Haven Home Safe

We welcome the Victorian Government’s new planning rules to ‘Townhouse and Low-Rise Code’ which eases the red tape of medium density building while still respecting the practical neighbourhood components of privacy and street scape.   While much of the conversation has centered around this application in metro Melbourne, we know across regional cities this approach will also help to deliver more housing close to amenities. We have experienced firsthand the challenges the existing planning permit rules create which means that in the middle of a housing crisis crucial housing outcomes have been delayed.   Moving the dial on Victoria’s housing crisis will require a variety of housing options including medium density. While naturally there is some resistance to change, we hope that ultimately people embrace this progress to create communities that deliver the housing Victoria needs.   You can read more about how changes to planning permits in 2023 motivated Haven Home Safe to research the viability of smaller second home (IMBY) to increase housing option for low-income renters here.

Award season is upon us. If you’re on the fence about whether to apply for the Australasian Housing Institute brighter future awards, here are some of the reasons why we’re pulling together applications for these awards (and others). 💙 It’s a chance to reflect on the achievements of the organisation, teams and individuals over the past year/years. 💙 Pulling together an award nomination requires us to reflect on what did and didn’t work well in a project and how we can continue to refine the process in the future. 💙 While it’s easy to dwell in the challenges of the industry, there’s so many wonderful outcomes achieved, this is a chance to celebrate these. 💙 It’s a chance to champion, recognise and celebrate hard work.

Last week our CEO Trudi Ray (GAICD, JP, MBA, SPAHIc) joined over 20 other CEOs from the Community Housing sector across Australia to speak with political representatives in Canberra about the important role housing affordability will play in this year’s election. Armed with data collected by redbridge (who polled 1,500 people across 24 of the most contestable electorates) they delivered a compelling case with those surveyed: 🔵 73% said it will be very or somewhat important to their election vote choice 🔵 13% ranking it as the single most important issue facing the nation 🔵 One in three people lack confidence they can afford their housing costs over the next 12 months 🔵 72% support developing a National Housing and Homelessness Plan 🔵 76% agree Australia needs more social housing Trudi and the leaders were equipped with solutions to show the 60 political leaders they met with that to actively work towards solving these challenges and priorities of Australians, they need to commit to: 🔵 Quadruple the Housing Australia Future Fund (HAFF) ensuring that 1 in 10 new homes built are affordable and social housing to secure Australia’s housing future. 🔵 Work collaboratively with Community Housing organisations and lean on our expertise to efficiently and effectively deliver housing outcomes. 🔵 Make sure that regional areas aren’t forgotten when funding is allocated. 🔵 Support and invest in wrap around services and placemaking support. Working in our sector we found the survey data unsurprising. The conversations held across the week were productive and political leaders were engaged in the discussions and demonstrated interest in working with us, other CEO’s and industry leaders to solve this crisis. We, alongside the rest of Australia will now wait to see if election promises will reflect the housing concerns of voters seriously and convert these to measurable election outcomes.

It was the perfect way to start the new year—sharing the exciting news with renters that they had successfully been allocated a rental property in Ararat.    We built five new, two-bedroom homes, with construction completed by E2E Growth Consultants. Co-funded by Homes Victoria as part of the Big Housing Build, these homes feature energy-efficient, low-maintenance designs while maximising space and quality features, such as walk-in wardrobes.    Conveniently located just a short distance from local amenities, the homes were designed with a focus on fostering renter connections to their community.    “We are pleased to continue to show up and deliver high-quality housing for regional and rural Victorians. These homes have been designed with high-quality finishes and renter connection to their community in mind. Seeing the homes turn-key ready with renters moving in is such a highlight” said our CEO Trudi Ray.     Learn more here.  https://lnkd.in/gg7x5ktN  

Thanks to generous grants and donations from City of Greater Bendigo, Lisa Chesters MP and the Kangaroo Flat Rotary Club the playground at Sidney Myer Haven has had a much-needed refresh, making it an even better space for kids to play and families to connect. Did you know? A Social Return on Investment study completed in 2023 found that for every $1 invested into the Sidney Myer Haven program, over $12 in social and economic value is created. Of this value, 10 per cent of this was experienced by residents’ children who reported improved: social and emotional development, learning and cognitive development and physical health and wellbeing.  That’s the power of safe and stable housing, with amenities that support childhood wellbeing. Thank you to our staff who continue to advocate for the families that call SMH home. They are always looking for ways to enhance residents’ time at SMH and this playground is a demonstration of this. Check out the full story here: https://lnkd.in/ekFBHS2q

Timber framing delivers significant sustainability benefits and was used in our recent Horsham development of 25 modular homes. We look forward to hearing more about this from our Head of Development Jack Haber in next Tuesday’s WoodSolutions webinar. Registrations are free and still open via their link.

Haven Home Safe's Board of Directors are pleased to announce Robert (Rob) Camm has been elected to the position of HHS Board Chair from 6th February. The position of Chair was vacant following the resignation of Damien Tangey from the HHS Board in December 2024 to take up a non-executive member role with Housing Australia.   Rob's extensive financial and business nous across public and private sectors will be a valuable asset as Haven Home Safe continues on its journey delivering Strategy 2040 to deliver more impactful housing and support for Victorians.   Rob said about his new appointment, "I am thrilled to be working alongside the Board and Executive Team as we continue to invest in housing and homelessness solutions that strive towards a better future for all." Congratulations Robert Camm MAICD FCPA 👏

For many kids, the excitement of new school supplies is all part of the start of a new school year. Is there any better feeling? How about not having to choose between school supplies or groceries for the week? Thanks to our Preston Housing and Tenancy team and a generous grant from the City of Whittlesea we were able to host two ‘back to school’ supply sessions to support Epping residents to get back-to-school ready. Starting, or going back to school should be an exciting time and for these families they won’t need to choose between school supplies and having enough food or petrol for the week.

🌟 A Boost to Robinvale’s Housing Supply! 🌟 We’re thrilled to announce the completion of 13 brand-new homes in Robinvale, delivered just in time for Christmas! 🎄 This development features: ✅ 5 x 3-bedroom and 8 x 2-bedroom homes ✅ Solar panels and rainwater tanks for sustainability ✅ Minimum 7-star NatHERS energy efficiency rating to reduce renters’ bills ✅ Silver-rated Liveable Housing Design Guidelines for accessibility Our CEO Trudi Ray, alongside Swan Hill Rural City Council, Councillor Philip Englefield, celebrated this milestone with a tour of the homes. “This project is a testament to the value that investment into social housing for regional and rural Victorians can bring to communities,” said Trudi Ray. “These homes will ensure people can stay connected to their Robinvale community.” A huge thank you to Homes Victoria for their $3.99 million in funding through the Big Housing Build and to Mildura Homes for bringing this vision to life. #HavenHomeSafe #HomesVictoria #CommunityHousing #Housing #SocialHousing #RegionalVictoria #Robinvale #BigHousingBuild

Next year HHS will be part of the Property Council of Australia's Victorian Sustainability Committee, with our Head of Impact, Bonnie Szymczak successfully appointed to the Committee. The Committee advances sustainable development and practices that support the ongoing decarbonisation of the built environment in Victoria. Bonnie is looking forward to sharing perspectives from the social and affordable housing sector and HHS' ESG+ Impact journey and contributing to advocacy efforts on the benefits of sustainable housing for all communities.