Housing Choices Australia - Reflect RAP 2021

Housing Choices Australia - Reflect RAP 2021

REFLECT RECONCILIATION

ACTION PLAN SEPTEMBER 2021 – SEPTEMBER 2022

CONTENTS

ABOUT THE ARTIST

4

Description of painting Kapi Tjukula

5

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY

6

INTRODUCTION

8

RECONCILIATION AUSTRALIA CEO STATEMENT

10

OUR VISION STATEMENT

12

Preamble

12

Vision Statement

12

ABOUT HOUSING CHOICES AUSTRALIA

13

OUR JOURNEY TOWARD RECONCILIATION

14

OUR PARTNERSHIPS

16

OUR RAP

17

INTERNAL GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE

18

OUR COMMITMENTS

21

Relationships

22

Respect

26

Opportunities

30

Governance

32

CONTACT US

36

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Yaritji Heffernan is a Housing Choices South Australia resident who resides in Adelaide. Born on Mulga Park Station, near Ernabella, Yaritji describes herself as a “bush baby”. She attended the Ernabella Mission school with many of the women who now paint in Adelaide. Yaritji’s parents were both Pitjantjatjara – her father was from Angkatja and her mother was from Umutju. Yaritji married an Arrente man near Alice Springs in the Northern Territory and can speak a little Arrente and Amatyerre, as well as Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjara. Yaritji is a skilled artist and first learned to paint ‘walka wiru’ design- based works in the Ernabella craft room in the 1970s. Yaritji’s artistic skills are not limited to painting, she makes batik silks, tapestries, hooked floor rugs, jewellery, and ceramics. As a young woman, her artwork won her 1st and 2nd prizes at the Alice Springs Show. More recently, through the Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantjatjara Yankunytatjara (NPY) Women’s Council, Yaritji learned to weave tjanpi (baskets), mukata (beanies) and hand paint seed necklaces. She has also facilitated art workshops in both Darwin and Adelaide. Yaritji is among a small remaining group of the older generation of Anangu Elders. She believes that a very important responsibility has been bestowed upon her: to teach the learnings she received from Grandmothers and Mothers to all the children and grandchildren. Yaritji says “the women through my history have been teachers and I am also a teacher. Family and home are about learning – learning what the bush is and knowing about bush tucker – it’s also about the Anangu way and white fella way coming together and making sure we are united. For home and community to be good and strong, it is important to continue to teach the children. This is family and home to me.”

Through the medium of art, Yaritji shares her life learnings and experiences. Her art often reflects themes of family life - and how the combination of social inclusion and connection to a safe place can be considered as home. It is our privilege to have the opportunity to visualise culture and connection to Country, through Yaritji’s eyes. She describes her painting process as coming from the heart and body, and this is reflected in her desire to teach us – using the narrative of art for our Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan.

4

Description of painting Kapi Tjukula

This painting depicts how Yaritji’s parents and grandparents would move through regions with the children, to be with extended family and community. It reflects how Yaritji’s family would feel safe when they had a connection to each other and the land – they knew it as their home. The circles of this design represent rock holes, where water collects after the rains. These rock holes were an important source of water during the dry season when most of the water holes and creeks dried up. Water is an essential element in the desert. Knowledge of rock hole sites is passed on from generation to generation and revered by all Anangu (people) Pitjantjatjara. Housing Choices Australia acknowledges that art is a strong platform for Aborginal and Torres Strait Islander culture. We acknowledge that art is regional in style and its form and content is distinctive from one area to the next.

5

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY

Housing Choices Australia acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of this nation. We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which our company is located and where we conduct our business. We pay our respects to ancestors and Elders, past and present. Housing Choices Australia is committed to honouring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ unique cultural and spiritual relationships to the land, waters and seas and their rich contribution to society.

6

INTRODUCTION

From the Chair

On behalf of the Board of Directors, I am pleased to introduce Housing Choices Australia’s Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP). The plan is an important formal statement of our organisation’s commitment to reconciliation. It represents our pledge to contribute to the social change needed to shape a tomorrow in which Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples share in an equitable, prosperous and rewarding future. This is our first step in our reconciliation journey. It will assist us to lay the strong foundations we need to prepare us for reconciliation initiatives in successive RAPs, as we work towards our vision for reconciliation. One that ensures Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have homes and life opportunities they value, in neighbourhoods which are inclusive and resilient. It has been developed by a group of passionate employees from across the organisation and outlines how, through the housing we build, the services we provide, the workplaces we create and partnerships we will nurture, we will contribute to the five dimensions of reconciliation; race relations; equality and equity; institutional integrity; unity and historical acceptance. A sincere thanks to Reconciliation Australia for their guidance and support in the development of our Reflect RAP and we look forward to reporting progress against our commitments. Evidence shows us there is a long way to go to achieve our vision of reconciliation, but we are so glad to be part of the journey. Each step we make will contribute to building respectful, honest and real relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Heather McCallum Chair Housing Choices Australia

8

From the Managing Director

We present Housing Choices Australia’s Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan – a vital project for our organisation that reflects our Board, management and staff’s collective view of the future Australia we wish to be a part of. Every one of us shares responsibility for building a nation where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are afforded the same opportunities and qualities of life as non-Indigenous Australians. To achieve a truly reconciled and inclusive Australia, we know that a real and enduring commitment is needed to improve opportunities and outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This applies at societal, organisational and personal levels. For our organisation, this means providing secure, affordable housing, building connected and unified communities and improving social and cultural inclusion for those who live in those communities. As a national housing provider, we are committed to delivering culturally appropriate homes and services and achieving these goals in a culturally competent, accessible and safe manner.

Our RAP Committee was established in mid-2019. In overseeing its work, I have been moved by the deep commitment of the Committee, our Board, leaders and staff in delivering our RAP. Our RAP has been developed through the exploration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, experiences, cultures and customs, identifying opportunities to strengthen our cultural competency, creating a better understanding of how to build relationships with our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff, residents and partners, and ensuring that these learnings are cascaded through our organisation. Staff have individually told me how this experience has deeply affected them. This work has culminated in our Reflect RAP, an important milestone for Housing Choices Australia that will provide strong foundations for us to build a unified, respectful, diverse and culturally competent organisation that can make a positive difference to our own, and our nation’s journey toward reconciliation.

We will continue to identify new opportunities for Housing Choices Australia to embed reconciliation into the DNA of our organisation. We are committed to fostering housing communities that offer opportunities for social, cultural and economic participation for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. I commend our Reflect RAP to you and look forward with commitment and optimism for what is still to come.

Michael Lennon Managing Director Housing Choices Australia

9

RECONCILIATION AUSTRALIA CEO STATEMENT Reconciliation Australia welcomes Housing Choices Australia to the Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) program with the formal endorsement of its inaugural Reflect RAP.

This Reflect RAP enables Housing Choices Australia to deepen its understanding of its sphere of influence and the unique contribution it can make to lead progress across the five dimensions. Getting these first steps right will ensure the sustainability of future RAPs and reconciliation initiatives, and provide meaningful impact toward Australia’s reconciliation journey. Congratulations Housing Choices Australia, welcome to the RAP program, and I look forward to following your reconciliation journey in the years to come.

Housing Choices Australia joins a network of more than 1,100 corporate, government, and not-for-profit organisations that have made a formal commitment to reconciliation through the RAP program. Since 2006, RAPs have provided a framework for organisations to leverage their structures and diverse spheres of influence to support the national reconciliation movement. The program’s potential for impact is greater than ever, with over 2.3 million people now working or studying in an organisation with a RAP. The four RAP types — Reflect, Innovate, Stretch and Elevate — allow RAP partners to continuously develop and strengthen reconciliation commitments in new ways. This Reflect RAP will lay the foundations, priming the workplace for future RAPs and reconciliation initiatives. The RAP program’s strength is its framework of relationships, respect, and opportunities, allowing an organisation to strategically set its reconciliation commitments in line with its own business objectives, for the most effective outcomes. These outcomes contribute towards the five dimensions of reconciliation: race relations; equality and equity; institutional integrity; unity; and historical acceptance. It is critical to not only uphold all five dimensions of reconciliation, but also increase awareness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, histories, knowledge, and leadership across all sectors of Australian society.

Karen Mundine Chief Executive Officer Reconciliation Australia

10

OUR VISION STATEMENT

Preamble Housing Choices Australia’s mission is to provide affordable homes, working with partners to create resilient and inclusive neighbourhoods. Home is more than bricks and mortar. It is a place where we live, learn and love, safe from intrusion and interference. We believe that having a place to call home is a fundamental right. We recognise that forced colonisation, stolen lands and the failure to negotiate treaties or provide constitutional and cultural recognition has an enduring impact on life opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This includes the opportunity for many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to have a home that they can call their own. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Owners of this land and the urgent need for healing throughout Australia.

Vision Statement Our vision for reconciliation is to ensure that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have homes and life opportunities they value, in neighbourhoods that are inclusive and resilient. We will do this through the housing we build, services we provide, workplaces we create and our support of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and organisations. We are committed to walking together with Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander peoples for a better future through our shared commitment to Voice, Truth and Treaty.

12

ABOUT HOUSING CHOICES AUSTRALIA

Housing Choices Australia is an independent, national, not-for-profit housing provider that delivers high quality, accessible and affordable housing for people who struggle to find a suitable home in Australia’s challenging private rental market. Our Vision is to see ‘all people affordably housed in neighbourhoods that support life opportunities. ’ We work with residents, government agencies, support service partners and community organisations to deliver good housing for people disadvantaged by the private housing market. We work to create resilient, inclusive neighbourhoods across all our properties, providing residents with access to support services that will improve their health and wellbeing and to opportunities that will enhance their life circumstances. Established in 2008, Housing Choices Australia is one of the largest community housing providers in Australia, with operations in Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, New South Wales and Western Australia. We currently own and/or manage nearly 7,000 properties, accommodate over 8,500 residents, with gross assets over $1 billion and annual income of over $80 million. We employ more than 260 people in a range of disciplines including tenancy management and support, property development and asset management, community development, resident engagement, and comprehensive corporate support services including Finance, IT, Human Resources, Compliance and Risk, Quality Assurance, Business Planning and Communications. Currently our organisation has no known staff that identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people on our People and Culture Centre. While the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff is currently not known, we will work within this RAP to determine culturally appropriate ways to understand this.

Housing Choices Australia is a Group of Companies that includes the following entities:

• Housing Choices Australia Limited (Parent entity) • Housing Choices Tasmania Limited • Housing Choices South Australia Limited • Housing Choices Western Australia Limited • Housing Choices New South Wales Limited • Singleton Equity Housing Limited • Disability Housing Limited • Catherine House Incorporated • CHT Company Limited • Urban Choices Property Limited (Affiliate)

13

OUR JOURNEY TOWARD RECONCILIATION

Housing Choices Australia is committed to building a culturally competent and safe organisation for our staff, residents and partners. In April 2019, Housing Choices Australia established its Reconciliation Action Plan Committee. The RAP Committee is a multi-disciplinary and geographically dispersed team with representatives from the executive, management and staff.

Sponsor Co-Chairs

Managing Director Chief Operating Officer General Manager, Western Australia Manager, Quality Assurance

Secretariat Members

Housing Officers Property Officers General Manager, Strategic Communications HR Business Partner Managers and Team Leaders Tenant Engagement and Capacity Building Officers Community Development Officers

The Committee has demonstrated a strong commitment to exploring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and experiences and developed a Vision Statement to reflect their learnings and commitment to reconciliation. The Vision Statement, which was endorsed by the Board in November 2019, seeks to recognise the traumatic history and continued disenfranchisement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and provides a high-level overview of how Housing Choices Australia will contribute to reconciliation nationally. Building on the Vision Statement, the Committee has worked collaboratively to develop a Reflect RAP that demonstrates our dedication to reconciliation and that will enable us to embed the foundations of cultural competency into our organisation, provides a set of clear, measurable deliverables that will hold us accountable to our commitments and will enable us to plan for our Innovate RAP.

14

OUR PARTNERSHIPS

Housing Choices Australia has a range of partnerships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, communities and organisations. Every day we partner with our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff, residents, clients and Aboriginal Controlled service providers to create resilient and inclusive neighbourhoods and support residents to sustain their tenancies. Over the past two years, our RAP Committee has actively promoted events and activities that support reconciliation and actively engaged with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, communities and organisations. Housing Choices Australia promotes reconciliation and cultural understanding by ensuring that a Welcome to Country is performed at all major events and an Acknowledgement of Country at all minor events and meetings. In preparing the Reflect RAP, the RAP Committee completed an initial mapping exercise to identify our current partnerships, the potential for strengthening them and establishing new relationships. Housing Choices Australia has existing memberships with state-based Reconciliation organisations in South Australia, Tasmania, Western Australia, New South Wales and Victoria. Housing Choices Australia recognises that more needs to be done to strengthen our relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, organisations and communities. By commencing a journey toward reconciliation, Housing Choices Australia is confirming its commitment to building stronger relationships and deepening respect.

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OUR RAP

Housing Choices Australia is committed to an equitable and safe society for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We believe this can only be achieved in a spirit of reconciliation between First Nations’ people and non-Indigenous Australians.

Housing Choices Australia is making a genuine commitment through the development of a structured RAP, which maps our path to support reconciliation through building relationships, respect and opportunities.

The actions within this Reflect RAP follow Reconciliation Australia’s guide and build on those activities across the following areas:

Building Relationships: building internal and external relationships, raising awareness about our RAP and about reconciliation and gaining a stronger understanding of our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander residents by exploring and scoping the establishment of a dedicated Resident Advisory Panel/s.

Respect: building internal cultural competency, educating our people to better understand and respond to the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees, residents, partners and communities.

Opportunities: exploring opportunities to create more business and employment opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples through direct employment or through our supplier networks.

Our RAP Committee will oversee the implementation of the RAP, the establishment of working groups and will work with executive and business leaders to deliver the actions. The RAP Committee will:

• Meet regularly to progress and monitor implementation progress. • Receive internal and external feedback about the RAP. • Ensure, where necessary, responsibilities are delegated appropriately.

• Record challenges, achievements and learnings resulting from the implementation of RAP actions. • Facilitate consultation with interested staff, external stakeholders and Reconciliation Australia. • Report progress on RAP deliverables to the Board. • Develop a new RAP prior to the current plan expiry to ensure continuity of RAP objectives. • Report annually on progress to Reconciliation Australia.

Housing Choices Australia has already made a start on reconciliation and the RAP development has created an organisation that is actively striving towards reconciliation.

17

INTERNAL GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE

To support the implementation of the RAP, a dedicated governance structure has been developed and will be implemented to ensure that our Reflect RAP objectives are delivered within scope and on schedule.

The National RAP Committee, which is sponsored by the Managing Director, will drive the overarching RAP work program, provide strategic direction, lead national stakeholder engagement and report on our performance. The National RAP Committee has broad representation across the levels, locations and disciplines within the business. The Working Groups will have operational responsibility for delivering key streams of work in alignment with the RAP and strategic direction set by the RAP Committee.

Executive Sponsor

Managing Director

Board

National RAP Committee

RAP Committee

National Working Groups

Business Improvement

Communications & Events

Operations

18

17

OUR COMMITMENTS

• Relationships

• Respect

• Opportunities

• Governance

21

Relationships

22

Action

Deliverable

Timeline

Responsibility

• Identify and map existing and appropriate future Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stakeholders and organisations within our local area or sphere of influence. • Develop criteria that clearly identifies what constitutes a formal relationship, with a focus on organisations that we can engage with on our reconciliation journey. • Research best practice and principles that support partnerships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stakeholders and organisations, particularly those that can deliver better outcomes for our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander residents and those living in social and affordable housing across each state. • Develop a national strategy for engagement with identified Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stakeholders and organisations. This should cover: • Local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations who partner with us • Identify new Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stakeholders and organisations that we could approach to connect with on our reconciliation journey.

December 2021

Chair Operations Working Group

1. Establish and strengthen

mutually beneficial relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and organisations to support positive outcomes.

December 2021

Chair Business Improvement Working Group

December 2021

Chair Operations Working Group

June 2022

Chair Operations Working Group

23

Action

Deliverable

Timeline

Responsibility

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