to COVID-19 page 18) Spotlight 3: Bridge Housing in and managing the Northern Beaches page 34) effectively achieved 82 per cent overall 4 satisfaction with service purchased three properties delivering 30 additional social delivery in our annual Tenant Bridge Housing continued to build housing dwellings (See Spotlight Satisfaction Survey 2019–20 our strong governance culture and 6: Building our capital portfolio) commenced tender preparation practice. We have sought to be a for re-contracting repairs purchased two sites in Dulwich leader in the community housing and maintenance services Hill from LAHC for future and the not-for-profit sectors. for our portfolio in 2021 redevelopment (See page 71) Key highlights of 2019–20 include: developed our new Reconciliation grew HomeGround Real delivered an operating EBITDA of Action Plan 2020–22 Estate Sydney’s operations, ANNUAL REPORT 2020 REPORT ANNUAL doubling our portfolio under $3.7 million in 2019–20, compared implemented the second year of management to 228 properties to $3.9 million in 2018–19 and our three-year community building maintained all key financial implemented year 2 of the STEP to strategy, Building Bridges 2018–2021 KPIs and banking covenants Home program for long term rough delivered our largest maintenance sleepers in housing 82 tenants, secured $76 million in debt to program, completing some 9,000 including 43 with Bridge Housing. refinance our corporate debt facility responsive, planned and cyclical of $40 million at cheaper rates and jobs at a total cost of $12.5 million.