Places People Want to Live 6

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY Bridge Housing is honoured to work on the lands of the Gadigal and Darug peoples. We acknowledge the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the traditional custodians of the land, whose cultures are the oldest living continuous cultures in human history. We pay our respects to Elders past and present and to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Bridge Housing would like to thank all the tenants and practitioners involved in the development of this document including tenants from the Tenant Advisory Group and the Your Views Panel; Red Link; Airds Bradbury Central; Cred Consulting; and Theo Posumah.

Bridge Housing Limited Street address: Level 9, 59 Goulburn Street, Sydney NSW 2000 Postal address: PO Box 20217, World Square NSW 2002 Telephone: (02) 8324 0800 Website: www.bridgehousing.org.au Follow us Email: [email protected] ABN: 55 760 055 094 ACN: 135 570 955 CONTENTS

Forward 2

Key Terms and Concepts 3

About Bridge Housing 5

About Places People Want to Live 6

Our Place Making Principles 10

Our Place Making Approach 11

Understanding People and Places 12

Making Places People Want to Live in 15

Collaborating in Communities Where People Want to Stay 18

Appendix 1: Community Connections Toolkit 21

Appendix 2: Bridge Housing Engagement Principles 22

References 23

PLACES PEOPLE WANT TO LIVE Bridge Housing’s Approach to Placemaking FORWARD

I’m delighted to introduce Bridge Housing’s approach to place-making. Places People Want to Live sets out our approach to how we will work in and with new communities. Bridge Housing has a proud history of working in new communities. In 2006, all 650 properties housing people were based in the inner city and eastern suburbs - from 2010 we expanded our presence into Western Sydney. Now, in 2017, over 25 % of our 1900 properties are based in Western and South Western Sydney. We work in new communities through social housing transfer programs, through our social and afordable housing development program in Bungarabee, Parramatta and Ashﬁeld and through growing our portfolio by securing government tenders such as the Nation Building , Canterbury Bankstown New Supply program.

Places People Want to Live builds on our previous award winning work in Building Bridges – Bridge Housing’s Community Building and Engagement Strategy 2014– 2017; and on our approach to place-making in new developments at Bungaribee (2016) and Parramatta (2017) and with estate based communities in South Coogee and Balmain.

Places People Want to Live proposes a place based approach based on evidence and community engagement through place planning processes that put communities at the heart of the work we do. Bridge Housing has considered and evaluated evidence from urban and community renewal programs locally and internationally, best practice in urban design, and trends in inclusive community building practices to outline 3 key stages in making places that people want to live in – Understanding People and Places; Making Places that people want to live in; and Collaborating in Communities where people want to stay.

We are proud of our commitment to the communities we work with, and acknowledge the central role that tenants and place making practitioners played in the development of this document.

I look forward to implementing Places People Want to Live in new communities - by collaborating with local stakeholders and tenants to create positive change and improve wellbeing.

John Nicolades Chief Executive Ofcer KEY TERMS AND CONCEPTS

The following key terms and concepts underpin this document:

Collective Impact is a framework CO-DESIGN for a coordinated approach that COMMUNITY Co-Design engages consumers, in brings organisations together BUILDING this case residents, in the design to challenge social issues and process, with the idea that this will achieve social change. Typically, Also referred to as community ultimately lead to improvement successful collective impact development, community building and innovation. Co-design builds initiatives have five conditions: is about working alongside people from the existing frameworks of common agenda and organisations to develop consumer and citizen participation strong and resilient communities shared measurement in developing social services, through collective action and underpinned by the idea that mutually reinforcing activities positive change. It is a way of working with community strengths; collaborative, cooperative and continuous communication community-centred approaches recognising that the best people lead to more efective social a backbone organisation. to decide what communities need are the people in those services and greater social impact. Collaboration is essential to Features of co-design are that it: communities. Its focus is building Collective Impact, and developing capacity, developing community involves consumers of the service capacity in the community assets, and providing localised in the design of the service, to understand how to work solutions to community issues. program, or improvement collaboratively is essential to adopting a Collective Impact Framework starts with a desired end rather than with what is wrong COMMUNITY with the present service COMMUNITY COHESION focuses on developing practical solutions, testing whether ideas Community is a broad term and has Community cohesion is commonly work and refining them a number of meanings. It can be defined as the willingness of used to describe the people living members of a community to is inclusive and draws on many alongside each other in a block of cooperate with each other and perspectives, people, experts, flats or within a local neighborhood participate in community life in disciplines and sectors. (place based), or to refer to order to thrive and prosper. particular groups of people who come together because of shared COLLECTIVE IMPACT cultures, ages or life-stages, interests Based in the premise that no and experiences (communities single organisation can create of interest such as sports groups, cultural groups, or work groups). PLACES PEOPLE 3 significant social change alone, WANT TO LIVE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SOCIAL RENEWAL A process involving a range of INFRASTRUCTURE activities to encourage participation, Refers to community building on a collaboration, and empowerment. Social infrastructure refers to the large scale. Often associated with Community engagement is about assets or physical facilities that urban renewal projects, community making sure that we work closely are used to accommodate social renewal involves working with with the neighbourhoods and services, community programs, or communities to build capacity, develop communities that tenants are a part of. community organisations such as community assets, and provide localised Tenant engagement is about giving schools, community centres, hospitals, solutions to community issues. tenants the opportunity to participate youth centres, or childcare centres. in whichever way suits them DELIBERATIVE URBAN RENEWAL DEMOCRACY ESTATE Urban Renewal refers to the An estate is a group of homes that are redevelopment of neglected or run down Deliberative democracy techniques can land and buildings including whole bring people together to understand built together as a single development. An estate could be all private or social suburbs or neighbourhoods. It is often an issue/s and provide informed associated with community renewal solutions to the problem or issue housing, or a mixed estate of private, social and afordable housing. and is sometimes used interchangeably at hand. Typically it involves: with the term urban regeneration. random selection process to involve a representative group of consumers/ PARTICIPATION clients in addressing a problem URBAN information process over time to Public participation means to REGENERATION ensure that all participants understand involve those who are afected by the issue/s and possible solutions a decision in the decision-making In the Australian context is mostly used process. It promotes sustainable to describe renewal projects that bring input from a broad range of decisions by providing participants together community and urban renewal. participants including experts with the information they need to be in the field, people with lived involved in a meaningful way, and it experience, services, law makers, communicates to participants how and government agencies their input afects the decision. time given to deliberating, and discussing the issue/s. PLACE-MAKING respect given to the outcomes of the process and decisions Place-making is a multi-faceted or recommendations made approach to the planning, design by participants. and management of places and spaces in communities. Place-making capitalises on a local community’s EMPOWERMENT assets, inspiration, and potential, with the intention of creating places and Empowerment means to hand decision spaces that promote people’s health, making power over to someone. In a happiness, and well being. Community less formal sense it can mean giving engagement and participation are people access to the skills, knowledge at the core of place-making. and opportunities they need to have more control over their own lives.

4 BRIDGE HOUSING ABOUT BRIDGE HOUSING

OUR SERVICES OUR VALUES: Bridge Housing is a Tier One Socially Responsible: We are a socially responsible organisation provider under the National with a commitment to social inclusion and improving the lives Regulatory Scheme for Community of the people and communities we support. People focused Housing with over thirty years People Focused: We are a people focused organisation. We keep experience in the provision of our applicants and resident’s needs at the core of all activity and housing for low to moderate decisions, empathise with their needs and deliver our services with income households in Sydney. In fairness, respect and sensitivity. We value and support our employees the ten year period from 2006 to to enable them to perform at their best and achieve their full potential. 2017 we grew by 300% from 650 to 1900 properties, and we now Committed and passionate: We are committed and passionate and assist over 3,000 residents in 18 put our hearts and minds into our work. We value and encourage local government areas across innovation and continually seek to improve our performance. Sydney’s inner and middle ring. Our Relationships: We build relationships based on trust and respect to portfolio consists of detached, semi create positive outcomes for the people and communities we serve. detached, and multiunit dwellings. Professionalism and integrity: We act with professionalism Bridge Housing’s mission is to and integrity. We take responsibility for our decision and improve lives and strengthen actions and provide a consistent high quality service. Our communities. We are a values decisions are based on sound judgment and our culture based organisation. Our values engenders good governance, transparency and honesty. underpin our way of working with all people, our staf, our customers, our service partners and the communities we work within. PLACES PEOPLE 5 WANT TO LIVE ABOUT PLACES PEOPLE WANT TO LIVE

Place-making is a multi-faceted approach to the planning, design and management of communities. Place-making capitalises on a local community’s assets and potential, with the intention of creating places and spaces that promote people’s health, happiness, and well being. Community engagement and participation are at the core of place-making.

Places People Want to Live provides a clear overview of how we will work WHY IS THIS DOCUMENT NECESSARY? in communities, on social housing Like most community housing residents, building stronger and more estates, and with people and built providers in New South Wales, the cohesive communities, providing environments. It recognises that place- majority of Bridge Housing’s properties better homes and improving amenity making and place based approaches under management are scattered for residents through improvements to are about working with diverse across Sydney. Management of social infrastructure and public spaces. communities at the local level and social housing that is concentrated Through Future Directions the that localised solutions are the best and responsibility for the housing NSW Government will transfer way of solving complex issues and service delivery approach in a the management of up to 35% of building on community strengths. whole of location area necessitates a all social housing to community diferent service delivery approach. Places People Want to Live puts housing providers within the next 3 people and engagement at the In the future, community housing to 4 years. Aside from robust access centre of our work and outlines the providers will be responsible for and demand, tenancy and property principles and processes we will use managing new developments, management services, community to work alongside communities. The redevelopments, signiﬁcant upgrades housing providers will have a lead role document provides guidance for of existing sites eg Communities Plus in managing housing services for the Bridge Housing as an organisation, , or large scale property management entire geographical area. Providers who and for residents, applicants, staf, transfers, such as the Social housing assume management responsibility and the wider community to know Management transfer to a much greater will need especially robust and clearly what they can expect from Bridge extent. While these changes will involve articulated place-making approaches Housing as place-makers, place change and possibly disruption for to support their work locally. managers, and community partners. communities, we also believe that these Bridge Housing has already built our changes will drive improvements in experience of working in areas of service delivery and the opportunity concentrated social housing through for innovation at the local level. our work on the parts of the South Places People Want to Live provides Coogee and Balmain estates transfered the framework for Bridge Housing to to our management in 2009/10. deliver those place based approaches in Communities Plus will also introduce the context of key NSW social housing larger and smaller scale mixed tenure reforms outlined in Future Directions developments, over the course of Future for Social Housing in NSW. These Directions. We believe it is time to bring reforms focus on improving social and this knowledge together with research to 6 BRIDGE HOUSING economic outcomes for social housing document our approach for the future. WHAT MAKES A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE? Through consultations with residents, staf, service partners; and an extensive literature review, we understand that people want to live in communities that:

are safe are characterised and secure are accessible and by a sense of easy to navigate community and regardless of age social cohesion or physical ability

have a range of good are well located to quality, accessible, support services, well maintained medical and aged care housing that meets services and facilities a variety of needs

have green are digitally space, parks connected and recreational facilities

are serviced are close to by good public shopping centres transport and and healthy food road systems

have access to appropriate have cultural childcare, training facilities, events and education and institutions facilities

are connected have to economic meeting and opportunities and gathering employment spaces

PLACES PEOPLE 7 WANT TO LIVE BUILDING ON WHAT Strategy 2014 - 2017, we have We have developed a set of engagement collaborated with tenants to develop principles (refer Appendix 2) that WE ALREADY DO strategic objectives and a community direct our work across the organisation. action plan. We identified that we The principles are based on what our Bridge Housing has been active in wanted to work together to improve tenants and community partners have working with tenants and communities wellbeing and strengthen a sense of told us about what they most value to develop initiatives that encourage community for tenants, their families in working together: respect, honesty, participation and social inclusion. We and household members through: communication, understanding believe that, in an inclusive society, supporting successful tenancies and active listening; as well as people empower themselves. We can justice, equality and integrity. support this by working together to making sure that tenants have a provide meaningful opportunities real say in the way we do things for all tenants and residents to get involved have a real say and increasing access to financial, influence our service delivery. economic, educational and social opportunities Through our award-winning work with strengthening neighbourhood Building Bridges – Bridge Housing’s and community connections. Community Building and Engagement

TENANT PARTICIPATION STRUCTURE

Bridge Housing Board

Senior Management Team

Tenant Reference Group Comprising representatives from each advisory group addressing systemic issues in liaison with Bridge Housing

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Tenant Vietnamese New Islander Tenant Advisory Group Advisory Group Tenant Group Groups

Your Time Tenant Satisfaction, Strategic Maintenance Views to Talk Wellbeing, and Planning Contract Management Panel Workshops Maintenance Surveys Workshops Committee

We have also developed responsive and called Time to Talk and online feedback across the organisation. We intend ﬂexible tenant participation structures mechanisms such as surveys and to carry these ways of working (outlined in diagram above). We honour e-Panels to support tenants to have a say forward into all our small and large the history and experience of our Tenant in our work - in a way that suits them. scale projects in the future. Advisory Group (TAG) established in In new geographic management areas, Further information on the range 2009 and allow for change and growth we will work with existing tenant and of initiatives implemented through driven by our tenant community. More resident groups to ensure that we Building Bridges can be found recently we have seen the growth support and include their work in our on Bridge Housing’s website of new tenant groups, including the participation pathways and initiatives. at www.bridgehousing.org.au/ Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander pages/building-bridges. Tenant Advisory Group (ATTAG) Building Bridges initiatives have established in 2014 and the Vietnamese fundamentally changed the way Tenants Group established in 2017. We we work to embed community have also developed a workshop series and tenant engagement processes

8 BRIDGE HOUSING

OUR PLACE-MAKING PRINCIPLES

Bridge Housing is committed to delivering place based approaches that build on our broader Community Building and Engagement Strategies as articulated in Building Bridges. We want to extend our current place making practices and implement processes that align with the organisation’s core mission and values.

The following principles were be open and honest and and housing products for developed with input from staf, approachable, committed residents and communities residents, and place-making to ongoing communication, build long term partnerships that practitioners, and from reviewing the and keeping communities use a collective impact approach evaluation literature on urban and updated and informed to deliver positive social and community renewal in Australia. carefully and sensitively manage economic outcomes for residents place-making projects – we know When undertaking our place-making ensure that whatever we do is that change is stressful and we activities, Bridge Housing will: sustainable over the long term want to work to minimise stress work closely with communities provide the resources to enable us seek out new ways of doing to understand place and to put these principles into action plan for change things through looking at the evidence base and implementing measure our success by listen and take action to support innovation in the way we work collecting appropriate data and community needs and aspirations listening to what people and provide housing and keep our word – we only the research are telling us about neighbourhood/urban renewal that make commitments that the outcomes we achieve. is built to high design standards we can deliver on prioritise excellent customer use a “we asked- you said- we service and a range of did” feedback model to report appropriate high quality services back on what we are doing

10 BRIDGE HOUSING OUR PLACE-MAKING APPROACH

Places People Want to Live provides an outline of our place-making approach that can be applied across a number of scenarios whether that is the redevelopment of estates, new developments, or property management transfers.

It is based on three key stages: Bridge Housing has an experienced Sustainable Communities Team that leads our community engagement and tenant 1. Understanding people and places – Place planning and community engagement as a foundation for change participation initiatives. For large scale renewal or property transfer projects undertaken by Bridge Housing a Project 2. Making places that people want to live in – Implementation Team, reporting to the General Manager, implementing place-making through innovative Operations, will be established to drive the processes outlined planning, design and engagement processes in this document. Their work will be guided by this document 3. Collaborating in communities where people want and other relevant Bridge Housing strategies, policies and to stay – implementing long term community building plans. An experienced project manager will be appointed and renewal strategies that put communities at the heart, to co-ordinate various activities across the organisation in delivering quality services, and monitoring the outcomes partnership with an engagement manager who will provide a of our work. point of contact for communities and stakeholders.

OUR APPROACH

Understanding People and Places G Community Engagement Making Places G Place Plans People Want to Live In G Building community cohesion G Asset managment strategies G Co-design and participatory budgeting G Planning and design for the built environment

Collaborating in Communities G Place based responsive community building partnerships G Project and program planning PLACES PEOPLE 11 G Measuring our outcomes WANT TO LIVE UNDERSTANDING PEOPLE AND PLACES

Bridge Housing believes that the best people to determine how communities can negotiate change are people in those communities. Bridge Housing will work closely with stakeholders in communities into which we are moving to ensure we understand the cultural, social, economic, political, and physical landscape of the places we will be working in. With any community, the first priority will be to do the research, listen and learn, and respond to what we have been told.

With each area we move into we Place Plans and community will develop a local Place Plan in engagement activities will be COMMUNITY partnership with local stakeholders developed and implemented ENGAGEMENT to identify opportunities for together in an iterative process with action that enhance community each informing the other. Resources Our approach to community connections and well-being. We allocated to these processes will be engagement is led by Building want to leverage the strength of dependent on the size and scale Bridges – Bridge Housing’s local communities – to enhance of the communities and renewal Community Building and and work with existing community activities intended for the area. Engagement Strategy and the structures, the broader service spectrum of engagement developed system, the business sector by the International Association and local infrastructure. of Public Participation.

12 BRIDGE HOUSING The Spectrum of Engagement1

Increasing impact on the decision

Inform Consult Involve Collaborate Empower

To provide the To obtain To work directly To partner with To place ﬁnal public with balanced public with the public the public in decision and objective feedback throughout each aspect of making in information to on analysis, the process the decision the hands of assist them in alternatives to ensure that including the the public.

Goal understanding and/or public concerns development of the problem, decisions. and aspirations alternatives and alternatives, are consistently the identiﬁcation

Public Participation Participation Public opportunities and/ understood and of the preferred or solutions. considered. solution.

Working in new areas we will Community engagement processes 4. Local community needs identify appropriate engagement will be developed in alignment and opportunities activities to ensure that we are with project resources and 5. Initiatives that have been embedded in communities and incorporate our knowledge of best prioritised by local communities. have an open dialogue with all practice and ongoing research stakeholders. We will develop into recent innovations in the 6. Community engagement priorities. opportunities to collaborate with sector. Appropriate activities will The Place Planning process is and learn from residents, service be incorporated into Place Plans. central to understanding the existing providers, government agencies, Some options for engagement and future demographic profile of business, local institutions and are included in our Community communities and opportunities to organisations; to understand how Connections Toolkit at Appendix 1. enhance community connections, communities see themselves, their public spaces and the homes we strengths, and connections; and work manage. Place planning is also with vulnerable communities to PLACE PLANS critical because it provides an break down barriers to engagement opportunity to build relationships and communication; as well as Bridge Housing will use a place planning approach to ensure that with local stakeholders and support build trust by following through engagement with residents on what we have said we will do. we bring together our research and engagement work to harness and communities. Governance We will work with existing opportunities for action locally. structures will be flexible and community groups and wherever possible build on organisations to create governance Place Plans will include existing community governance structures appropriate to the scale and/or identify: structures. We will be clear with the of change. We want to ensure 1. Demographic profiles of residents communities we work with about that change is managed with and surrounding communities the funding available for change to communities not for communities; ensure that we can deliver on any and that we are creating and 2. Asset and property condition commitments we make locally. supporting spaces for diverse voices 3. Audit and mapping of to be heard and feel welcomed. the local community: Our place-making eforts will a. government and community provide opportunities for new services and programs residents, including social and parks and public spaces afordable housing residents, private b. owners, private renters, and existing/ c. community spaces relocated residents to meet, get d. business, industry to know one another and build and employment a shared sense of community. e. cultural and religious infrastructure f. roads and transport systems g. education and training facilities and programs

1. www.iap2.org.au/Tenant/C0000004/00000001/images/Resources/ PLACES PEOPLE 13 IAP2_Public_Participation_Spectrum.pdf WANT TO LIVE Great examples to inform our place-making approach

STICKYBEAK TOURS Bridge Housing ofers tours of their new neighbourhood for residents in new apartment blocks. We visit community centres, services, parks, swimming pools, local libraries, cheap and cheerful local eateries, volunteer services and get the run down from locals in the know including council ofcers and service providers. We have lunch together at a local restaurant for a great need original hi res image opportunity for residents to get to know one another and have a fun, welcoming, and sociable day out.

GREEN SQUARE COMMUNITY KIOSK The Green Square Community Kiosk is located in Joynton Avenue in Green Square. The Kiosk is located in the park and provides a small multipurpose community space including a kitchen, storage space and awning to support community and Council community development programs. The facility engages with outdoor seating and tables and is used for community meetings, the Infohub, English language classes and other community activities. The facility is compact and low cost. need original hi res image WARANYJARRI COMMUNITY CHAMPIONS

Broome North is a development of over 10,000 new properties being built in stages of approximately 2000 properties including social afordable, Aboriginal and private housing in Western Australia. The ﬁrst estate to be developed is Waranyjarri. One of the engagement activities initiated as part of the Broome North Community Building Plan was the establishment of a local resident group the Waranyjarri Community Champions who: welcome new residents as housing is occupied act as an information source between Landcorp and the community host the Broome North Community Group Facebook Page - which now has over 300 members and is a central source of information for Waranyjarri residents.

COMMUNITY REFERENCE GROUPS Within estate renewal projects for each estate which consisted implemented in the community. at Minto, Claymore and Airds of a broad range of community Each group has a Terms of Reference Bradbury in Campbelltown, the then representatives ranging from local which is agreed up front. This Department of Housing established residents (both public and private outlines the purpose of the group, if a Community Reference Group residents), local service providers there are any voting mechanisms, the and local government agencies terms of membership of the group, (Council, health, etc). The groups etc. The groups provide vital input would meet regularly and help to into the projects and help inﬂuence BRIDGE steer how the projects would be 14 how the projects are implemented. HOUSING MAKING PLACES THAT PEOPLE WANT TO LIVE IN

Our commitment to making places people want to live in is driven by our understanding of how planning, engagement and the built environment can impact on the wellbeing of people and their communities. We believe that deep engagement, research and the development of a place plan is a critical first step in the place making process. It helps to identify priority areas for action and ensures we are doing so in a way that is based on a deep understanding of the community. This is critical if we are to implement strategies that make places great to live in.

We believe that local strategies and Some key features of our place- co-location of, or links to priorities for place –making are best making approach include: services including employment led from the ground up, to engage programs, social enterprise developing placemaking residents in planning, design, hubs, training programs, early strategies in partnership and budgeting processes. Bridge childhood learning facilities, and with key local stakeholders – Housing will put residents at the health and wellbeing programs residents, developers, state and centre of creative and innovative local government, business providing spaces for community place-making partnerships - and community services gardens or urban food forests with developers, state and local government, and business and providing opportunities integrated public art and community services. We will for existing residents and landscaping projects that bring continue to encourage housing communities to contribute to residents and community design and tenancy management the planning, management and together to reﬂect on diverse models that promote inclusion, design of urban renewal projects, histories and shared futures new developments, public space and are accessible and ﬂexible, collaborating with existing tenant or property improvements, responding to local need. groups to give them a space in and the location of services We want to ensure that all existing participation structures taking a “tenure blind” approach communities going through change implementing media campaigns to design, in which private, social are supported to participate in delivered in partnership with and afordable housing is designed decision making and are clear about local stakeholders to help break to look similar to mask tenures their responsibilities as community down stigma and prejudice members and/or residents. In and support social integration informing neighbours who are mixed tenure communities Implementing environmental not social housing residents Bridge Housing is committed initiatives that prepare for about our role in the community. to providing opportunities for a low carbon future and connection and integration, and assist to mitigate poverty delivering Meet Your Neighbour supporting community cohesion. for low income residents. events and other pop-up events to build community connections Every community is diferent. At on-site customer service and Bridge Housing, how we plan, tenancy management in supporting residents to run design and manage places that large scale developments their own activities that people want to live in will depend bring people together. on the communities we are advocating for the inclusion of working with. Efective partnerships well located shared spaces in new guided by Place Plans will be developments where residents can essential to our eforts to enhance stop to chat, gather and socialise local places and respond to the needs of diverse communities.

PLACES PEOPLE 15 WANT TO LIVE PARTICIPATORY BUDGETING Tenants at Wauhope Crescent bin bays for the area, and South Coogee were surveyed to identify priorities for by Bridge Housing about location, look and design. their priorities for their block. Funding was received Priorities included bin bays, from the Social Housing fencing and a community Community Improvement garden. In 2015, Bridge Housing Fund to assist with the held two workshops with implementation of the bin tenants using a participatory bays. Residents worked with budgeting approach to identify the architect on the designs. how to spend upgrade funds on one priority streetscape The bin bays and new improvement. fencing have now been launched. You can see Participants worked with tenants talk about them at: the Bridge Housing team, https://www.youtube.com/ designers and workshop watch?v=apdiXPwXR68 facilitators to prioritise new

OUR PLACE GREEN SPACE Darryl, a resident of Bridge Housing has been a part of the establishment of a vibrant community garden in his block as part of the Bridge Housing Our Place Green Space Community Garden initiative. Growing mostly edible plants, Darryl, along with other residents, has worked in this space building raised beds and communal seating from treated pine and recycled materials. To make the space look great Darryl has used mirrors and a large shady need original hi res image umbrella found from curbside collections. It is a welcoming place where residents can connect with other residents and their families and grow and share fresh herbs and vegetables. Darryl says it has put “quite a few smiles on their faces” down at his block.

AIRDS BRADBURY CO-DESIGN PROCESS In developing the Airds Bradbury The second phase was an Renewal Masterplan, the then information gathering exercise NSW Department of Housing about the place to identify carried out an extensive 3 strengths and weaknesses. year community engagement The community engagement process branded Airds Out process culminated in a 3 day Loud. The engagement process Enquiry by Design workshop commenced with an education which was attended by over 500 process on urban design which people from the community need original hi res image included tours to some of the and other stakeholders. A best masterplanned estates and preferred masterplan was buildings in western Sydney. This developed over the 3 days was to open the minds of the which was then developed into community to other possibilities the approved Concept Plan. in terms of the built environment.

16 BRIDGE HOUSING STADGENOOT HOUSING ASSOCIATION In the Netherlands property more mixed. This is a owners are legally obliged to form cornerstone of Dutch a homeowners association(VVE) Housing Policy. in complexes where there are In VVE’s the at least two diferent owners. representative from Stadgenoot Housing Association Stadgenoot looks after is the owner of social housing the interests of the rentals in 400 VVE’s (Verenigingen social housing tenants. van Eigenaren) in Amsterdam. The Stadgenoot In around 80% of these VVE’s, representative knows Stadgenoot has the majority vote. the opinions of the In 2000, Stadgenoot started to sell tenants through social housing apartments to raise ongoing consultations funds to build new homes. The and engagement. policy of selling apartments and Increasingly tenants forming VVE’s with private owners are given more say was successful as neighbourhoods and input into the became more mixed with liveability of the owners and renters. Compared complex and relations to other European cities Dutch between tenants and neighbourhoods are traditionally owner occupiers.

KENSINGTON The Kensington Estate the use of a variety of materials, textures and colour schemes that make Redevelopment project has the redevelopment look like any new residential development in Australia transformed an ageing 1960s creating better pedestrian links by designing and building paths that ﬁt public housing estate in inner city into the existing pedestrian network to further integrate the homes into Melbourne into a mixed community the local area of public, social and private housing with a unique approach to removing the fences that bordered the former estate to break down the integration. The physical boundaries physical barriers that existed between the former estate and the wider of the former estate have been Kensington neighbourhood removed and new townhouses new quality housing where the public and social housing is and apartments complement indistinguishable from the private housing the design of the surrounding neighbourhood. This is achieved by: building new seating, a barbeque area and children’s playground to provide recreation points for residents and the local community.

need original hi res image

PLACES PEOPLE 17 WANT TO LIVE COLLABORATING IN COMMUNITIES WHERE PEOPLE WANT TO STAY

Bridge Housing wants residents in the communities we build and manage to live independent lives connected to their friends, neighbours and family. We want people to have a sense of belonging in their neighbourhoods and communities and be proud of where they live, to be able to contribute to their community over the longer term and to have access to local social and economic opportunities.

We want to have a positive impact in and the needs of communities as will be able to identify people, the diverse communities in which we identiﬁed through Place Plans and organisations and groups that are operate. We believe that the growing ongoing community engagement at the heart of the new communities movement to include people in the activities. Places People Want we are working in. A key element design of programs and initiatives to Live builds on the practices to building relationships is to have a developed to improve their wellbeing developed through Building Bridges local presence - wherever economies is the best way to support the growth to implement a more responsive and of scale allow Bridge Housing and development of sustainable place based approach outlined below. will provide responsive on-site and inclusive communities – where services, whether that be outreach, people have the opportunity to co-located customer service and take control of their own lives and ONGOING community development teams, participate actively in society. COLLABORATION or a full service site ofce. How we plan for and develop Through this process of deep community building or renewal Through the work we will do engagement and embedding initiatives or programs will depend in developing Place Plans and ourselves in the community we on local conditions, the size and type engaging communities in change will draw on existing community of communities we are working in, and place-making processes we strengths to develop collaborative

18 BRIDGE HOUSING and responsive partnerships - Bridge Housing will provide a The Diference We Make delivers with residents, service providers, range of mechanisms for local a consistent and transparent government agencies, businesses, residents and stakeholders to framework for new communities local institutions and organisations. have a say in how we deliver and residents to measure us by. our services. This includes: These partnerships will form the basis of efective engagement and working with tenants and community building practices such local organisations at on- OUR COMMITMENT as collective impact programs, site block meetings, As we move into new communities co-design, and deliberative organising local good neighbour we will continue to build on the democracy. These approaches workshops to assist neighbours practices developed through help to redeﬁne problems and to deal with conﬂict Building Bridges by implementing solutions from user and place the three key stages of Places based perspectives - building on our bi-lingual Time to Talk People Want to Live. We will embed local strengths and capacities to Workshops on policy issues , ourselves at the local level to deliver deliver responsive evidence based business and strategic planning co-ordinated and evidence based programs that address local needs formal tenant advisory housing, services, and programs and aspirations (refer Key Terms p3). group structures that respond to and address community needs and aspirations Aligned with efective project online forums including in the context of important and program planning through the Your Views e-Panel our outcomes framework “the sector reforms and priorities. Diference We Make” (refer below) Maintenance Management Bridge Housing will establish Committee overseeing our repairs transparent expectations for the and maintenance service delivery. communities we are working in and report back against these expectations on a regular basis. MEASURING OUR OUTCOMES QUALITY SERVICE To ensure our key service activities and initiatives are the best they can DELIVERY be, Bridge Housing has developed We believe that the delivery of a comprehensive evaluation and quality services to our residents and outcomes reporting framework – The applicants is critically important. Diference We Make. The framework We have developed clear customer helps Bridge Housing to improve our service standards so that residents service delivery, and to understand and communities are aware of what and communicate the impact of they can expect from our service what we do on the wellbeing of our delivery. Our tenancy management tenants, residents and communities. and applicant management services The Diference We Make includes: place people at the heart of our work, and we ensure we are responding a set of social outcomes to need and providing our services areas and goals that align to in a culturally appropriate manner. Bridge Housing’s mission of improving lives and Where our residents require extra strengthening communities support, Bridge Housing’s focus is to develop and co-ordinate partnerships indicators that allow us to track that provide appropriate services progress against those goals, and to residents - to sustain their project planning, evaluation and tenancies and access a range of monitoring tools through which social and economic opportunities. we describe our evidence base We efectively deliver property for initiatives, track their actual management services to our implementation, gauge their residents to ensure that their homes efectiveness against project are safe, secure and well maintained. aims, and track their contribution to our social outcome goals.

PLACES PEOPLE 19 WANT TO LIVE STREETS AHEAD - EMPLOYMENT PATHWAYS Through our Streets Ahead focused on addressing barriers to initiative Bridge Housing has employment at an individual level. recently committed to working Work Well links mental health with the employment specialist consumers in with business in team from one of our established competitive employment or training. support partners NEAMI, through The Work Well program is highly their Work Well program. We successful achieving a 66% success have also set up employment rate of placing clients in long term pathways in partnership with Career (12 months) employment. Career Pathways and our contractors. Pathways co-ordinates training and Work Well and Career Pathways individual employment support are client centred programs for people in social housing.

HAND UP activity, Bridge Housing reduces the tenant’s arrears but a set amount. By Bridge Housing’s Hand Up Arrears tailoring activities to need, tenants Management Program (Hand Up) can clear all arrears while addressing Hand Up is a unique initiative that builds the causes of their debt cycle. Towards a debt free future on traditional social housing debt Thirteen tenants have entered the management approaches. Tenants program since June 2016, addressing who have complex needs, intractable over $20,000 in arrears. All tenants debt and are at risk of eviction were facing eviction and all have are able to save their tenancies saved their tenancies to date. Of

reducing and get their lives back on track. the 13 tenants, four have cleared all debt Through Hand Up tenants fast debt. One tenant has secured an addressing track arrears reduction through apprenticeship as a result of training causes tailored activities, such as ﬁnancial undertaken for the program. Tenants sustaining counselling, living skills, health tenancies who have not yet completed the Level 9 Tower 1, 1 Lawson Square, Redfern NSW 2016 treatment programs, training and program continue engagement with

voluntary work. For each hour of support and service providers. 05/16

www.bridgehousing.org.au

COLLECTIVE IMPACT - CLAYMORE Claymore has been identiﬁed as one of the worst performing suburbs in NSW. In response to this FACS initiated the Claymore Renewal Project which is aimed at creating a more sustainable mixed tenure community. In addition, FACS is using a collective impact approach across the many services being delivered by various agencies to help improve the social outcomes of current residents. The collective impact approach is being carried out by the Claymore Action Network through joint planning and real partnerships in implementing and coordinating need original hi res image the various activities that service providers carry out on the estate. The Claymore Action Network is a local bottom up approach involving government agencies, local service providers and residents.

20 BRIDGE HOUSING APPENDIX 1

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS TOOLKIT Communication, inform all those directly afected by encourage the establishment of local building works (including current community groups made up of a Collaboration and Diversity residents and surrounding residents range of community members who provide information to all existing in the local community) from an early can act as Community Pioneers, residents and community stage about the nature, timeline and and community social media members about the ‘big- expected disruption to residents, and groups for shared information picture’, scope and timing of the who to contact if there is a problem. such as Community Facebook redevelopment/tenancy transfers Pages, or snapchat sites Collaboration in design set up local governance structures provide stickybeak tours for that can guide us through all provide opportunities for existing residents new to the area stages of the change process in residents and communities work with existing resident groups collaboration with local stakeholders to contribute to planning and to participate in detailed planning identified in our Place Plans design through community around relocations, tenancy workshops with housing providers, work with local land councils to transfers, and housing allocations. developers and partners ensure that Aboriginal people are included in all stages of the process build capacity to enable this Supporting Community participation through design provide timely and clear Cohesion workshops and training. communication with residents attend existing local community and communities in a variety Welcoming Residents and events and interagencies and of formats such as face to face build a presence and connections meetings, written communications Building Connections with communities, organisations, in community languages, social support new communities with the and business in the area media and drop-in sessions practical implications of relocating develop relationships with regularly update individuals and including providing information community activists and communities including when there and Welcome Kits about their community action groups are delays or changes, so that there new neighbourhood, local council is no hiatus in communication or and service information implement media campaigns uncertainty about what is happening delivered in partnership with support tenants new to Bridge local stakeholders to help break acknowledge residents’ Housing with the practical down stigma and prejudice previous experiences of forced implications of transfers relocation or transfers, such as through providing Welcome inform neighbours who are not in refugee communities Kits and opportunities to meet social housing residents about our role in the community build awareness of specific staf and tenant groups language and cultural issues implement a tenant “buddy” scheme deliver Meet Your Neighbour through staf training for transferring tenants to be paired events and other pop-up events with a Bridge Housing tenant for the whole community, implement “we asked, you said, we including families and children. did” feedback loops so communities develop practical ways for relocated can see how they have influenced us residents to keep in touch with their from the early stages of the networks after moving, such as development/tenancy transfers, create through social events or a website a presence through a Temporary establish an estate website or Infohub/Community Kiosk with Facebook Page where residents and space for community activities, where neighbours can find information existing and potential residents about the development, local and neighbours can come and ask services and programs questions about the development and participate in community activities

PLACES PEOPLE 21 WANT TO LIVE APPENDIX 2

BRIDGE HOUSING ENGAGEMENT PRINCIPLES We are committed to: making sure we keep communication being open and honest about what open, honest and inclusive and we can and can’t do but also being making sure that tenants and that we know who our tenants are open to new ideas and suggestions our partners have a real say in and what they think is important and real inﬂuence over the way using tenants’ and partners’ we do things, and providing the supporting tenant groups to grow, stories, opinions, feedback, appeals resources to make it happen achieve their goals and be inclusive and complaints to measure the impact of our work and working closely with the supporting tenant volunteers adapt, change and innovate communities and neighbourhoods and tenants active in their that tenants, our partners and communities, to develop and reporting back to people so potential tenants are a part of grow their skills and knowledge that tenants and our partners can evaluate whether we have valuing the skills, knowledge and providing a variety of ways for actively listened to them and experience of tenants and our partners tenants to get involved so that acted on what they have told us everyone has a chance to participate raising awareness and encourage in a way that suits them keeping up to date about meaningful understanding of tenants and efective ways to work with people and their life experiences recognising that not everyone and ensuring that staf members is interested in participating have the skills and knowledge to put the research into action. REFERENCES

Benevolent Society May 2013, ‘Collective Impact: The Theory in Practice’ https://benevolent. org.au/think/doing--things--diferently/collective--impact (accessed August 2016) Burkett I 2016, ‘An Introduction to Co-Design’ https://www.yacwa.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/ An-Introduction-to-Co-Design-by-Ingrid-Burkett.pdf (accessed August 2016) Centre for Population Health 2010, Healthy Urban Development Checklist Health NSW Department of Human Services 2014, ‘Kensington Redevelopment’ http://www.dhs.vic.gov.au/about- the-department/plans,-programs-and-projects/projects-and-initiatives/housing-and-accommodation/ completed-building-projects/kensington-redevelopment (accessed August 2016) Ofce of Housing and Kensington Community Liaison Committee 2004, ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ Department of Human Services http://www.dhs.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/ pdf_file/0004/571954/memorandum_of_understanding.pdf (accessed August 2016) Eastgate J 2016, Update ‘Outcomes for tenants in public housing renewal projects: literature search findings’, Shelter NSW, http://www.shelternsw.org.au/publications-new/policy-papers/social-housing/430-shelter-brief-no-56- issues-for-tenants-in-public-housing-renewal-projects-literature-search-findings/file (accessed August 2016) Green Building Advisor 2015, ‘Integrated design: Treating designers, builders and subcontractors as a team’, http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/green-basics/integrated-design (accessed August 2016) Hulse K Herbert T & Down K 2004, Kensington Estate Redevelopment Social Impact Study http://www.dhs.vic.gov. au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/572251/kensington_social_impact_final_report.pdf (accessed August 2016) Jacobs K Anderson K & Randolph B 2007, ‘ How can the benefits of housing regeneration programs be sustained’, AHURI Research and Policy Bulletin, Issue 86, January 2007 Link Housing 2015, ‘Tenant Scrutiny Panel’ http://linkhousing.org.uk/tenants/get-involved/# (accessed August 2016) Malycha W 2015, ‘What’s diferent: Inner city innovation through partnership in mixed tenure housing’, National Housing Conference2015 http://www.nhc.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/TW3-Wendy-Malycha.pdf (accessed August 2016) Morris A Jamieson M & Patulny R 2012, ‘Is social mixing of tenures a solution for public housing estates?’, Evidence Base Issue 1, https://journal.anzsog.edu.au/publications/1/2012issue1.pdf (accessed August 2016) NSW Family and Community Services 2016, Future Directions for Social Housing NSW https:// www.facs.nsw.gov.au/reforms/social-housing/future-directions (accessed August 2016) NSW Family and Community Services 2015, ‘Communities Plus Expressions of Interest’ http://www.communitiesplus.com.au (accessed August 2016) NSW Family and Community Services 2015 ‘Communities Plus Industry Briefing’, http:// www.communitiesplus.com.au/industry-briefing/ (accessed August 2016) NSW Federation of Housing Associations 2014, ‘People and Place Management’, , http://www.communityhousing. org.au/KnowledgeHub/GP%20Guides/People%20and%20Place%20Management.pdf (accessed August 2016) Participatory Budgeting Project 2009 & 2010 ‘Participatory Budgeting at Toronto Community Housing: 2009 Evaluation Report’ and ‘Participatory Budgeting at Toronto Community Housing: 2010 Evaluation Report’ http:// www.participatorybudgeting.org/what-we-do/research-evaluation/toronto-evaluation/ (accessed August 2016) Pawson H & Mulligan V 2016, ‘More questions than answers in NSW ‘strategic housing’ announcement’, City Futures Blog, City Futures Research Centre, UNSW, January 26, 2016, http://blogs.unsw.edu.au/cityfutures/ blog/2016/01/more-questions-than-answers-in-nsw-strategic-housing-announcement/ (accessed August 2016) Pawson H David E Smith R & Edwards R 2009, ‘The Impacts of Housing Stock Transfer in Urban Britain’ Coventry Chartered Institute of Housing http://www.jrf.org.uk/publications/impacts-housing-stock-transfers-urban-britain (accessed August 2016) Shaw K 2013, ‘Public housing estate redevelopments in Australian inner cities and the role of social mix’, State of Australian Cities Conference2013 http://publichousingwatch.com/index.php/issues (accessed August 2016) Thomas S 2015, ‘Developing a community investment strategy: A framework for practitioners’, http://hact.org.uk/community-investment-framework (accessed August 2016) Xian A 2009, ‘Community Involvement in Public Housing Urban Regeneration’ UNSW, https://www.be.unsw.edu.au/ sites/default/files/upload/pdf/schools_and_engagement/resources/_notes/5A2_52.pdf (accessed August 2016)

PLACES PEOPLE 23 WANT TO LIVE Document Review This document has been compiled by Bridge Housing’s Sustainable Communities Manager. It is a living document that can be updated to respond to changes in funding, resources, best practice, evaluations and new ways of thinking.

Version Changes Notes

24 April 2017

30 January 2019 Update street and postal addresses

Street address: Level 9, 59 Goulburn Street, Sydney NSW 2000 Postal address: PO Box 20217, World Square NSW 2002 Telephone: (02) 8324 0800 Website: www.bridgehousing.org.au Email: [email protected]