CHL residents across our Flemington, Prahran and Brighton properties in Melbourne recently gathered together to connect as a community and celebrate Eid and Easter. The events were planned and organised by our resident-led Events and Activities Groups, with the collaborative involvement of local organisations and support services.
What each community needs and enjoys is different, so we are very grateful for the insight and support of our resident groups to make these events such a great experience for all – where our customers feel at home and part of diverse, connected communities.
Thank you to our resident groups and partners who joined us for these celebrations, including the local artists and catering groups, Homes Victoria, Co-Health, Moonee Valley Council, Farnham Street Neighbourhood House, The Venny, Stonnington Toy Library, Prahran Wholelife Pharmacy and Wholefoods, Cultivating Communities and Stonnington Council.
Part of creating a sense of belonging and communities that thrive is bringing people together. This is particularly important for our community members in Kempsey where local Elders play a significant role. On 31 March, as part of Seniors Week, we were proud to support the Dunghutti Elders Corporation Elders' Ball, a community celebration which brought together approximately 110 Elders and community members for an evening of connection, music and culture.
We were proud to walk alongside the community to deliver this event in partnership with Aboriginal Community Housing Limited, Shine for Kids, Kinchela Boys Home Aboriginal Corporation, Learning the Macleay and the Dunghutti Elders Corporation. A thank you to Kempsey Shire Council for their grant and support.
One Elder shared how wonderful it was to smile, laugh and dance together, noting that too often Elders only come together at Sorry business - and there has been a lot of that recently. On this night, there was joy instead. Elders shared stories, filled the dance floor and celebrated to the music of The Donavan’s.
Thanks to everyone who joined and supported the celebrations.
All of our CHL offices will be closed on the public holidays in each state. For repairs or enquiries, our Contact Centre is available 24/7 by calling 1300 245 468 or visit .au/contact
Our newest development at Booval, Ipswich is ready to say ‘welcome home’ to our newest residents after being officially opened by The Hon. Sam O'Connor MP, Minister for Housing and Public Works.
’Meridian Residences’ will provide 43 places to call home, including for women and families, who need safe, stable social housing. We’ve designed the homes to allow people to age-in-place as well as support the residents to build a sense of connection and community with common areas and garden spaces to share.
The name 'Meridian’ reflects how the railway network has shaped Ipswich, symbolising connection, progress and direction for our new residents and underpinning our vision to create a community where people thrive and belong.
We are proud to work alongside the Queensland Government and our partners to provide more homes for people who need them.
Read more: .au/news/meridian-residences-in-booval-ipswich-is-officially-open-and-ready-to-welcome-residents/
A simple garden shed has been transformed into a welcoming, functional community hub in Ferntree Gully, Victoria, thanks to full funding from Opendoor and the dedication of Workforce Australia Work for the Dole participants. The project, which took place over the course of four months, empowered young people through practical training while creating a space that will support CHL residents’ wellbeing and connection.
Yesterday community members from Ferntree Gully joined CHL team members, the team from Opendoor and local community leaders including Knox City Council Mayor to celebrate the opening of the new community hub.
The upgraded space now boasts a modern community kitchen and offers CHL’s local residents in Ferntree Gully a comfortable place for meals, gatherings and support. Our new space is the result of listening to our residents and what matters most to them. Turning the garden shed into a fit-for-purpose space our customers wanted was something we had been trying to do, but it wasn’t possible without support.
Read more: .au/news/shed-converted-into-collaborative-community-space-empowers-residents-and-young-workers/
Every life deserves a solid foundation. A sense of place, safety and belonging is key to people being able to thrive and build a future. Each year tens of thousands of young people face homelessness on their own. We've learned in our more than 30 years in community housing the challenges young people face with housing insecurity are different and so is the support they need. Without safe, secure housing their chances of staying connected with education, work and community drop sharply and the impacts last a lifetime.
Carly Bairstow, our Queensland State Manager, joined leaders across our sector as part of the #HomeTime delegation that visited Canberra recently. She shared insights gained from our years of supporting young people facing housing insecurity and housing poverty and what changes to the system could enable dedicated community housing for young people.
The Home Time campaign is advocating for dedicated youth tenancies, the right supports to build independence and a subsidy to ensure more housing is available for young people. We're proud to share our voice to advocate for our customers.
🔗 .au
For Christina, moving from Gippsland into one of our specialist disability accommodation (SDA) homes in Melbourne meant regaining her independence, pursuing her passions and finding a real sense of home, support and community.
With the help of her long-time support coordinator and CHL Christina decided to move to a CHL SDA apartment. Accessibility features were built into every detail of the apartment, giving Christina a level of independence for the first time in years. Read more about Christina's story on our website: .au/story/customer/christina/
All of our CHL offices will be closed on Monday 26 January as it is a national public holiday.
For repairs or enquiries, our Contact Centre is still available 24/7 by calling 1300 245 468 or visit chl.org.au.
While the bushfires in Victoria continue to impact some locations, it is now safe for our customers and CHL team to reopen our offices in Bendigo, Ballarat and Ferntree Gully from Tuesday 13 January. We are continuing to monitor the situation, with 'watch and act' advice still in place for many locations across the state. Please continue to follow the alerts and information provided by emergency services in your location. For more information about emergency services and recovery support available in Victoria, visit: https://service.vic.gov.au/find-services/emergency. For CHL enquiries, our Contact Centre is available 24/7 by calling 1300 245 468.
As the extreme weather in Victoria continues to evolve, we are monitoring the situation and following the advice from emergency services. To ensure the safety of our team members and customers, our Bendigo, Ballarat and Fern Tree Gully offices are temporarily closed from Friday 9 January to avoid unnecessary travel. We will reevaluate the situation on Monday 12 January. For any customers with enquiries, our Contact Centre continues to be available 24/7 by calling 1300 245 468 or reach out online via chl.org.au/contact/
With extreme weather conditions impacting Australia, including heatwave and bushfire conditions across Victoria, SA, NSW and WA, it’s important to remember how to take care of yourself and others.
Catastrophic and extreme fire danger warnings have been issued for Friday 9 January in Victoria and SA, including numerous evacuation alerts already in place for parts of Victoria, with more information available at www.cfa.vic.gov.au/.
For high-risk locations, please stay informed, have a fire evacuation plan and activate your bushfire plans. Follow information provided by emergency services and other official sources in your state and keep track of alerts, warnings and evacuation orders, including to leave early. You can also monitor weather warnings via the Bureau of Meteorology: www.bom.gov.au/.
In the heatwave conditions, try to keep yourself and your home cool, stay hydrated, plan ahead to avoid unnecessary travel and being outside, plus check in with others, including neighbours and pets, to ensure they are well. If you don't have access to air conditioning or a fan at home, local community spaces, such as libraries, pools and community centres, can also be a good place to keep cool.
For an emergency, dial 000. To contact CHL or for emergency repairs, contact 1300 245 468 or visit chl.org.au/contact/.
Stay safe and keep cool.
Cherylynne and James recently relocated from a three-bedroom home to one of the new Seachange Miami apartments, developed by CHL and the Queensland Government for eligible residents aged 55 and over. The new complex provides high-quality, right-sized homes with accessible features to give older people the support they need to age-in-place in their own communities.
By providing these essential housing solutions to people like Cherylynne and James who were looking to down-size, it frees up larger homes to help families who are waiting for a suitable option. "We lived in public housing for 23 years. When we got the invitation to come here, we thought it would be good to give another family the opportunity we had been given to raise and care for our daughter,” James said.
Read more about Cherylynne and James' story. .au/story/customer/cherylynne-and-james/
