Renter Newsletter Winter 2024
Introducing our new CEO
Welcome to the Winter edition of WPI Renter Newsletter. I am pleased to introduce myself as one of the newest members of the team at WPI . I joined in April as the new CEO following Jeanette’s retirement.
As a renter, you are one of our most important stakeholders, so I thought you should know a little bit about me. I grew up in social housing in the United Kingdom, the youngest of four children to a single mother. I knew from a very early age how important it was for us to have a safe, affordable home and to be treated with respect and dignity by our social housing landlord. Those things remain extremely important to me, and it’s not surprising that I chose a career in social housing when I finished school and have worked in social housing ever since.
I am really looking forward to meeting you and hearing your feedback about our services. We were overwhelmed by the response from renters living in WPI owned homes to the recent survey conducted to help us understand the impact their home has had on their lives. We had over 60% of those renters respond. Thank you so much! Think Impact who we engaged to undertake the social return on investment study are finalising the report now and we are looking forward to sharing that with you soon.
I hope you have time to read our Winter Newsletter. It’s important for WPI to keep you informed about our services and for us to start working on ways that you can become more engaged in shaping our services, whether that it from the comfort of your home or participating in more formal ways – watch out for ways you can get involved in the new few months.
Finally, over the next few months I will take the opportunity to reach out directly to as many renters as I can, to personally say hello. Meeting you is an important part of my job and one that I enjoy the most!
Warm regards
Roberta
Giving Day 2024
WPI recently held its Opening More Doors Giving Day, where we encourage our network of supporters to come together and donate so that WPI can open the doors to new homes for women. Every donation on this day is matched by our generous matching partners. In 2022, we set ourselves a goal of funding 25 new homes by 2025. Prior to our Giving Day we had funded 23 of these 25 homes, with three already completed, 11 under construction and 9 where construction is about to commence. On our Giving Day we raised more than $520,000 which will help us fund the remaining two homes in order to meet this goal.
That's 25 women, and and in many cases their families, that won't have to live with housing insecurity.
We were thrilled that the community supported us on this day and showed their commitment to secure and affordable housing for women and their families.
Are you an artist looking to showcase you work?
We know that many of our renters are creative and that many paint and draw. If this is you, would you be willing to share your artwork for us to include in our annual report? It would be wonderful to share your work with our supporters as an illustration of how secure and affordable housing can be a foundation for better wellbeing. If you are willing to do this, we can negotiate a fee for your work and seek your approval regarding how it is used. Please email sally@wpi.org.au
Some tips for managing condensation
Condensation occurs in most homes and is especially noticeable in this cold winter weather. There are some simple things you can do to manage moisture and prevent mould in your home:
· Ventilate - open a window daily to let fresh air in and run exhaust fans when showering, cooking, or doing laundry
· Dehumidify – use your split system dehumidifier setting
· Light – open blinds or curtains daily
· Wipe up condensation when it occurs – wipe down windows & windowsills regularly
· Dry outside – hang laundry outside whenever possible, and hang up damp towels
· Report problems - report any leaks, damage, or persistent mould immediately
Share your story with us
When we are speaking with government and donors about the benefits of community housing, the most compelling arguments we can make are the real stories that come from the diverse group of women who live in our homes. If you are willing to share your story with us and tell us what your home means to you, you will be helping us provide more homes for the many women who are still living in housing crisis. If you would like to share your story and help us advocate for more housing for women please email sally@wpi.org.au
It's ok to complain or provide feedback
WPI believes that both complaints and feedback help us improve the way we deliver our services. So, what is the difference and what is the best way for you to let us know if there is an issue?
Complaints
Complaints are made when you are not satisfied with the quality of service you have received. You may think we are taking too long to get something done or you are not happy with how we responded to your request. You can complain about any part of the service you receive. We hope that most complaints can be resolved by discussing it with a staff member, however sometimes this may not be possible and you want to let us know about it through a complaint.
How to make a complaint
If you have a complaint, we encourage you to call us first on 96647800 to see if it can be resolved. If this isn’t possible, you can lodge a complaint or appeal by emailing complaints@wpi.org.au, by mail to PO Box 18014, Collins Street East, Victoria, 8003. You can also submit an online complaint here.
Feedback and suggestions
WPI is always open to receiving feedback and suggestions about our services and we encourage you to let us know what we are doing well and what we can improve on. Your input will help us deliver the best possible housing experience for renters. You can provide feedback at any time by emailing admin@wpi.org.au
Renter competition - help us name our newsletter
We are committed to providing you with information about WPI through issuing 4 renter newsletters per year. We want to name the newsletter and are asking for your ideas!
If you have a great idea for the name of the newsletter let Sally know by emailing sally@wpi.org.au. All suggestions will be considered and the winning suggestion will become the name of our newsletter and win a $100 Coles voucher.