Premier’s Youth Initiative (PYI) – One Year On

A partnership with Anglicare, St Saviours, Liverpool – supporting youth to adapt to life from out of home care

The Premier’s Youth Initiative (PYI) is a pilot program provided by St Saviours in partnership with Argyle Housing that provides services to young people leaving Out Of Home Care (OOHC) in the South Western Sydney Region.

The initiative aims to prevent homelessness among young people leaving care by diverting them from the specialist homelessness system before they become homeless or at risk of homelessness through a combination of supports.

Commencing in June 2017 as an initiative of Family and Community Services NSW – Youth Homelessness (Premiere’s Priority), the PYI has gone from strength to strength in the last 18 months.

Currently assisting 31 clients under 18, the program consists of four main pillars which form the framework of the service delivery:

• A Personal Advisor
• Education & Training Mentor
• Transitional Housing Support Officer; and
• Tenancy Manager

Argyle Housing’s role within the delivery of the program is one of tenancy management. The Argyle Housing tenancy officer works closely alongside specialist Anglicare staff to deliver the program to young people.

It is a highly collaborative working relationship with the tenancy officer working over two work sites (both Argyle Housing’s Campbelltown office and St Saviors’ Campbelltown office), to deliver a service that is timely, collaborative and adaptable to the tenants’ needs.

The feedback to date from government and non-government case managers is positive with PYI receiving calls daily from case managers on how they can get their young person on the PYI list. These enquiries have continued to grow as more young people and case managers become aware of the service.

All young people who have agreed to services are excited by the offer as they realise that this is an unprecedented opportunity for them. The majority of the young people who have agreed to join the program are now either engaged in school or vocational training. With the support of mentors in education and employment, transition from care and personal assistance, they are developing their capacity to live independently and to successfully transition out of the program when they turn 18.

The program is funded to assist a maximum of 40 young people and the program directors are confident that this target will be reached in December 2018.

Humanitarian Settlement Program

In October 2017, Argyle Housing entered into partnership with the Australian Red Cross to provide housing to individuals and families arriving in Australian under the Humanitarian Settlement Program (HSP). Argyle Housing is delivering housing through this partnership in Wollongong, Canberra, Wagga Wagga and Albury, with the Argyle Housing staff being co-located in Wollongong with the Red Cross.

Through this partnership, Argyle Housing has been providing on-arrival short-term accommodation (up to 28 days) and long-term accommodation based on client arrival location and household needs. The aim of the program is to provide education, support and opportunity to humanitarian entrants so that they can achieve and sustain housing in the private rental market by the end of their initial settlement experience.

From the commencement of our agreement with the Red Cross in October 2017, until the 30 June 2018, Argyle Housing has assisted 119 households. Of these, 33 households are in Long Term Accommodation with Argyle and 20 transferred to other locations after their initial arrival and accommodation. The remaining 66 households either have been reunited with family or are independently sustaining a tenancy directly with a real estate agency in the community of their choice.

The partnership with Red Cross has been critical in identifying the needs of new arrivals so that we can wherever possible, ensure a positive outcome. Many families, particularly those arriving under a visa for Women at Risk, have suffered unimaginable trauma and abuse in their country of origin. Through this program Argyle Housing have been witness to their stories and has worked to ensure that we are providing housing that assists in establishing much needed safety and an opportunity for change for refugees and their children.

From the Congo to Wollongong – the Humanitarian Settlement Program in Action

“The Red Cross helped us with the basic things we needed to live. They also helped to link us to the services we needed and provided us with the household goods so that we were comfortable. Argyle Housing was able to help us by finding a house that was big enough for the family and suitable for Mum’s injury. Maryellen [Tenancy Support worker from Argyle] has been so helpful with us, it has really made our move a lot easier”

Museveni reflected on the troubles his tribe faced during his upbringing in Congo.

“We had a lot of difficulties because we were the Banyamulenge tribe and this was not accepted by other tribes in Congolese community”.

Continually persecuted as outcasts and facing genocide in their own country, Museveni and his family were constantly attacked by others and were forced to move in the hope of avoiding more family members being harmed.

“‘There were many wars within the Congo but we were always able to move around within the country to avoid being harmed or killed, until 2014 when there was turmoil across the entire country. This is when my mother was injured badly and we fled to Kenya for safety.”

Museveni’s family fled to Nairobi in Kenya where they lived for three years and five months. Over this time, Museveni’s father died due to poor health after ensuring the family left Congo all together and made it to safety in Nairobi.

The living conditions were not very sanitary and life was very hard for Museveni’s family. Museveni’s mother was unable to get proper health care and lost her foot as a result. The kids were not able to go to school.

“We have never returned to Congo and most probably never will. I would say that our time in Nairobi was a life of misery.”

Fortunately, the family was connected with the United Nations who offered them the chance to move to Australia and begin a new life. In 2017, the family moved to the Illawarra region and have made considerable positive steps forward with rebuilding their lives. Both the Red Cross and Argyle Housing have assisted the family through the Humanitarian Settlement Program and they are now renting a home as Argyle Housing tenants.

“The life that we had in Africa was very difficult because we didn’t have the ability to go to school. My Mum could not get the health care she needed and our living conditions were not good at all. For these reasons and a lot more, it was a very negative time for us. Now that we have been given the opportunity to come to Australia, I would say that life is so much more positive. My mum has been able to get great health care, my sisters have started to go to school and I am back studying again. Now we have hope and it is a very positive feeling.”

Argyle Older Women in Housing Project

In June 2018, Argyle Housing entered into a Community Housing Assistance Agreement with the Department of Family and Community Services to purchase 8 x 2 bedroom units in Queanbeyan, Wagga and Griffith NSW.

Funded jointly by Argyle Housing and the state government’s Community Housing Innovation and Leverage fund, the project aims to provide suitable affordable and social housing to older Aboriginal and non-indigenous women who are eligible for community housing assistance.

A report by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare that was released in September 2018 states that homelessness is a growing problem for older Australians. Although older women do not account for the majority of homeless people, they represent a rapidly growing demographic in the homeless population—increasing by 31% from 2011. Factors such as domestic violence, relationship breakdown, financial difficulty and limited superannuation can put older women at risk of homelessness.

The Argyle Older Women in Housing proposal was specifically developed to meet the needs of homeless older women and particularly Aboriginal women over the age of 45. The properties that Argyle Housing is purchasing will provide safe, secure and long term housing to allow women to age in place with dignity and support if required.

The project is well under way and contracts have exchanged on three properties in Queanbeyan. Strategies are also in place to partner with a local builder in Griffith to build three, two bedroom units and the project has also been extended to Wagga Wagga to complete the quota.

Argyle Housing would like to thank the NSW Department of Family and Community Services for enabling this opportunity for older women in regional NSW.

Challenge House Project – offering independence and opportunity to people living with a disability

Challenge Southern Highlands (CSH) is an Incorporated Association and a community-based charitable organisation which operates the Welby Garden Centre as an Australian Disability Enterprise (ADE).

CSH provides training and employment opportunities for people with disabilities and provides a professional and caring environment that supports its staff as valued clients. In January 2018, CSH extended its support of its clients through the development of Challenge House. This purpose build dwelling has been designed to provide clients who would like to move out of the family home an opportunity to trial independent living in a safe, supported environment.

Prior to the introduction of the NDIS, there were limited opportunities for people living with a disability to live independently of their family. The availability of places in Government funded group homes was limited and offers to enter a home were often in a location away from their community and existing supports.

Challenge House can accommodate up to nine residents, including one respite room. Challenge supports the house 24/7 with a carer onsite at all times. There are currently three residents living in the house and, with the support of CSH, they are learning life skills and managing all of the day to day requirements of independent living including cleaning, shopping and cooking.

Argyle Housing is proud to partner with the CSH to provide tenancy management services for the residents of the House. The partnership ensures that residents experience real life tenancy obligations including entering into a tenancy agreement, paying rent and utilities and maintaining the property to an acceptable standard.

‘The ultimate aim of the partnership is for residents to transition smoothly to their own rental accommodation in the community, with continuing drop in support from CSH.’ (Tony Mcelhinney, General Manager CSH).

CSH currently has four, full time staff who manage Challenge House on a roster basis. Challenge is seeking additional staff to share the load and would be interested to hear from anyone who would like to apply to work with this amazing organisation. More details on Challenge Southern Highlands are available on their website at https://challengesh.org.au/about/

Affordable Housing Properties in Wagga Wagga

In March 2018, Argyle Housing entered into an agreement with Wagga Wagga developer, Gordon Saggers, to purchase 5 x 3 bedroom homes from the plan, in Wagga Wagga. The purchase of these properties completed Argyle Housing’s asset vesting target* with the NSW State Government and represented the first time in its history that Argyle has entered into a debt facility.

As a regional social and affordable housing provider, Argyle Housing has a genuine commitment to the Wagga Wagga community. Entering into an agreement with a private developer was an ideal opportunity for Argyle Housing to not only extend its housing stock in the area but to also build a solid local relationship that will enable future development opportunities.

On 21 August 2018, the Hon. Pru Goward, the New South Wales Minister for Family and Community Services and Minister for Social Housing, visited the properties with Argyle Housing CEO, Wendy Middleton. Minister Goward met with tenants and was impressed with the quality of the constructions and congratulated Argyle on this regional initiative.

Close to all amenities and transport, the new homes have been leased to four affordable housing tenants and one social housing tenant. It was particularly satisfying to be able to offer one of the affordable properties to a long term social housing tenant who is now working and who was ready to take the step up to affordable housing.

* Asset vesting target – Argyle Housing was committed to acquiring 66 new properties as a condition of receiving public housing transfers back in 2007/2010 in Wingecarribee, Young and Yass. We had until 2021 to complete and will complete this by December 2018, three years ahead of time.

Macarthur Gardens Campbelltown – Affordable, Secure and Convenient Accommodation

In 2017/18, Argyle Housing invested $3.23m in seven, two bedroom affordable units at the Macarthur Gardens development in Campbelltown.

The Gardens was officially opened in November 2017 by the then Treasurer, the Hon. Scott Morrison. This event was well publicised within the sector, local media and industry publications.

Immediately after the opening Argyle Housing’s first tenants moved into residence and all seven units were quickly occupied. Katie has been a tenant with Argyle Housing at The Gardens for over 10 months and enjoys the convenience of the location and the amenity it offers to herself and her young son. She had previously lived in more dated and older buildings but now feels right at home in her beautiful new unit.

“I have found living in a freshly built unit much easier to make it feel like home. It is clean, beautifully painted and makes me happy to live where I live.” (Katie, Argyle tenant at The Gardens’)

Macarthur Gardens was built by Blue CHP Limited to service the needs of residents requiring close proximity to essential services, transport and shopping in the Campbelltown area. Whilst this growing area is delivering strong economic growth it also delivers significant rental affordability challenges for working people on low to moderate incomes. Investing in The Gardens gave Argyle Housing the opportunity to offer its tenants rent that is subsidised by the Federal Government’s National Rental Affordability Scheme.