Ruby's Reunification Program adds additional capacity
Ruby's, a free, leading family reunification program for young people, has added additional capacity at its Northern Adelaide site. Thanks to the funding of $85,000 from the Authority to extend the property, Ruby's now has a fifth bedroom. Operated by Uniting Communities, this extension will support an additional 15 families each year.
Meet Craig Renton
With 31,300 homes, we have 52,300 occupants of public housing. Our tenants needs vary but 61% are older people (55 years and older). Here you can meet Craig Renton, who is a proud customer. 71-year-old Craig has been a SA Housing Authority public housing tenant at Elizabeth East for eight years. Craig talks to us about his home and two of his great passions in life – helping out with Meals on Wheels and dancing.
Final stage of Felixstow Urban Renewal project
Construction of 11 public housing homes at Felixstow has begun in the final stage of the urban renewal project. Only nine kilometers from the Adelaide CBD, this capital project is delivering growth in housing, with a mix of public housing and land for market sale across 3.4 hectares, unlocking land in a great part of the city. Serving as a model for urban renewal, SA Housing Authority has created 18 public and 14 community housing homes, as well as 104 open market sales in the suburb.
As part of the renewal, SA Housing Authority worked with the City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters to deliver a stormwater management system, in the form of a detention basin within a new reserve bordered by Shirley, Fraser and Reid Avenues. This reserve provides approximately 3000m2 of green pervious surface providing shading and habitat for flora and fauna contributing to climate change resilience and providing a recreational space for the community. Gross pollutants are trapped and removed before entering the detention basin, preventing litter and debris from entering the River Torrens via an underground stormwater system.
We have a pipeline of urban renewal projects, in some cases replacing old houses with new homes, creating better quality social housing, and more housing choices and affordability. These projects have a significant social, economic, and environmental impact on the community.
The projects are master-planned communities, offering diverse housing options for all backgrounds and income levels. Sustainable design, public spaces, and upgraded infrastructure create vibrant, connected neighbourhoods.
SA Housing Authority’s variety of housing options within the urban renewal projects include:
- Public housing, to be retained by the SA Housing Authority
- Community housing, managed by non-government organisations
- Affordable house and land packages, to be sold to eligible HomeSeeker SA buyers
- Land allotments and house and land packages, available to the open market
Neighbourhood vibe
While Christmas was two months ago, we just had to share this.
Tenants at a small group of newly built homes in Elizabeth Park held a Christmas celebration in their shared driveway.
The tenants range in age from 74 to 22 years old.
Tenant Leanne brought everyone together to celebrate the end of 2023. Everyone brought a plate to share and, by all accounts, had a lovely time enjoying good company on a sunny afternoon.
Two finalists in Premier's Excellence Awards
Two of SA Housing Authority's star workforce have been recognised as finalists in the 2023 Premier's Excellence Awards, celebrating outstanding public service in South Australia. Phil Hespe and Stephanie Mealor have been recognised for their outstanding work in the 'Excellence in Service Delivery' and 'Excellence in Innovation' categories, respectively.
Phil manages the design, construction, and maintenance of Indigenous houses in 14 remote communities across the state. Recognised nationally as a subject matter expert, Phil's commitment to community engagement and passion for making a difference are noteworthy. With over 18 years of experience, he addresses overcrowding challenges, demonstrating a commitment to sustainability in remote housing.
Stephanie is committed to driving innovation and providing invaluable contributions to the design of government solutions through the Private Rental Assistance programme for low-income households. Her analytical skills, coupled with a deep understanding of Housing SA and state-wide private rental data, have led to innovative recommendations for changes to the Residential Tenancies Act in the context of the current national housing crisis.
The winners will be announced on Friday 8 March. Join us in cheering Phil and Stephanie as we await the results.
Recovery Centres at Murray Bridge and Berri close
Recovery Centres at Murray Bridge and Berri closed last week, marking a significant milestone in the flood-impacted River Murray communities. Our staff and partners have worked tirelessly in the Emergency Relief and Recovery Centres to help thousands of people impacted by the flood.
Our staff and volunteers assisted with:
- 3547 attendances at Recovery Centres and pop up centres
- 2142 grants with a total of $6.7 million
- 2544 nights of accommodation
- providing 230 residents with ongoing case management
While hosted by the SA Housing Authority, multiple volunteers agencies, in particular Red Cross, Lions and Disaster and Recovery Ministries provided countless hours of support to communities. Support for impacted areas will continue through local councils, health and wellbeing agencies and NGOs, as communities’ focus turns to long-term recovery.
Our Housing Australia report
The University of Adelaide published Our Housing Australia, a collection of insights and valuable views of housing in contemporary Australia.
Twenty leading housing commentators and researchers were invited to explore the national dataset and contribute short reflections on the state of Australian housing, homes, and households.
Reflecting on one of the significant and hot topics of private rental property condition, Chief Executive, Michael Buchan, has penned his thoughts.
There are also other topics of interest, such as pet-restrictive housing, residential mobility, the rise of rentvesting in Australia, and many more.
