Interlink Housing 2006 2007 Annual Report

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ANNUAL REPORT

2006 2007

Linking Communities Though Housing & Support


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About Us

Our Vision is:

Linking Communities through Housing & Support

In working towards this vision, Interlink is committed to the following:

Our mission is to:

Provide people with links from crisis to stability through effective housing & support

Our Values:

As an organisation and in our dealings with others, we are committed to:

Remaining client focused, sensitive to client needs & achieving the best outcomes forindividuals

Operating within social justice principles, according respect, dignity and equity to all people

Flexibility to maximise our ability to respond to the needs of clients and the community



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Table of Contents

1. Interlink Housing & Support Inc. Overview

2. Snapshot of Interlink Housing & Support Services & Programs

3. Strategic Plan Summary 2004 2007

4. Interlinks Clients & Partnerships

5. Youth Accommodation Support Service

6. Pathways to Create Housing Opportunities Project

7. Agenda

8. Minutes, 16th Annual General Meeting

9. Presidents Report

10.Treasurers Report

11. The Managers Report

12. Housing Services Community Rent Scheme, Brisbane Housing Company,

Drug Court, Long Term Community Housing & Short Term Housing Qld.

13. Support Services - Youth Accommodation Service (SAAP)

14. Transitional Housing Program Mental Health

15.Partnerships & Community Stakeholders

16.Introducing Our Staff

17.Introducing Our Management Committee

18.Auditors Report


Interlink Housing & Support Association Incorporated

Annual Report 2006 2007

InterlinkHousing&

SupportAssociationInc.

AnnualReport2006-200

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Overview

Introduction:Interlink Housing & Support has a rich history of service to the Logan, Beenleigh and Beaudesertcommunities through its operation as the Albert and Logan Community Housing Association &Transitions Youth Accommodation Service. These services have been restructured into the

integrated and stronger Interlink Housing & Support Association Incorporated.

Interlink is focused on the development of quality service and the establishment of growingpartnerships with Government, non government and community sectors to meet local housing andsupport needs.

Who We Are:Interlink is a not for profit service offering housing and support services to the Logan, Beenleighand Beaudesert communities. Interlink is an incorporated association overseen by a voluntaryManagement Committee.

Services We Provide:As an organsiation, Interlink is continually working to improve the scope of services and linkagesoffered, through a combination of partnerships with government and complimentary serviceproviders and through the development of service programs.

Currently Interlink is able to provide access to:

Appropriate, stable and affordable housing through the Community Rent Scheme.

Management of community housing through partnerships with local support service providers andaffordable housing companies

Supported accommodation for young people

Outreach support, including living skills development for young people

Intensive tenancy management for people in need (Migrants & Refugees)

Accommodation for people in need, assistance through the private rental market

Accommodation for people with special needs and disabilities

User friendly information to assist our clients & tenants to better access the community via our website e.g.. the Refugee Tenancy Kit.

Commitment of Quality:Interlink is committed to the establishment of quality service and quality management to ensure themost effective outcomes for people and resources. This commitment takes shape through:

Being awarded National Accreditation under the Community Housing Standards

Development of internal Policy & Procedure systems for service management

Support for ongoing professional development of staff

An organisational culture which promotes in our work, excellence and professionalism, as well ascompassion and understanding of the different contexts impacting on our tenants in their lives.

Finally, our greatest accountability is to the clients, tenants and community partners who accessour services.



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Interlink Housing & Support A Snapshot of our Services & Programs

Program Type of Housing Housing Aspects Location Number of Properties

Funded By Years Held

Community RentScheme

Social housing whererent is 25% of income

Transitional, highneed, time limited,case managed to exitto Public Housing andprivate rental

LoganBeenleighBeaudesert

71 Department of Housing 15 years

Drug Court Social Housing whererent is 25% of income

Transitional, IDRO,Time Limited, casemanaged support by

Youth & FamiliesServices Logan

Beenleigh 6 Department of Housing 5 years

Providing HousingManagement to theBrisbane HousingCompany properties

Affordable housingwhere rent iscalculated at 74.9%of the market rent

Permanent, low tomid need, affordabilityis set at 30% ofincome to rent

New Farm, Camp Hill,Paddington

80 Brisbane HousingCompany

4 years

SupportedAccommodationAssistance Program/CAP

Social Housing whererent is 25% of incomewith capacity for norent charged untilincome accessed

Supported YouthAccommodation on ashare basis

Logan 1 X CAP5 X CommunityRent Scheme

Department ofCommunities andDepartment of Housing

7 years

Mental HealthTransitional Program;Crisis Program;Alternatives toAdmission Program

Social Housing whererent is 25% of income

Time Limited 4monthsTime Limited 2 mtsTime Limited 2weeks

Logan, Beenleigh 4X CommunityRent Scheme1 X Private rent1 X Private rent

Department of Housing andDepartment of Health

- 7 years- 2 months

IntegratedHumanitarian

Settlement Scheme

Private rental Refugees are settledinto private rental on

arrival and casemanaged for 6months

Logan, BeenleighSouthport

40 at any onetime

Department Immigration &Citizenship

6 years

Pathways to CreateHousingOpportunities Project

Affordable Housing Developing affordablehousing & supportoptions within Logan& Gold Coast North

Logan / Gold CoastNorth

50 Community Renewal 5 months

Brokerage servicesfor accommodationCorrective Services

Social Housing whererent is 25% of income

Time Limited Logan / Ipswich 4 X Private rent Department of CorrectiveServices

* Interlink Housing & Support is not funded to provide any emergency accommodation services


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Strategic Plan Summary 2004 - 2007

Our Vision is: Linking Communities through Housing & Support

In working towards this vision, Interlink is committed to the following:

Our mission is to:Provide people with links from crisis to stability through effective housing & support

Our Values:As an organisation and in our dealings with others, we are committed to:

Remaining client focused, sensitive to client needs & achieving the best outcomes forindividuals

Operating within social justice principles, according respect, dignity and equity to all people

Flexibility to maximise our ability to respond to the needs of clients and the community

Our Goal for 2003 2007 is: To be strategically placed to respond to the needs of people inobtaining and maintaining stable housing

Goal 1:

To enhance our capacity to respond to community need

Objective 1: Interlink will work towards becoming a single, integrated service organisation.

Objective 2: To enhance our capacity to respond to the needs of those disadvantaged in

accessing housing and at risk of homelessness.

Objective 3: To enhance our capacity through partnerships with complementary service providersand the corporate sector.

Goal 2:To achieve excellence through continual improvement in our management andoperational practices

Objective 4: To adopt organisational development strategies which will position Interlink torespond to the demands of change and growth.

Objective 5: To adopt relevant State & National Service Standards for all Interlink Programs andmanagement practices.

Goal 3:

To provide leadership by advocating for effective responses to unmet communityneeds

Objective 6: To work collaboratively with other stakeholders in promoting awareness ofunmet need and priorities for meeting such need.

Objective 7: To adopt a proactive approach to advocating for the establishment of effectiveresponses to community need.


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Our Clients and Partnerships

Who are our clients:Interlink is proud to work with the Logan, Beenleigh and Beaudesert communities and a diverserange of clients for local responses. We are proud to undertake housing management services

within the New Farm, Paddington and Camp Hill locations for the Brisbane Housing Company.Our clients include people with general housing affordability issues such as accessing the privaterental market due to the increasing costs of rental and lack of availability.

Our funded programs assist clients from the following groups:

Singles, couples and families

Youth & the elderly

People with disabilities

Drug Court Program

People escaping domestic violence

People from diverse cultural & linguistic backgroundsAboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people

People with mental health and intellectual disabilities

People exiting correctional facilities

People requiring the assistance of a range of support services

Partnerships in Services and the Community:Interlink is able to extend the number of clients it can support by working in partnership with avariety of services. These partnerships ensure that people in need, get what they need, when theyneed it. Current partnerships include:

Mangrove Housing Association Inc. Logan Beaudesert Mental Health Service

Murri & Torres Strait Islander Network

Kingston East Neighbourhood Centre

Life Transition Services Pty Ltd.

Koongoora Inc.

Brisbane Homelessness Service Centre and Micah

The Brisbane Housing Company

The Logan Housing Interagency Network

Youth & Family Services Logan

Private Real Estate Agents

New partnerships are being developed on a continuing basis. We are currently working towardsamalgamating with Mangrove Housing Association Inc. to form a new entity that will be a HousingCompany Ltd. with the view to establishing an Affordable Housing Development arm.

Interlink Housing & Support, along with all community housing organisations, has needed toaddress three often incompatible challenges to be responsive to those most disadvantaged inthe housing market, to contribute to the available pool of affordable housing and to enhance ourownfinancial sustainability to provide a wide range of housing options to meet the growing demandacross the continuum of need.

Benefits for the Community:

As a community housing provider, Interlink is keen to participate in partnerships with othercommunity and non-profit organisations, the three levels of government and the private sector,



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Youth Accommodation Support ServiceFunded by the Queensland Government Department of Communities

Our goal is to assist young people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness to transition into

stable, affordable housing and to achieve the goals which are important to them that will helpmaintain their independence in the community.

Our Service ProvisionWe service young people between 16 to 21 years of age, having difficulties in their currentaccommodation and requiring practical assistance to gain access to income, living skills,employment, study, training, health services, budgeting, reconnecting with significant others andadvocacy. Referral to other appropriate services to meet their individual needs and assistance toachieve their goals is a key factor.

Outreach

We also focus on linking with young people in their environment, visiting schools, other youthservices and networking with young people in your community.

How to make referralsThe ways young people can access our program includes..Call our office on 3808 5378 and speak with one of the Youth WorkersThrough Guidance Officers at schoolThrough other Youth or Community Service providersFamily members or friends can contact us on behalf of young people.

After the initial contact Interlinks Support Staff will do their best to assist young people where theycan, whether that be in our accommodation or referral to another service.

If we are able to offer young people a place in our share accommodation, they will get the chanceto visit the house and meet the other tenants that they will be sharing with, before moving in soyoung people can decide if this option is right for them.

Do young people need their own furniture?All our properties are fully furnished with a fridge, washing machine, beds, couches, student desksand kitchen appliances and utensils. If young people have their own furniture, we can incorporatethis into their accommodation.

How much do young people have to pay?

Rent is charged at approximately 25% of income and there is a weekly charge for electricity, bond,lawn mowing and cleaning products.

How long can young people stay?Interlink does not provide permanent housing. Young peoples length of stay with Interlink isnegotiated in accordance with their Case Management Plan, looking at private, public andcommunity exit options and the option to move back home.

Living within the Interlink Accommodation Support Program gives young people an opportunity todevelop a positive rental history for the future.



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LINKINGCOMMUNITIESTHROUGHHOUSINGANDSUPPORT

Pathways to Create Housing Opportunities project

The Department of Housings Community Renewal program has recently provided funds for a two-yearproject to be carried out by Interlink Housing and Support Association Incorporated in the Logan region. Theproject will create pathways for developing affordable and social housing opportunities.

The project aims to:

effectively address the housing needs of the most disadvantaged within the Logan region

increase the number of Logan residents supported in their search for an affordable housing

help residents maintain current and future tenancies

increase housing and support options available to Logan residents

develop stronger commitment with community stakeholders and private providers

Our approach

A Community Development Facilitator and an Intensive Tenancy Support Worker will be employed to plan

and deliver a multiple approach to achieving the projects aims that will include:

analysis of current housing, existing gaps and emerging critical issues in Logan

identification of existing tenancy training and the development of complementary training based on local

needs

development of training for Interlink staff to better support residents in maintaining or applying for a

tenancy

creation of partnerships and stronger links with the private sector to explore new models that could

increase the range and number of low cost housing options

addition of services and opportunities for tenants to engage across a wide range of community activities.

The Pathways to Create Housing Opportunitiesproject is funded by the Queensland Governments Community Renewal program



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coordinated by the Department of Housing. The project is managed and delivered by Interlink Housing and Support AssociationIncorporated.



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Annual General Meeting2pm, 25th October 2007

AGENDA

Open Meeting 2pm

Welcome by the Chairperson, Mr. Brett Davies

Apologies & Proxies

Ratification of Minutes from the 2006 Annual General Meeting

Executive Committee Reports

Audited Financial Report Presentation

Management & Staff Reports

Current Management Committee Steps Down

Election of New Management Committee

Appointment of Auditor

Appointment of Public Officer

Guest Speaker Mike Myers, Executive Director Queensland Community

Housing Coalition

Close of Meeting



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MINUTES

15th ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Thursday, 26 October, 2006

The Fifteenth Annual General Meeting of Interlink Housing & Support Association Inc was held at

Interlink Housing & Support Assoc Inc, 8/94 Wembley Road, Logan Central, Queensland.

_____________________________

The Annual General Meeting was opened by the President, Brett Davies at 4:10 pm. Brett

welcomed those present, and thanked Desley Scott, State Member for Woodridge, Craig Emerson,

State Member for Rankin and Elisabeth Marnock, Department of Communities for attending the

meeting.

Those present: Brett Davies, Timothy Stanko, Desley Scott, Joan Maguire, SophiaLarkin, Jenni Bayley, Jenny Schultz, Cassie Marshall, Gail Ker, Nina

Tanner, Anne Siakisini, Keira McDowell, Rhiannon Stuart, Meredith

Horner, Gillian Hansen, Sue Clark, Abdi Rahman Mohamed, Jason &

Lisa Loakes, Frankie Buchenan, Lynn Kelsey, Tony Wilshire,

Krystle Telford, Nicky Smith, Sue Boothroyd, Nerina Mammino,

Elisabeth Marnock, John Larme, Craig Emerson, Rod Brown, Lyn

Stewart, Peter Attwood.

Apologies: Graham Able (Logan City Mayor), Ruth Maroney, Councillor John

Grant, Councillor Dutton, Margaret Ponting, Kamalan Sividora, John

Larme.

Minutes of Previous Annual General Meeting:

Received and accepted as a true and accurate record of the 14th Annual General Meeting 2005:

Moved: Gail Ker

Seconded: Sue Clark

All in favour

President Brett Davies acknowledged the hard work of staff, who are always willing to put in extra

work to help clients. This contributes to the robustness of the organisation. Over the last year staffhave increased with addition of the Integrated Humanitarian Settlement Strategy program for

refugees, as well as managing more properties for Brisbane Housing Company.

Good partnerships have been established between Interlink and a number of other community

organisations in the area. As a result, one of beneficiaries of this is Mental Health clients who are

provided with housing by Interlink This means they can be settled in stable and safe

accommodation. The strength of Interlink is that it does have caring staff with a mindset which

looks at people in a holistic way.

Committee Reports were received and accepted from:

President and Treasurer: Moved: Keira McDowellSeconded: Anne Siakisini

All in favour



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All nominees accepted their appointments and Desley declared all elected.

Desley then asked the continuing President Brett Davies to chair the remainder of the meeting.

Brett thanked the committee members for nominating to be part of Interlinks Management Team

for the next year, and continued with the appointment of the auditor and public officer.

APPOINTMENT OF AUDITOR

Peter Clark, of Business Links Australia was again appointed as Auditor:

Moved: Gillian Hansen

Seconded: Meredith Horner

All in favour

APPOINTMENT OF PUBLIC OFFICER

Meredith Horner, Treasurer, was appointed as Public Officer:

Moved: Sue Clark

Seconded: Gail Ker

All in favour

A gift basket was presented to Desley Scott for her participation and gift boxes made by some of

our young tenants were presented to committee members as a token of appreciation for their service

to Interlink over the past year.

Two guest speaks were then introduced, Tony Wilshire from Bendigo Bank and Lisa and Jason

Loakes from Out of Box Developments.

BENDIGO BANK Tony Wilshire

He said that he was happy to be asked to speak with Interlink and thanked Brett and Jenny for the

opportunity. He said that the work and dedication of staff was fulfilling to see. Bendigo Bank is into

Community Engagement. The bank grew out of the situation where businesses and banks in small

towns in Victoria were closing down. A model for a Community Bank was developed, and there are

now 185 Community Banks. The bank has a lot to do with youth, and Tonys main work is in

developing joint ventures with Community Organisations. Bendigo Bank is interested in the

development of affordable housing, and said he does understand what this is all about.

OUT OF THE BOX DEVELOPMENTS Lisa and Jason Loakes

Out of the Box Developments are affordable housing specialists and are involved in creating homes

out of shipping containers. A slide show provided information on the housing they provide and what

is happening around the world in this field. Their mission is to supply low cost housing. At present

there is a feasibility study being undertaken in Logan by the Uniting Church to build 70 100 units

of this type of accommodation in Logan.

Brett thanked Tony, Lisa and Jason for their presentations, and those present for their participation

and closed the meeting.

Meeting closed: 5:15 pm.



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Presidents Report

Interlink Housing & Support Association Inc.

Annual Report

25th October 2007

It is my pleasure to present the Presidents Report for the 2006 2007 financial year. Thepast year has been a challenging one for the organisation which has involved a growingnumber of staff joining the team, a number of projects being developed and delivered inorder to address the growing needs for housing & support services within the region.

As a long term member of the Management Committee of Interlink and having carried outthe role of President of Interlink for the past 4 years it is with great pride and satisfaction

that I report on our steps to become a new housing growth provider in the form of anAffordable Housing Company with both a Development and Tenancy Support Arm.

A part of this process has been the joint activities being carried out by representatives fromInterlink and Mangrove Housing Association (Mangrove are based in, and service theRedlands Shire) to develop the amalgamation process that will successfully transform twosmall housing associations into one larger entity with both the experience and resources tomeet the challenge of the new One Social Housing System and greater demands fromfunding bodies and clients alike. I would like to recognise the support, advice and workundertaken by our peak body, the Queensland Community Housing Coalition during thisdevelopmental phase, with special thanks to Mr. Mike Myers the Executive Director for hiscontinued support.

I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of the Management Committee and membersof the Association to pass on our heartfelt thanks to the funding bodies and communitypartners who have contributed both financially and in-kind.

To the Department of Housing, Community Renewal, Department of Communities,Department of Health, Gaming Funds and the Residential Tenancy Authority we thank youfor your much needed funding in order to support our ongoing service delivery.

To my fellow Management Committee Members, I would like to personally thank you foryour support and commitment in carrying out your duties. I would also like to thank all themembers of the association who contribute greatly to our community based organisation.

Our organisation continues to work towards meeting the growing demand for housing &support needs of the community. This has been assisted by partnering with keycommunity stakeholders such as the Kingston East Neighbourhood Centre, the Murri &Torres Strait Islander Network and the Department of Housing through the LoganCommunity Renewal office.



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I would especially like to express the thanks of the association to the Manager, JennySchultz whose hard work, leadership and drive continues to sustain the organisationthrough this period of growth and change.

I am extremely confident that with the continued dedication of the staff of Interlinkcombined with the active support of the current and future Committee Members and key

community stakeholders, the new entity will continue to grow as a leading housing andtenancy support provider for the region.

I look forward with great anticipation to what the next year has in store for Interlink Housing& Support Inc. and the new entity (an Affordable Housing Company) that it intends tobecome.

Brett Davies

PRESIDENT



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Treasurers Report


Annual Report

25th October 2007

I have pleasure in presenting the fully Audited Financial Report for the 2006 2007financial year. This Report has been prepared by our Auditor Peter Clarke.

Although a recent newcomer both to the Management Committee of Interlink and the role

of Treasurer, it is clear that organisations such as Interlink Housing & Support Inc. are akey component of housing and support provision for those most disadvantaged withinevery community

I feel that the funding bodies and community partners who have contributed bothfinancially and in-kind, receive excellent value for money which produces positiveoutcomes for a wide range of individuals, families and the community as a whole.

I would like to thank my fellow Management Committee Members for all their hard workand commitment, the associations members who make up the heart of any communitybased organisation and the staff who deliver the much needed housing and support formany of those in the greatest need in our community.

I am confident that with Interlinks long history of providing a wide range of services andprograms to the region, combined with the extensive planning and preparation leading upto the creation of the new housing company to replace Interlink as a leading housingprovider for the Logan region, will achieve a highly successful resource well into the future.

TREASURER



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The Launch of the RTA Funded Refugee Tenancy Kit Project managed by Interlink Housing &Support Inc.

Interlink continues to look at opportunities to meet the growing demand for housing &

support needs of those most disadvantaged within the community. Our work has beenassisted greatly through our various partners including the Kingston East NeighbourhoodGroup, the Murri & Torres Strait Islander Network, the Association of BurundianCommunities Qld., Life Transitions Inc., Twin Rivers Care and the Department of Housingthrough the Logan Community Renewal office.

I would especially like to express the thanks of the association to the Members of ourManagement Committee whose hard work, leadership and drive continues to sustain theorganisation through this period of growth and change.

Our current team of staff continue to provide our clients the support and guidance they

require, combined with the active support of the current and future Committee Membersand key community stakeholders. I am sure the new entity will become a leading housingprovider for the regions we service.

I would like to thank all of you who supported Interlink, our staff and clients over the past12 months and look forward to our future growth as an Affordable Housing Company thathas both a support and development arm, and that continues to work in close conjunctionwith you, our partners, to sustain effective housing options for our community.

Jenny Schultz

MANAGER



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Highlights from the Year Housing Program

ONE SOCIAL HOUSING SYSTEM

In accordance with the Queensland Department of Housings vision for all community managedhousing to fall under the One Social Housing System, Interlink has responded through the firststage of the process with replacing its long term housing waitlist with the Departments singleregister of need, and utilising the Departments Application for Housing Assistance Form 7.

Interlink has embraced the Queensland Governments strategy for consolidation of urbanorganisations with the amalgamation process beginning this year with an adjoining communityhousing organisation in the Bayside region. Our amalgamation with Mangrove HousingAssociation will assist both housing providers to achieve increased scale to provide quality clientoutcomes, a diverse provision of housing across the continuum of need, organisational viability andstrong governance.

THE COMMUNITY RENT SCHEME - CRS

The Community Rent Scheme is funded to provide 61 units of accommodation to households on atransitional basis in the Logan, Beenleigh and Beaudesert regions. Tenants are able to remain intheir accommodation until they are allocated their public housing property. To be eligible,applicants must be on the Department of Housing waitlist, be in housing stress and identify withany of the following target groups, young people, single people, Aboriginal and Torres StraitIslander people, women escaping domestic violence and people with a disability. Rent is chargedat 25% of household income.

As at June 2007 in the CRS, the following statistics are noted:

The total number of households assisted (YTD): 157

The total number of new households assisted for the month 3

The number of Public Housing offers to CRS tenants (YTD) 6

New Households Assisted by Previous Housing Type(% YTD) 36% Homeless; 39% Institution; 16% Crisis Accommodation; 5% Private

The number of Exits for the month: 3

This exit figure includes: 2 Households to private accommodation, 1 to hospital.

Households Exiting by Future Housing Type (%YTD) 70% Private Rental; 7% Public Housing; 4% Crisis; 2% Institution; 12% Other

Exiting Households Assisted by Duration of Tenancy 35% stayed 12 to 24 months; 15% stayed 6 to 12 months; 23% less than 3 months

The high percentage of short term tenancies is attributable to our time limited housing forpeople with mental health issues in our Transitional Housing Program (4 months av stay).

Rent arrears as at the end of June 2007Less Than 4 Weeks In Arrears: 15

Greater Than 4 But Less Than 8 Weeks In Arrears: 3Greater Than 8 But Less Than 12 Weeks In Arrears: 2Greater Than12 Weeks In Arrears: 0



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In order for tenants to transit into their long term housing options, Interlink assist with householdswho have debts with Housing Queensland through facilitating their payment ofthese debts to theDepartment.

HQP

Interlink managed 24 short term public housing properties over the year. Tenants took advantageof these properties allowing enough time to save a bond or re-pay a TICA debt or department bondloan. Most of these properties have been returned to HQ and upon the termination of some ofthese property leases, 4 tenants transferred into their permanent public housing property, 9 rentedproperties on the private market, 5 rented properties for 6 months on the private market underInterlinks name, 1 property was abandoned and 5 are still in the process of exiting.

IHSS

Providing housing management services to the Integrated Humanitarian Settlement Scheme in theLogan and North Gold Coast regions has been one of the most rewarding experiences for Interlinkstaff as we have had the opportunity to provide housing management services to refugees from

CALD backgrounds.

Our service has been greatly enriched through working with interpreters to assist refugeehouseholds to become acquainted with the housing environment in Australia.

Highlights have been participating in the yearly DIAC review of our service delivery, and the clientsatisfaction survey morning where after the work had been completed for the session, weproceeded with a BBQ and artwork activity, the results of which can be seen on the office waitroom wall.

Exiting tenants to the Real Estates has taken longer than anticipated with a number of tenancies

as we have sought to work with our tenants to achieve their housing goals in their new country.

Prioritizing their individual needs has impacted on our budget as seen in the Audited FinancialReport, though when all tenants are finally exited, the deficit that we are currently carrying will berestored.

The successful Tenancy Training Kit that was developed in conjunction with the RTA funding thisyear by project worker Sue Boothroyd has been received well by organisations across the state.The Kit was developed in 6 languages to assist refugee communities to sustain successful andsafe tenancies on arrival in Australia and is currently available on our website for easy access.

SAAP/CAP

To date, Interlink has access to one SAAP/CAP property, rented on the private market for femaleyouth accommodation on a share basis. The Queensland Department of Communities funds thesupport for the youth accommodation whilst the Queensland Department of Housing funds the fullrent for the SAAP/CAP property. This enables young people who may be homeless to enter safeand secure accommodation whilst they are in the process of accessing an income.



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DRUG COURT

Interlink provides housing management services in shared/individual supported accommodation inthe Beenleigh area for drug court participants who are assessed as appropriate to complete theremaining stages of their program in the community. This program operates in partnership with the

Logan Youth & Family Service (YFS), which provides the support to participants.

Currently the Program consists of six fully funded properties. We have provided appropriate, safeand well located accommodation to 17 participants over the past year. We have been fortunatethough to have faced little damage through the life of the program and none of the tenancies havehad issues that fostered neighbourhood fatigue over the year.

Of the 17 Participants who entered the program; 16 were males and 1 female.

BRISBANE HOUSING COMPANY

Interlink now manage 80 units of affordable housing for the Brisbane Housing Company in thesuburbs of Paddington, New Farm and Camp Hill. Another 15 units are coming online in BowenHills in November this year.

Interlink has benefited greatly from providing housing management services to the companythrough the knowledge it has gained working in the areas of affordable housing and high densityliving environments.

Tenant participation activities provide people with the opportunity to meet each other on a sociallevel, and discuss issues of common concern to achieve a quality environment for all. Communalnotice boards provide information flow at our 3 sites. All tenants receive minutes of the meetings.

We have the beginnings of a small office in the Paddington complex which is attended on Tuesdayand Thursday afternoons, in addition to our purpose specific visits at other times of the week.

DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIVE SERVICES

Interlink provides a brokerage service to Queensland Corrective Services for suitableaccommodation in the private rental market for offenders released pursuant to DangerousPrisoners (Sexual Offenders) Act 2003. Interlink have 4 properties from Ipswich to Logan for thistarget group.



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Youth Accommodation Service (SAAP)


Annual Report

25th October 2007

Interlinks Youth Accommodation Service has been operating for approximately seven years todate. The program is funded by the Queensland Department of Communities under the SupportedAccommodation Assistance Program (SAAP). SAAP commenced as a national program in 1985,becoming Australias primary policy and programmatic response to assist homeless people orthose at imminent risk of experiencing homelessness. The program is implemented through five

year Bilateral Agreements between the Commonwealth Government and the State and TerritoryGovernments. The current agreement is SAAP V, which commenced on 1 July 2005 and willconclude on 30 June 2010 and has the objectives of:

working co-operatively to provide transitional supported accommodation and a range ofrelated support services, in order to help people who are homeless to achieve themaximum possible degree of self reliance and independence

resolving crisis

re-establishing family links where appropriate; and

re-establishing capacity to live independently of SAAP

providing or arranging for the provision of support services and supportedaccommodation; and

assisting people who are homeless to obtain long term, secure and affordablehousingand support services

Funding for Queensland SAAP services in 2006-07 is $63.5 million with the bulk of the fundingbeing received by

young people (33.1%)

women and children escaping domestic violence (28.1%)

SAAP services provided support to 170 000 clients in 2005-06 through 214 funded agencies inQueensland.

Interlinks Youth Accommodation Service currently has four properties in the Logan area and

provides accommodation for 10 young people. Our aim is to support these young people toprogress theirgoals, develop their living skills to assist them to maintain their independence in thecommunity and transition into stable, appropriate and affordable housing. We operate through anindividual case management process of identifying with the young person their goals and needsand any assistance that we or other skilled agencies can offer to develop pathways towardsachievement.

Profiling Young People Seeking Assistance in 2006/07

Profiling the young people who were seeking assistance from our service, we were able to showthat:

There were a total of 95 referrals for the year, an average of 8 referrals per month

65 of these young people were females and 30 were males

Profiling Young People Assisted



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Profiling the young people who were assisted by our service, we were able to show that:

28 young people have been accommodated this year

20 were females and 8 were males



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Activities for the year

Staff have assisted the young people to access heath services, including counselling andspecialist services, gain employment, commence education or training, get a learnerspermit, seek financial budgeting assistance and build a savings plans, develop life skills,facilitate positive communications in order to strengthen connections with significant peoplein their life and transition out of SAAP into independent accommodation.

There have been a number of workshops held with the young people covering topics suchas sexual health, conflict resolution and budgeting/finances.

Once again an overnight stay at The Outlook (an experiential and adventure learning centrewhich engages groups in a learning process that challenges existing patterns) has been thehighlight of our recreational program. The young people were challenged with a range ofproblem solvers and adventure based activities such as Low & High ropes and Canoeing.

Other activities we enjoyed included dinner at pizza hut, ice skating and most recently the

opportunity to participate in rock climbing at the Kangaroo Point cliff faces.

During the Christmas holidays we offered the young people recreational outings on a moreregular basis. We enjoyed a BBQ at the beach down the Gold Coast as well as Southbankand an outing to the local bowling alley.

We celebrated Christmas together over lunch at Sizzlers and each of the young peoplereceived a Christmas hamper.

Staff continue to facilitate our young people accessing the Childrens Commissionrepresentative for the area, Janet Pearson.

Accessing local services

Our relationships with other services form an integral part in achieving positive outcomes for ouryoung people. We support our young people to access the services of local organisations such asCYMHS, Logan Adult Mental Health, Youth and Family Services (Logan) who assist withresponses to health, emotional and behavioural issues; JPET (YFS), Skilling Solutions, CareerKeys, Logan TAFE and Kingston Adult Learning Centre who assist with engaging our young peoplein education/training and employment, ATODS who assist with drug issues and the CrestmeadCommunity Centre, Tribe of Judah and Loaves and Fishers who assist our young people withemergency relief; YMCA The Shed who assist our young people with their learners permits.


Age of Client

10-14 Y ears

15-17 Y ears

18-19 Y ears

20-24 Years

Accommodation Support

Period

1-2 Weeks

2-4 Weeks

4-13 Weeks

13-26 Weeks

26-52 Weeks

52 +Weeks


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Client Satisfaction

Client satisfaction is a major goal for our service. There are many ways in which we monitor andcollect information on whether our clients are satisfied with the services we provide. Tenants areasked to complete quarterly feedback forms rating Interlink on various areas of the services we

provide. In the first quarter of 2007, the breakdown of how our clients gave us feedback on theareas we assisted them in was as follows:

Counseling 3 peopleEmployment & Training 5 peopleHousing 10 peopleTransport 7 peopleAdvice & Information 6 peopleAdvocacy 2 peopleFamily Relationships 4 peopleLiving Skills 6 peopleOther 1 person

Also in the first quarter of 2007, on a scale of 1-5, we were rated average and above average onhow helpful clients found us in assisting them to achieve their goals. Overall, clients are satisfiedwith the support being provided to them by the service, and this is reflected in the comments givento us by clients throughout their support period.

We also gain feedback from clients after outings and workshops that we provide. Feedback formsare collated and analysed and in referring back to the analysis from the Christmas HolidayProgram, it can be noted that all the clients provided positive feedback about these activities.There seems to be a general trend across all areas that clients are providing the service withmostly positive feedback in regards to all extra-curricular activities that we provide.

We have many people and agencies to thank for their continued support of our services forour young people throughout the year.

Lynne from Crestmead Community Centre for your continued effort to at all times supportour young people with emergency relief to purchase food.

Sue Clark from Koongoora for the opportunity to utilise their bus for our outings.

Youth & Family Services Inc. (Logan) for assisting our young people primarily withopportunities to engage in counselling in addition to the host of programs that theorganisation offers the young people of our local community.

YMCAs The Shed in providing our young people with the opportunity to obtain theirlearners permit through participation in the quarterly workshops.

The young people who have volunteered their time and provided assistance to the staff onmany occasions.

Ansell, De Joir, Australias, Cottons, Basket Brigade and Crisco for their generous donationsthroughout the year.

QCHC for your continued support and assistance throughout the year.

Queensland Government for its continued support of this valuable program for the youngpeople of the Logan community.


Ethnicity

IndigenousAustralians

Non-EnglishSpeakngBackgrounds

Other


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Transitional Housing ProgramMental Health


Annual Report

25th October 2007

Aims & Objectives

The Transitional Housing and Support Program is a collaborative venture between InterlinkHousing & Support Association Inc, Logan-Beaudesert District Mental Health Service(LBDMHS) and Richmond Fellowship that aims to improve housing outcomes for mental healthconsumers.

There are limited accommodation options for mental health consumers in Logan. The

Transitional Housing Program offers a service which provides, safe and secure housing forpeople who are exiting hospital. The program aims to help the tenants transition intoindependence in the community.

Richmond Fellowship has recently joined the program as an organization which providespersonal support to tenants on a case-by-case basis.

Brief history of program

The program has been operating for many years utilizing properties provided by InterlinksCommunity Rent Scheme.

In early February 2007 a Crisis House was established with the help of recurrent funding for$75 000 to rent a property on the private market. This house has four bedrooms for mental

health consumers who are on the verge of homelessness to have access to safe and securehousing. This funding includes provision for a worker within Interlink whose specific role is toco-ordinate the Transitional Housing Program and report back to Interlink and the LoganBeaudesert Mental Health Service.

The program also encompasses anAlternatives to Hospitalisation Program which was set up inJuly 2006 and recently celebrated its first year anniversary. Acmena House, a property rentedon the private market, provides short-term accommodation (a maximum of two weeks) forpeople who would benefit from hospital support in a community-based setting. Acmena Houseprovides 24-hour support.

Summary of participation such as target groups

The target group are people who are eighteen years and over; receiving treatment for a mentalillness or mental health problem; capable of taking responsibility to manage own medications;willing to share housing with other consumers; willing to work with case manager and InterlinkHousing Officer to find longer-term housing; eligible for public housing; and willing to abide byprogram conditions.

Geographical / demographic breakdown

To date there are four Transitional Houses (three in the Logan Central/Kingston/Woodridgearea and one in Beenleigh), one Crisis House (in Woodridge) and one Alternative toHospitalisation property (in Beenleigh, known as Acmena House).

Outcomes, social and other

Positive outcomes in relation to Transitional Housing can be seen through the improvementof tenants mental health after exiting from Hospital. By offering Transitional Housing,tenants are able to access safe and secure housing, whilst transitioning from Hospital backinto the community with intensive tenancy management and case management support.



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Exit strategies as discussed at the beginning of a tenancy and at a mid-term review (withthe tenant, Mental Health Case Manager and Housing Worker) include aiding a tenant tomove back into the private market; transferring the tenant into one of Interlinks properties inthe CRS Housing Program; or the tenant is offered their Department of Housing Property.

Range of stakeholders and purpose and type of involvement

LBDMHS is responsible for selecting applicants and co-ordinating the referral process.LBDMHS provides specialist medical treatment and ongoing clinical support. Case managersor the acute care service provide counseling, support, and linkage to community agencies.LBDMHS is responsible for developing and implementing the exit plan for tenants at the end oftheir four month tenancy.

Interlink is responsible for the accommodation, providing tenancy management to the clientsof the service and property management services.

Richmond Fellowship provide some personal support to tenants, assisting tenants withmoney management, shopping, access to community services, tenancy support and otherliving skills agreed between the tenant, support worker and case manager.

In July 2007, Acmena House celebrated its one year anniversary with a BBQ at the property with

tenants, support staff, stakeholders and other community representatives. The program also

encompasses an Alternatives to Hospitalisation Program which was set up in July 2006 and

recently celebrated its one year anniversary. Acmena House provides short-term accommodation

(a maximum of two weeks) for people who would benefit from hospital support in a community-

based setting. Acmena House provides 24-hour support.

Client / Stakeholder satisfaction

Client Satisfaction is determined through the use of a Transitional Housing Program ConsumerSurvey which is provided to tenants at the end of their tenancy. This allows the tenants toprovide feedback to Mental Health, Interlink and Richmond Fellowship, though the use of oneform.

A mid-term review is also completed at the half-way point of the tenants tenancy, where thetenants exit plan is discussed, satisfaction to date and future planning is explored.

Good news stories

Particular good news stories are in relation to tenants who successfully transition back into theprivate market or for those who access their Department of Housing property. Other tenantshave been successful in applying for and receiving Interlink Community Rent SchemeProperties.



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Partnerships & Community Stakeholders


Annual Report

25th October 2007

Our partnerships with a wide range of community stakeholders and funding bodies have beeninstrumental in assisting us to provide the wide range of serevices and programs for our clients andtenants that enable them to secure and maintain independent tenancies to transition into publichousing or independent private accommodation.

To our Departmental Program Officers, Cass Lindley and Donna Manguerra for the Department of

Housing, Debbie Millar for the Department of Communities; Dianne Seidel our Community HousingResource Worker SEQ South; and Sharon Elliott from the Brisbane Housing Company, we thankyou for sharing your knowledge with us as we work within the complex field of housingmanagement in the social and affordable housing environments.

Community stakeholders and organisations we have worked with over the past 12 monthsinclude:

Koongoora who provide ongoing support to women exiting from their sevice.

Kingston East Neighbourhood Group who give support to some of our tenants and have a

represenative as part of our Management Committee and Housing Pathways Project

Steering Group.

St Vincents Housing and Karakan who support people with mental health issues.

Logan Youth and Family Services who support young people and families that are in crisissituations and also support the Drug Court Program

Micah and the Brisbane Homelessness Centre who give intensive support to tenants who

are homeless.

Desley Scott, MP for Woodrdige officilllay launches our recent Interlink Open Day event. Wewould especillay like to thank Desley for her ongoing support, advice and leadership.



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We appreciate the additional help of all these partners in supporting tenancies in Interlinks variousprograms.

Thank you also to all the Real Estate Agents and Private Lessors who make their propertiesavailable for a wide range of Interlink clients.

We would also like to highlight that the Department of Housing has provided a highly valued

partnership throughout 2006-2007. We acknowledge their support in:

Providing funding for the two year Pathways to Create Housing Opportunities Projectthrough the Logan Community Renewal Zone.

undertaking cyclical maintenance with painting, fencing, replacement of hot water systems,

additional smoke alarms and safety switches in our department properties, ensuring a highstandard of safety and quality for our tenants.

We would like to thank the Logan City Council, the Mayor Graham Able and all the Councillor thathas assisted the organisation via letters of support, attending functions and other communityactivities over the past twelve months.

providing support and involvement in indivdual projects which we have undertaken over the

year including pacicipation in the Pathways to Create Housing Opportunities ProjectSteering Committee.

This is the front cover of our very successful RTA funded Guide to Successful Tenancy Booklet forthe six emerging refugee communities.



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Jenni Fawcett, joined the team as a social work student and upon completion of her degreebecame a staff member in November 04. She is working full-time in the SAAP program as a SeniorYouth Worker, supporting the young people through a case management process. Jenni bringswith her exuberance and enthusiasm to develop genuine working relationships with the youngpeople to assist them to achieve their goals to independence.

Natasha Burns,joined the Interlink team in 2006. Natasha comes from a Real Estate backgroundand works with tenants who remain with Interlink for approximately six months with the outcome ofexiting into private rental. Natasha works throughout their tenancy with tenants to prepare them forindependence in their future housing.

David Browning, David is currently employed as the Community Development Facilitator withinthe two year funded Community Renewal Project called "Pathways to Create HousingOpportunities" Project. The focus of this role is to increase the capacity of the organisation to meetthe regions growing housing & support needs. David has a long history working within bothgovernment and non-government roles, providing support and advice from an employment relatedfocus and case working with diverse community groups. David has earned personal andprofessional recognition for the volunteer work he has done to assist these diverse communities to

establish themselves within the South East Queensland region. David has recently been RPLd hisDiploma in Community Development and contuinues to further his skills within the communityhousing sector.

Krystal Telford, begain working with Interlink during July 2006, taking on the role as part-timeYouth Worker in the SAAP Program. Krystle came from the Sunshine Coast working at a YouthHousing program. She is currently completing her Bachelor of Social Work through CentralQueensland Universtiy.

Fleur Sheppard, is our housing worker responsible for coordinating Interlinks mental healthhousing and tenancies. Fleur graduated from the University of Queensland in 2006 with a Bachelor

of Social Work.

Cassie Marshal, Peter Kloeckl, Rhiannon Stuart, have all worked on our reception to assistpeople acces the information they are calling for. Reception is a great place for young people totrial their entry to the workplace and our reception is no exception with a diverse range of requestsconfronting them daily. Their assistance with our office administration is also very muchaporeciated.

Peter Attwood, continues to greatly assisted us with our Property Inspections this year. Peterworks with our Housing Property worker to attend to the Logan inspections on a weekly basis andour inspections for the Brisbane Housing Company each quarter. We thank Peter for hisexceptional attendance to detail in this very important aspect of our housing management service.

Sue Boothroyd, worked as Interlink as Project Coodinater within the funding we received from theRTA to develop a Tenancy Training Kit for newly arrived entrants to our region. The multiculturalcommunity as she develops this important resource for approximately six cultures assisting them toundersatand their tenancy rights and responsibilities.

Jenny Schultz, as Interlink Manager, brings hands on knowledge and experience across bothhousing and support, as well as organisational management. Through her strong commitment tothe delivery of quality services, Interlink has earned its reputation as a caring organisation and animportant part of the Logan community. It is through her motivation and desire to provide a servicethat meets the wider need that Interlink has grown, expanded its services and gained recognitionas a valuble housing provider with its tenants and the community. She provides the leadership that

inspires the staff to come to work each week and complete tasks in a manner they can be proud of.Jenny has a Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Queensland and the REIQs AdvancedProperty and Tenancy Management Certificate.



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MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE SNAPSHOT


Annual Report

25th October 2007

As we enter into the new year we are fortunate to bring with us a diversified committeecomplement who have contributed individually, and collectively, to our achievements in 2005-2006.

Brett Davies, President. Brett has been an active supporter of Interlink Housing and Support forover 7 years, being a past member of the Management Committee, previous President andreturned in 2003 to take on the role of President. Through Bretts strong commitment to thedevelopment of Interlink as an active member in the broader service community, we havedeveloped strong and sustaining linkages with the Logan Beenleigh Mental Health Services. Withthis experience, we have the capacity to expand our Provision of housing and support inpartnership with a range of other Government and non Government agencies.

Sid Pauga Treasurer. This has been Sids first year as Treasurer of Interlink, stepping into the

role for the past several months. Sid is currently the Director of Life Transition Inc. who areanother of our great community partners. Sid and Life Transitions work closely with the PacificIsland Community, schools and Department of Child Services to provide a wide range of supportand activities for young people and their families.

Tim Stanko Secretary. Tim has been a very good mentor whilst he was working at Interlink andstill gives help and advice when needed. Since leaving Interlink as a staff member to followanother career path Tim has been an active and valued member of the Interlink ManagementCommittee, providing support and guidance whenever its needed. Tim accepted the position ofSecretary in mid 2007 and has agreed to continue on in this role for the upcoming year. Tim hasfound that being on the Management Committee a valuable and rewarding experience. He islooking forward to being part of what the future will bring for Interlink as it continues to provide aunique service to Logan, Brisbane and surrounds.

Frankie Buchanan Committee Member. Frankie joined the management committee in 2006.Frankie works in the community sector for Koongoora assisting women who are fleeing domesticviolence situations. Koongoora is an active supporter of Interlink. Frankie has enjoyed networkingwith interlink committee and staff and feels that being a part of the Committee is a very positiveexperience.

Peter Attwood Committee Member. Peter joined the Management Committee in 2006 after joining Interlink in 2005 as a volunteer worker. Peter worked for the Department of NaturalResources as a Cartographer and has a keen interest in the future development role of the

Housing Company. Peter is now retired.



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Rhiannon Stuart. Committee Member. Rhiannon has lived in Interlink accommodation andworked voluntarily for Interlink in the office administration area. Rhiannon brings a tenantsperspective into the decision-making processes that the Committee and staff work through.Rhiannon has found it rewarding to sit on the Management Committee and an opportunity to gainnew skills and knowledge.

Rhiannon speaking at our Open Day held in August of this year. Rhiannon has been an extremelyeffective Tennant Representative on our Management Committee.

Anne Garrett Committee MemberAnne has recently been working with one of our communitypartners YMCA The Shed as a Case Worker within the U-turn program.This program ahs a strong youth focus with an ability to engage troubled youth in positive activities.Anne has a strong history of working in communities, especially with those who are disadvantaged

such as disengaged youth, people with disabilities and mental health issues.

Malcolm Reid Committee MemberMalcolm was appointed the General Manager for Twin RiversCare early in 2007 and as a key community stakeholder and partner in many areas of housing &support we were extremely happy to secure his commitment to our Management Committee.Malcolm brings to the role a history of community development and engagement activities.

John Larme Committee MemberJohn has worked for Kingston East Neighbourhood Group as afamily support worker for the SAAP program for many years. John brings with him knowledge andexperience to assist Interlink in their decision-making regarding tenancies in particular.

Venantie Niragira Committee MemberVenantie joined our Management Committee during July

of this year and brings to the role a significant amount of knowledge and skill especially withregards to the needs of our emerging communities and their individuals families. Venantiecurrently holds the position of Vice President for the Association of Burundian Communities Qld.,Inc. and we thank her for the way that she has assisted our two organisations to come together ina true partnership to assist the wider refugee community.

Interlink Housing 2006 2007 Annual Report

Documents

Transcript of Interlink Housing 2006 2007 Annual Report