Community Matters Spring 2020 ISSUE 2 - Community Housing Limited
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Community Matters
Spring 2020 ISSUE 2 CHL WA Tenant Newsletter
Lucky WA!
A note from Keely Moore, State Operations Manager, WA
We are so very lucky here in WA. quickly and who have put in extra many of you have surprising things
Thanks to our distance and isolation effort. Some of our staff have been to be grateful for during this time -
and the careful measures the working from home and even now for me, it has been hearing the little
government have taken to minimise we are operating on reduced number snippets of kind acts and interesting
the spread of the virus into our State of people in the office to maintain little stories that have come from
there have been very few cases in WA. correct health standards and to those calls. Things are somewhat
protect our staff and tenants. back to normal and you can expect to
I would like to personally thank
see your Housing Officer soon for an
you all for your good will, your Given that Housing staff were not able
inspection if you haven’t already!
cooperation and your patience over to visit people face to face, we made
the past months. I would also like an effort in these past months to call
to thank the staff in WA, who have each and every tenant in WA to check Keely Moore,
adapted to a new way of working very how things were for you. I’m sure State Operations Manager, WA.
COVID and your Tenancy
While it might seem as though we’ve While we will be returning to face to
won the battle against COVID here face inspections and home visits, we
in WA, we must remain vigilant and have very strict hygiene protocols in
ensure we are keeping up with the place and we ask tenants to respect
latest advice. We have seen how these and to assist CHL WA by
quickly the virus can take hold from complying with requests. Please
the Melbourne case. don’t be offended if your Housing
Officer doesn’t shake your hand
It is still important to maintain social
-we’re making sure you and other
distance, continue to be careful with
tenants are safe.
hygiene, washing hands regularly and
thoroughly and ensure that there is a Spring time means hay fever time for
space of 2 metres when in enclosed many. Hay fever symptoms are very
spaces between you and others. similar to COVID symptoms. We ask
that you inform staff of any symptoms are vulnerable and at high risk of
CHL WA staff kindly ask that you
you may have, please do not simply contracting the virus.
make appointments where possible
assume its hay fever. Remember that
before coming into the office so we We each need to do our bit to keep
our Housing staff are visiting you and
can ensure we are sticking to the WA COVID free.
many other tenants, some of whom
COVID requirements.
What’s New/ Office Announcements
Maintenance Updates and Safety Requirements!
CHL takes our responsibility (RCD) and smoke alarm testing and will We hope that all inspections are
be carried out by a licenced electrician. quick and do not cause too much
as a landlord seriously and this inconvenience. Tenants are asked to
Our tenants at Fitzgerald Street will also
includes ensuring safe homes have inspections of fire safe entry doors please make access available for the
for our tenants. to each unit. These will be inspected by a contractors to complete works. We will
CHUBB fire representative. Tenants will ensure contractors communicate with
Over the next few weeks all tenants will
also be invited to attend a fire evacuation you prior to attending and If you have any
be contacted for inspections of safety
drill training, again to be carried out by a queries please contact our office.
components of their properties, this
includes both residual currency devices CHUBB fire representative.
Winning at Inspections Don’t wait for an inspection to let us
know when things are broken or need
Many of you will have recently had your might have come up over the past six repairing!
Housing Officer visit you to inspect your months. We know that some of you can
Unsure about what to report using this
home. We do this to make sure that feel a little stressed at the thought of an
number? Unsure about what to report
your home is safe and in good condition. inspection so we got together as a team when calling the maintenance number?
We will also take the chance to chat and identified what tenants can do to get All essential repairs will be attended
with you about any tenancy issues that ready for an inspection. to within 24 hours and these include
burst water service, gas leaks, broken
We are able to see that the hot water system, sewerage leaks or
dangerous electrical faults. Other repairs
house is safe and in good We are not…
include things that break or wear out in
condition. You can help us your home. You can do this any time or
see that when …
8
day of the year! Simply call 1300 424 473.
• There are clean benches, • Making judgements on what Did you know?
bathrooms, toilet decorations you have Your Housing Officer will inspect your
property at least twice a year to make sure
• Food has been put away • Looking at how tidy your that your house is clean and safe, and to
pantry or cupboards are make sure everything is working properly
• Floors are swept
• Checking what kind of food and whether any extra maintenance
• Yard is tidy and lawn mowed you have in your cupboards needs to be done.
• Smoke alarm and RCD tested You will receive a letter 7 to 14 days before
• Checking whether your bed telling you when your Housing Officer will
has been made be visiting you to do the inspection.
• Concerned about whether It is important to be at home for the
you have a perfectly landscaped inspection. If you know you won’t be
and blooming garden at home, talk to your Housing Officer
to make another time or another
arrangement.
Your Voice Counts
Here at CHL, we believe that safe, affordable, We really care about how we can influence
quality housing people provides a foundation these wider impacts and have designed a
on which people can enjoy wider benefits. social impact survey to help measure this.
Having a stable home can help people be We are distributing the survey to tenants
more involved in community, experience in Fitzgerald Street apartments. Your voice
better health and wellbeing and improve counts and will help us to keep improving the
education and employment outcomes. services we provide to you.
Around the state
CHL Partners with Builders to Provide Specialist Disability Housing
CHL WA has partnered with developer
WAI Group and disability support
providers, ACTIV to build six new homes
in Geraldton. The development is being
privately financed with the properties
to be offered for rent to people with a
disability who are eligible for Specialist
Disability Accommodation (SDA) funding
through the NDIS. The SDA program
has been designed to incentivise private
sector and community housing provider
investment in the provision of new
homes to enable people with disability
who have high levels of functional need
and support requirements to live as
independently as possible in housing
that has been designed to meet their
specific requirements.
The new homes will include for example,
adjustable height benchtops and raised
garden beds for wheelchair users.
Other specifications such as motorised project in Geraldton, should also trigger incentives provide regional weightings to
door openers, motorised blinds and interest from other investors and make places like Geraldton an attractive
emergency back-up power to prevent developers as the project demonstrates opportunity.”
outages from affecting important economic, social and community
medical equipment will be included. Building has commenced and is
benefits,” Mr Ellender said. “Typically expected to be finished in February,
“The West End Villas project, being the Perth is the primary market for property 2021.
first Specialist Disability Accommodation investors in WA, however the SDA
Spring into action!
How to test your smoke alarm
• Press the TEST button. The alarm
should beep loudly.
Note: If you are unable to reach the This means that the device is working
test button, use a broom handle and the power has been turned
• The smoke alarm will automatically off. Note: The button will not flip
reset once the button has been downwards if there is no power.
released after testing • Flip the lever upwards to ‘ON’. You
may need to push firmly. This will
How to test your Residual Current turn the power back on.
If lever does not flip downwards or
Device (RCD) you have any other concerns with the
• Press the TEST button on the RCD.
RCD, please contact CHL’s Maint-
You should hear it click.
enance Call Centre on 1300 424 573.
• The lever will flip downwards to the
‘OFF’ position.
Tenant Talks...
Pictured left, Joy and
to the right, Keely.
Joy! We have a new Name and a Winner!
Did you notice the new name of our Congratulations and a big thank you from Joy, some of you may be aware
newsletter? We ran a competition to Joy who is the happy recipient of a that Joy in her working days was
to create a name for our newsletter $50 shopping voucher. a very successful in her career
and ‘Community Matters’ was managing the marketing for a
Just quietly, we were not too
Joy’s inspired contribution. number of Perth shopping centres.
surprised to receive a suggestion
We were in the news!
50 CHL tenants will take part in a pilot program that will
see them trial the new Bill Buddy App until mid 2021. The
App which has been designed to help users measure,
monitor, compare and reduce their consumption of energy
and utility bills, has been funded by Lotterywest and
developed by social enterprise ClimateClever on behalf
of the Rise Network’s consortium of not for profit housing
providers.
10 News First Perth spoke with CHL tenant, Murray Dixon
about the program as part of last night’s evening news.
CHL is proud to be part of this innovative technological
solution which will assist our residents to help them Watch the Channel 10 segment here: https://www.
manage and reduce their utility expenses and provide facebook.com/10NewsPer/videos/307023207037347/
them with extra disposable income to live a comfortable Read more about this great new initiative here: https://chl.
and fulfilling life. org.au/…/new-app-launched-to-assist-community-…/.
Get on the Bill Buddy Wagon!
Save money and Save the planet!
Want to sign up for Bill Buddy, sim- The app is available for Apple and
ple! Email infowa@chl.org.au to find Android devices and its free to
out more. To sign up for Bill Buddy download. Search for Bill Buddy and
access the online app here: www. look for this app:
billbuddy.org
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