Stats

What have we achieved overview of year to show growth and that we have done what we said we would in last AR. Including of focus on maintenance.

Throughout the year Argyle Housing continued to ensure the safety and function of properties was maintained for our tenants. Argyle’s widespread and diverse property portfolio requires us to constantly review and improve how we deliver our repairs and maintenance, and after-hours emergency services. Throughout the year Argyle Housing has had a close look at how we do things. We have taken on board what our tenants told us in the Tenant Survey and we continue to consult with our tenants on how we can better communicate and serve them. Many improvements are planned during 2019-20 and we look forward to rolling these out to our tenants.

Completion of Work Order Completion Performance is (# Received and # Completed is a rolling 12 month total, you could just use the June Numbers for the 2018-19 FY if you wanted to);

Last 12 months	Urgent (0-4 & 4-24 Hours)			Non-Urgent (1-7 & 7-28 Days)
	# Received	#Completed	Metric (>90%)	# Received	# Completed	Metric (>80%)
July	1854	1823	98%	9755	9037	93%
August	1909	1800	94%	9592	8692	91%
September	1910	1898	99%	9379	8690	93%
October	1967	1938	99%	9385	8607	92%
November	1985	1925	97%	9290	8596	93%
December	1964	1925	98%	9078	8512	94%
January	1946	1890	97%	8861	8217	93%
February	1904	1828	96%	8911	8047	90%
March	1911	1854	97%	8990	8116	90%
April	1902	1811	95%	9164	8055	88%
May	1831	1810	99%	9164	8354	91%
June	1763	1752	99%	9114	8492	93%

Planned Maintenance Results

Throughout the year, we have planner maintenance on targeted properties to enhance the living environments for our tenants. These enhancements can come in many forms, whether it’s a new kitchen, bathroom or painting a room these are all scheduled for completion for our tenants.

Planned Maintenance Results   Stats on:

• Bathrooms
• Kitchens
• Fencing
• Floor Coverings
• Laundries
• Internal painting
• Call outs

2018-2019 Component Stats
Component	Total number estimated for replacement	Total number completed	Percentage complete
Bathrooms	32	11	34%
Kitchens	22	13	59%
Laundries	21	2	10%
Floor Coverings	147	51	35%
Fencing	90	34	38%
Internal Painting	99	50	51%
External Painting	21	18	86%
Cladding	23	9	39%
Roof Replacements	8	9	113%
Window Replacements	10	6	60%
Hat water Systems	164	67	41%
Heaters	108	38	35%
Stoves	166	76	46%

 

TAHMOOR THE GARDEN UNIT

Property update

Garden Units

In addition to the 15 properties we purchased, Argyle also secured planning approvals to build two bedroom garden units on properties we already own in Tahmoor and Bowral. The construction of these two garden units was well advanced at the end of June, and we expect they will occupied by tenants in August and September. The building of these garden units will enable Argyle to house some older existing tenants currently living in larger properties into new smaller properties that can be more easily managed. This will also enable families to be housed in the existing larger properties that are being vacated.

Garden Unit 1:   9 Harper Close, Tahmoor

Construction – We are pleased to advise that the Tahmoor Garden Unit Occupation Certificate was received on the 27 July 2019. Since this date Argyle Housing has undertaken minor landscape and turfing works and we have been frustrated by the builders delay in removing all of their fencing and surplus materials from site, and undertaking some identified minor repairs.

Tahmoor Tenant Details

Jean is a 77 year old woman who has lived in a three bedroom home for the past 23 years.  Initially it was Jean and her son, however he has grown up and moved out and now she finds it difficult to maintain the house and quarter acre yard by herself.  Jean’s family live in the Wollondilly area so when it came to her asking would she consider downsizing, Jean gladly accepted.  Jean has the benefits of a smaller property to maintain, ease of close distance to everything including shops/doctors and she remains close to her family. Jean and her family are very happy and grateful to have this opportunity.

Tahmoor Photos

Older Women in Housing Project

New property development in Wagga Wagga, Queanbeyan and Griffith.

In 2016, the census showed that some 751,120 (ABS, 2016) Australian women aged 45 and over who are single and do not or will not own their own home by retirement are, or are at risk of homelessness. This statistic is something social researchers have labelled as the “hidden, underrepresented and the new face of homelessness”.

Addressing this need in the community for the housing of older women, NSW Family & Community Services (FACS) approached Argyle Housing with a proposal to build or purchase housing stock for this growing demographic.

FACS and Argyle Housing then entered into an agreement in June 2018 for Argyle Housing to purchase properties throughout Queanbeyan and Griffith which would provide suitable accommodation for women over 55 years old or Aboriginal women over 45 years. Under the agreement, FACS provided $2 million in funding to Argyle Housing in June 2018. This was a one-off grant with a 12-month schedule for delivery of housing for older women. The original agreement with FACS was for the delivery of three units in Queanbeyan and five units in Griffith that were under three years old.

Upon reviewing the funding and the needs of the community, Argyle Housing added an additional $800,000 of funding to the program.

The team at Argyle Housing approached FACS to broaden the project to Wagga Wagga as the need for housing older women was also a high priority. FACS gave the approval to extend the search area for properties in Wagga Wagga to meet the demand. This followed representations made by the leadership team of Argyle Housing stating the difficulties in sourcing sufficient suitable properties in Griffith and the demonstrated demand for housing for older women in Wagga Wagga.

FACS approved the expanded direction for Argyle Housing and the new model for housing was confirmed with three units in Queanbeyan, three in Griffith and two in Wagga Wagga.

Argyle Housing partnered with a buyer’s agent in Queanbeyan who sourced the three units from a developer. The units complemented the program and added value to the broader community as they were in the same block which would help to create a sense of community within the complex and its tenants. The other benefit of this purchase was that Argyle Housing was able to negotiate with the developer to receive a discount for the purchase of the three.

The three, two-bedroom units are in a modern, three-year-old complex in Queanbeyan. The units have underground parking and lift access to all levels. Just 100m from public bus transport and less than 800m walking distance to supermarkets and major shops, this is an ideal location for our new tenants.

At a cost of $345,000 each, Argyle settled on the properties on the 7 December 2018 and quickly leased the units to three over 45-year-old single Aboriginal women. Two of the units are tenanted as social housing with the third unit added to Argyle Housing’s affordable housing portfolio.

`Judy is a proud Indigenous woman who hasn’t forgotten her roots, and she cannot express enough how grateful she is to the Argyle Housing staff in Queanbeyan and St Benedicts for helping to get her off the street and into a stable place to call home. In addition to this, she is happy to report that her little 7-year-old daughter Minnie, once again has a place to come and visit her mum on the weekends (Argyle Housing Team Leader, Queanbeyan).’

Due to the search area for the project being extended to Wagga Wagga in October 2018, Argyle Housing secured two new units from a local developer. The two-bedroom units situated in Kooringal are adjacent to a large public park and just 800m walking distance to a medical centre, supermarket, and shops. The units were secured for $345,000 each.

Whilst the units were fully constructed at that time and Council had issued an Occupation Certificate, the Strata Subdivision which was required for settlement, could not be registered until the developer undertook some upgrade works to the local electricity supply. These two units are in a block of three and Argyle Housing was also able to purchase the third unit in the complex (a three-bedroom unit) to add to its Social Housing portfolio.

Unit 2  – Frances is in her 80s and was previously living in a private rental. Struggling with the rising cost of rent, she was very grateful to be given the opportunity to move to an affordable rental where she has the security of tenure and ongoing support from Argyle Housing employees.

Unit 3  – Edna had been a tenant of Argyle Housing in a leasehold property where the landlord was reluctant to carry out repairs and maintenance promptly. Edna was also concerned that the property could be sold at any time requiring her to move. As a 74-year-old, Edna was excited to be given the opportunity to move into her new home.

Both ladies are grateful for the opportunity to live in a complex with people of the same demographic. They now have peace of mind, feel safe and secure and are looking forward to the future.

Argyle Housing entered into a contract with a Griffith developer for the construction of three, two-bedroom units in a new sub-division approximately 1km south of Griffith’s main street and close to bus transport and shops. The developer was granted a Development Consent for the units from Griffith Council on the 19th December 2018 and provided an undertaking that the units were to be completed, ready for settlement by the end of June 2019. Exchange of contracts occurred on the 7th of February 2019.

Overall, there was the delivery of six two-bedroom social units and two, two-bedroom affordable units delivered to women over 55 and aboriginal women over 45 across Queanbeyan, Wagga, and Griffith within budget.

Argyle Housing is grateful to FACS and the NSW Government for their support and the funding for this project. There is a genuine demand for affordable and social housing in regional NSW and Argyle Housing welcomes the opportunity to collaborate with FACS on future housing initiatives.