Get involved
Be part of your community and help shape how social housing is delivered
Tenant participation in public housing
Since June 2000, DCJ (formerly Housing NSW) has actively encouraged tenants to get involved and play a part in shaping the delivery of public housing through tenant participation and consultation.
Funding is set aside each year by DCJ to run a number of activities that enable tenants to have a say in decisions that affect their homes and neighbourhoods.
Tenant Participation initiatives are supported by nominated District staff at a local level, and corporately by Community Homes and Place in Ashfield.
Tenant participation aims to build partnerships between tenants and social housing providers to:
- Improve the skills, knowledge and ultimately the quality of life of social housing tenants
- Support and strengthen communities
- Improve the way social housing is delivered and managed
Tenant participation initiatives include:
- Community Development Resourcing Grants (biennial)
- Tenant Participation Resource Service
- Public Tenant Councils/Tenant Representative Organisations
- Housing Communities Assistance Program
Community Greening
Community gardens on or near social housing areas are a focal point for people to share gardening skills and fresh produce, and create friendships.
Through a longstanding partnership, DCJ engages the Royal Botanic Gardens to deliver the Community Greening program, supporting social housing tenants to create and maintain community gardens and engage in greening activities.
Since 2000, tenants have been involved in creating more than 500 community gardens, including bush tucker, floral, native, herb and mixed gardens.
Benefits
The program supports tenant participation, wellbeing and skills development, and helps improve the look and feel of social housing areas.
By offering a range of activities and attracting community involvement, community gardens have:
- facilitated tenant involvement in community life
- encouraged interaction and stronger communication between tenants of diverse ages and backgrounds
- provided an outlet for healthy exercise and a healthy food source
- allowed tenants to acquire a range of vocational skills in gardening, planning, teamwork, and decision making
- given tenants a genuine sense of pride and accomplishment, and
- improved people’s understanding and appreciation of their physical environment and heritage.
Partnership approach
The Community Greening program is a partnership between DCJ and the Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust which operates across NSW, engaging social housing tenants and communities.
Greening projects are undertaken with a range of local partners such as the Tenant Participation and Community Engagement program (delivered by Mission Australia), community housing providers and Aboriginal community housing providers, local Councils and others.
Over the next two years, Community Greening aims to increase its focus on strengthening regional partnerships, particularly in drought and bushfire affected areas and with Aboriginal organisations.
The Royal Botanic Gardens and its partners also support Community Greening activities targeted to children and young people.
Community Greening supporters
Organisations and businesses that support the program include:
- VegePod
- Toolijooa Environmental
- Oasis Horticulture
- Alpine Nurseries
- Eden Gardens
- WaterUps
- Northcote Pottery
- Yates
Greening areas
Across NSW, abandoned back-lots, wasteland and balconies have been converted into areas growing vegetables, fruit and flowers.
New garden sites can be identified and developed in consultation with the Community Greening team and with land owners’ consent.
Community Greening: Have your say!
The annual Community Greening surveys of participants and stakeholders are being held from Monday 8 February and closes at 7.00pm on Friday 9 April 2021.
Tenants involved in community gardens or Community Greening activities are invited to complete the participant survey.
Service providers and other stakeholders are invited to complete the stakeholder survey.
More information and To get involved
Housing Communities program
DCJ provides grant funding under the Housing Communities Program (HCP) to eligible organisations to build cohesion and to improve community wellbeing in locations across NSW affected by significant social, economic, environmental and/or housing change. Funds provided are primarily used to employ staff to work with social housing communities to address priority needs in the selected locations.
Housing Communities Program providers
DCJ District | Program location | Organisation | Contact Details |
|---|---|---|---|
Nepean Blue Mountains | Cranebrook / Kingswood Park | Nepean Community & Neighbourhood Services | |
South Western Sydney | Ambarvale / Rosemeadow | The Junction Works Limited | |
Western Sydney | Mt Druitt | UCA – Parramatta Nepean Presbytery | |
Sydney | Redfern / Waterloo | Counterpoint Community Services (formerly The Factory Community Centre) | |
South Eastern Sydney | Riverwood | Riverwood Community Centre | 02 9533 0117 or 02 9533 0100 |
Illawarra Shoalhaven | Southern suburbs of Wollongong | Warrawong Residents Forum Incorporated | |
Western NSW | Dubbo | Dubbo City Council | |
Murrumbidgee | Wagga Wagga | The Red Cross |
Tenant Participation and Community Engagement Program
The aim of the TPCE is to improve outcomes for DCJ housing tenants. It does this by making it easier for tenants to access information and advice about their housing, and by providing tenants with more opportunities to be involved in decisions on their tenancies and communities.
More information is available on the TPCE factsheet