To:  Hon Nat Cook MP

Minister for Human Services

This annual report will be presented to Parliament to meet the statutory reporting requirements of Section 42A of the South Australian Housing Trust Act 1995 and the requirements of Premier and Cabinet Circular PC013 Annual Reporting.

This report is verified to be accurate for the purposes of annual reporting to the Parliament of South Australia.

Submitted on behalf of the South Australian Housing Trust by:

Gary Storkey

Presiding Member, South Australian Housing Trust Board

Date: 21 September 2022           Signed: Gary Storkey

SA Housing Authority has maintained a strong focus on our customers and providing better housing choices for South Australians this past year. Four years since our inception, and with a rich legacy behind us as the South Australian Housing Trust, we continue to support our customers through improving the homes we offer, the tenancy management we provide and the role we play in the homelessness sector, affordable housing and beyond.

Our Homeseeker website, launched in February 2021, supports South Australians to find the information they need about renting or buying a home, as well as providing a platform for affordable housing listings in line with the Affordable Housing Initiative. During 2021-22, over 96,000 new visitors accessed the website and 482 affordable properties were offered for sale to eligible buyers.

The five homelessness Alliances commenced operations on 1 July 2021.The transition period concluded in December 2021, with the Alliances progressing well and the majority of the establishment milestones endorsed for all Alliances. In January 2022, the Authority commenced work to develop an Outcomes Framework for the homelessness and domestic and family violence sector. An implementation plan will be developed to support the embedding of the framework into all services for use by 1 July 2023.

Our Emergency Accommodation Program has undergone a detailed review as we work towards strategic reform of this service. Now more than ever it is important to support our most vulnerable customers in times of need, including emergency accommodation for those who find themselves in crisis. The Authority is working towards a model that supports a tailored response to better meet the needs of families and vulnerable cohorts, as well as an effective transition into stable and sustainable long-term housing outcomes.

We have progressed a number of capital projects over the year to increase availability and improve current public housing for our customers. The construction of State Owned and Managed Indigenous Housing and Better Neighbourhoods Program have finished up the year with 90 homes complete, with a further 78 homes scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2022-23. Urban renewal projects continue in a number of metropolitan suburbs and work with our community housing partners is ongoing to support the construction of new social, affordable and market sale houses.

The Authority has maintained employment and training outcomes for social housing customers through the 250 Apprenticeships program. This program supports establishing a ready supply of skilled workers that South Australia needs, in industries that require them. We have had the privilege of hearing a number of success stories through this program and it is a wonderful opportunity to support our customers in upskilling and preparing them to work in a variety of trades.

We conducted a major review of our maintenance contract model, in preparation of tender and procurement processes to confirm new maintenance contracts in 2023. Our focus was on service delivery outcomes for our tenants and resulted in the development of a new head contractors maintenance model. The model is based around improvements in customer experience, including communication and timeliness of works, a strong asset management focus and regular reporting and key performance indicators. The new contracts will commence on 1 January 2023 and we look forward to working towards an improved service in public housing maintenance.

More recently, the Authority has undertaken major planning and works under the State Government’s $177.5 million Public Housing Improvement Program. The program involves building 400 new public homes, including 50 for vulnerable tenants co-located with support services, upgrades and allocation of 350 vacant properties, and a maintenance blitz for 3,000 public housing homes. New homes are planned for metropolitan and regional areas, and maintenance upgrades will allow even more positive housing outcomes for those who need it most.

As we build and grow, we are guided by our core values, encouraging inclusion and respect for diversity and lived experience. We value the partnerships we have across the housing sector and the opportunities we create to better serve our customers.

We look forward to the continued strive for excellence in developing initiatives and outcomes for all South Australians.

Signed:  Gary Storkey
Presiding Member
South Australian Housing Trust Board

Signed:  Michael Buchan
Chief Executive
SA Housing Authority

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