The Queensland Government recognises the importance of connecting with citizens in the development and implementation of policies, programs and services.
Engagement covers a wide variety of government-community connections, ranging from information sharing to community consultation and, in some instances, active participation in government policy development and decision-making processes. It acknowledges the right of citizens to have a say and to get involved in the business of government. Effective community engagement allows government to tap into diverse perspectives and potential solutions to improve the quality of its decisions.
In addition to participating in Community Cabinets and Ministerial Regional Community Forums, the department has direct and regular contact with groups who are particularly involved with an issue. These groups include community organisation representatives, community and local government housing providers, peak bodies representing housing consumers and providers, local governments, other State Government agencies, Australian Government departments and the housing industry.
The Department of Housing, through these activities, reflects the Government's commitment to provide the people of Queensland with ways for genuine public involvement in decision-making for better policies, programs and services.
Client Communication Research Project
Market research firm Colmar Brunton was engaged to seek tenants' views about the quality and effectiveness of the department's communication products, such as the ‘Welcome to your home' kit, tenant newsletters, fact sheets, forms and general communication. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness of these products and provide insight for future communication with tenants and applicants.
A total of 1,000 tenants were surveyed through a mailed questionnaire. Focus groups were also conducted with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander tenants. The key findings included:
- tenants believe that the accessibility of communication is effective and easy,
- overall usefulness of communication items is rated highly - between 50% to 70%,
- most tenants prefer phone calls and face-to-face communication rather than using the internet,
- communication items need to be easy to read and well set out for tenants to be able to fully utilise the information,
- tenants are interested in policy updates and project information that affect their local area,
- forms were generally rated as easy to complete, but some forms require clearer explanations and larger font sizes,
- fact sheets were not used by the majority of tenants, but those that did use them found them useful and informative. In general, the department needs to explore more topics that are of interest to tenants, such as local services, home ownership and resource information,
- 'Tenant News' is considered easy to read by the majority of tenants, but needs to have more relevant content, and
- 'Welcome to your home' kits were ranked as very informative and easy to understand, but tenants would benefit from more visual aids and information on emergency situations.
To address these findings, the department is using the feedback received to improve, update or adjust its communication tools to tenants and applicants to ensure they continue to become more relevant, easier to read and understand, more adapted to the needs of the audience, and in the case of the internet, more intuitive for users.
Client Intake and Assessment Process
The success of one social housing system relies on Government and non-government agencies working together. In preparation for the implementation of the new Client Intake and Assessment Process in September 2008, community housing providers were invited to attend presentations on the policy framework at each of the department's area offices throughout Queensland. As part of these presentations, providers were encouraged to identify possible implementation issues and solutions.
RentConnect
RentConnect is a new housing assistance product developed by the department to help people find and secure a tenancy in the private rental market. It will be trialled in Caboolture and Rockhampton from late 2008.
During 2007-08, consultation was held with the University of Queensland, MICAH Projects Incorporated, Real Estate Institute of Queensland, Department of Communities, the New South Wales Department of Housing and several community organisations to incorporate their perspectives and feedback in the development and implementation of this new product.
Responding to Homelessness initiative
A number of activities were progressed by the department as part of this initiative during 2007-08.
To examine the processes and mechanisms supporting this initiative, the department, as lead agency, commissioned The University of Queensland Social Research Centre to undertake a mid-term review of the whole-of-Government Responding to Homelessness initiative. Representatives of government, the community sector and a small number of clients were involved in the review process.
In addition, a small research project in Brisbane was conducted with homeless people who had previously received social housing assistance. The purpose of the research was to understand why Government-funded housing assistance responses do not always result in successful, sustainable tenancies for homeless people. Those persons interviewed for the research had all experienced primary homelessness for some time. The findings of the research illustrated the challenges and opportunities faced in providing housing assistance to people experiencing primary homelessness, and will inform future activities to address these issues.
Departmental officers also visited regional centres identified as homelessness ‘hot spots', in Cairns, Townsville and Mt Isa, to engage with government and non-government service providers. The purpose of the visits was to develop relationships with service providers to facilitate ongoing feedback on systemic and client issues. Information from the visits will assist in developing a better understanding of good practice, effective models of service delivery and highlight emerging issues in the homelessness service system.
Indigenous Partnership Agreement Negotiation Tables
The Queensland Government and the 19 Aboriginal and mainland Torres Strait Islander communities signed an Indigenous Partnership Agreement 2007 to 2010 to commit to work in partnership to improve the circumstances and opportunities of people in these Indigenous communities.
The Department of Housing participated in Negotiation Tables in Mt Isa (for Doomadgee), Cherbourg, Mornington, Pormpuraaw, Hope Vale, Coen, Wujal Wujal, Palm Island, Woorabinda, Mossman Gorge and Aurukun. These Negotiating Tables are the culmination, and part of, a sustained process of engagement, consultation, planning and negotiation between community leaders and representatives, and local, state and federal government agency representatives. It is one of the key approaches to engagement between Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander communities and government.
Housing Improvement Program
Departmental staff worked with the 34 Indigenous communities to finalise Housing Improvement Plans. These plans will assist the State's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander councils to provide better housing services to their tenants, including improved maintenance, upgrades, new housing constructions, and the management of waiting lists and rent arrears. Fourteen plans are with the councils for signature.
The plans target:
- housing governance arrangements,
- tenancy management,
- property management, through the adoption of an asset lifecycle management approach,
- improvements to data for planning, and
- the development of detailed acquisition, maintenance, upgrade, asset review, redevelopment and disposal programs.
Healthy Indigenous Housing initiative
The Department of Housing has delivered workshops in Cairns and Thursday Island to representatives of Indigenous councils to provide participants with practical skills relevant to managing properties and tenancies within their specific communities. The workshops also provided valuable networking opportunities for participants.
Home Access Information Trial
Home Access is a Department of Housing initiative which aims to assist people in the private housing market to adapt their homes to meet their needs by providing financial assistance and better targeted information. The Brisbane Home Access Information Trial was launched in June 2007.
The Home Access Information Trial was presented to the Prince Charles Hospital occupational therapists and the Cerebral Palsy League of Queensland at their Board Meeting. Presentations were also made to the Tenants' Union of Queensland and Raine and Horne Realty. These organisations provided valuable feedback on the trial, as well as a range of options for the department to increase awareness of and participation in the trial. This feedback informed the department's planning of future activities.
Long-term community housing
Information sessions were held across the State in July 2007 for providers of long-term community housing. The sessions focused on the implementation of new allocation arrangements for filling vacancies in long-term community housing with applicants registered on the combined social housing wait list. This process establishes a fairer, simpler and more consistent way for eligible applicants to be allocated long-term social housing assistance.
Master Plan for Coopers Plains, Brisbane
Departmental officers worked closely with Brisbane City Council and other State Government agencies officers, particularly the Office of Urban Management within the Department of Infrastructure, to provide new social housing options together with a range of housing types.
Public consultation was undertaken to assist the development of a master plan for the Coopers Plains precinct. As a result, the master plan proposed land-use changed from low to low-medium density and included options for possible parkland. The master plan was submitted to the Brisbane City Council and is under discussion.
Community Housing Planning Group
The Community Housing Planning Group met on 14 and 15 April 2008, with delegates providing feedback on a range of departmental strategic and operational initiatives including the new Client Intake and Assessment Process to be implemented from September 2008, RentConnect and the review of community housing resourcing arrangements. This meeting was attended by delegates from the two housing peak organisations - Tenants' Union of Queensland and Queensland Shelter, 10 of the 11 Regional Community Housing Councils, and the Tenant Advice and Advocacy Service.
National Community Housing Standards manual
The National Community Housing Standards manual was reviewed to ensure it remains relevant and adaptable to organisations delivering community housing and complements existing state and territory regulatory requirements for communication, in addition to the proposed national regulatory framework for not-for-profit growth providers.
In 2007-08, the Department of Housing coordinated contributions to the review from Queensland representatives of peak housing organisations, community housing resource workers, community housing providers and the Standards and Accreditation Council. These contributions will inform the national consultation summary report.
Realigning transitional housing
Four workshops were held in May 2008 to directly engage stakeholders in discussions on proposed arrangements for realigning transitional housing assistance with one social housing system including realising other components of the system, tenancy management and resourcing issues.
Approximately 150 people attended the workshops, including community providers delivering housing-related assistance through government-funded programs (Community Rent Scheme, Community-managed Housing—Studio Units, Same House Different Landlord, Supported Accommodation Assistance Program and Crisis Accommodation Program). The workshops were also attended by staff from Queensland Shelter, the Tenants' Union of Queensland and Homeless Persons Information Queensland.
The workshops have assisted in refining and planning the implementation of the new arrangements for transitional housing over the next three years.
Supported Accommodation Assistance Program and Crisis Accommodation Program
KPMG's National Health and Human Services practice was appointed to conduct a review of the Supported Accommodation Assistance Program (managed by the Department of Communities) and the Crisis Accommodation Program (managed by the Department of Housing) to identify and recommend improvements to the program management arrangements to support a more responsive, coherent, strategic and cost-effective approach to the changing demography and context of homelessness in Queensland.
KPMG interviewed government stakeholders, invited written submissions, conducted stakeholder forums (including a teleconference for rural and remote providers), and considered national policy contexts and practices in other jurisdictions. A reference group including the Queensland Council of Social Service, Queensland Shelter, National Disability Services Queensland and Queensland Alliance provided information and advice for the review.
Details of the outcomes of the review are now available.
Strengthening social housing
In November 2007, the department released a discussion paper 'A new resourcing framework to support community housing participation in one social housing system' to seek feedback on a set of proposed resourcing arrangements for housing providers. The discussion paper was distributed to targeted stakeholder groups and made available on the department's website.
A total of 24 responses were received from a broad range of stakeholders. These responses have provided a valuable range of perspectives that have informed the refinement of the department's draft proposals outlined in the discussion paper.
A directions paper titled Strengthening social housing: A strategy to build capacity of not-for-profit housing providers in Queensland was developed. The paper outlines the department's intent and new strategy to support the continued development and strengthening of not-for-profit housing providers operating as part of Queensland's one social housing system.
Rural Housing Service Centre
The department is working towards developing a Rural Housing Service Centre by June 2009 to operate as a point of entry for clients into the social housing system and to perform a range of functions to meet the needs of those seeking social housing assistance in rural communities across the State.
In developing the Rural Housing Service Centre framework, the department engaged with the South West Queensland Regional Housing Council, the Standards and Accreditation Council, and Housing Resource Workers. Information obtained from these groups has assisted in the development of a preferred model and implementation process for establishing the Centre.
Community Renewal
Participation by residents, government, business and community groups is the key to Community Renewal's success. Up to 7,960 residents were engaged in the development and delivery of projects and activities. Participants also undertake planning to identify the top priority issues in each renewal zone, the desired outcomes and the solutions that best fit the community's needs. A Renewal Zone Plan documents these priorities, outcomes and proposed solutions, and acts as a blueprint to guide Community Renewal's activities in each zone.
Anyone who lives or works in a renewal area can participate in planning processes by contacting their local Community Renewal office, the locations of which can be found on the Community Renewal website or by emailing communityrenewal@housing.qld.gov.au
Community Life Survey
The department conducted the third annual Community Life Survey to seek information on Community Renewal zone resident perceptions of neighbourhood life, individual well-being and awareness of the Community Renewal program. The findings from this survey, to be available in late 2008, will inform zone plans and project development plans, and provide information to report against key measures.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia License