Tenant Participation Framework

Each year the Office of Housing provides housing services to approximately 63,000 public tenant households across Victoria. Essential to providing a high quality housing service is the opportunity for tenants to provide feedback about the quality of services and factors impacting on their tenancies. 

Tenant Participation therefore is a key component of the Office of Housing¿s commitment to improved customer service providing a framework for tenants to give regular feedback at a local and regional level on the Office of Housing's service.

In the longer term, Tenant Participation increases tenants knowledge about rights and responsibilities and creates an informed, engaged and empowered tenant community.

Tenant Participation also facilitates opportunities for tenants to establish links across government and the community sector to build community capacity by encouraging partnerships and collaborations.

Tenant participation is underpinned by:

• The Public Housing Consumer Charter
• A Tenant Participation officer in each DHS region
• Requirements for housing managers and housing services managers to be actively involved in tenant participation at a local and regional level
• Funding for the Social Housing Advocacy and Support Program (SHASP) to support tenant participation
• Funding for volunteer public tenants groups under the Tenants Group Program
• Funding of the Victorian Public Tenants Association the peak public tenant and tenants group body.

Tenant participation is the Office of Housing's response to:

• The Housing Act 1983 - The objects of the Act include: to seek the participation of tenants and other community groups in the management of public housing and non-trading co-operatives engaged in the provision of rental housing to their members and to promote consultation on major housing policy issues with all persons and groups of persons involved in housing¿.

• Growing Victoria Together - This document commits to Greater public participation and more accountable government, and addresses the challenge of Victorians being more actively involved in decision making through better consultation, increased participation in decisions affecting their local community, and involvement in their local services.

• A Fairer Victoria ¿ This is the statement of the Victorian government's social policy agenda that provides the key policy context for all of the actions that the Government will take to improve access to vital services, reduce barriers to opportunity, strengthen assistance for disadvantaged groups and places and ensure that people get the help they need at critical times in their lives.  The Minister's statement on Neighbourhood Renewal has a six point plan of action which includes increasing people's pride and participation, improving government responsiveness.

Guiding principles

Tenants should be able to be actively involved in decisions about their housing and their communities through consultation at local and regional levels and with the Office of Housing directly.

Tenant participation should involve tenants and tenant groups.

The Public Housing consumer charter commits the Office of Housing to service quality. Tenants from diverse backgrounds and abilities should be represented and engaged in decisions about their housing and their communities.

Tenants, as consumers of Office of Housing services, are provided with information to ensure that they are able to participate fully and provide feedback critical to the improvement of Office of Housing services.

Tenants¿ privacy and their choice not to be involved in tenant participation activities should be respected.

The Director of Housing has a range of legal obligations in the provision of housing and in fulfilling these responsibilities.  Listening to and working with tenants is a key strategy in improving our services and getting the best outcomes for tenants.

Regional and local tenant participation provides the basis for links to DHS housing services, DHS regions, community organisations, local government and other key stakeholders.

Local tenant participation initiatives

The Office of Housing works collaboratively with groups of tenants at each housing office by:

• Convening local meetings with tenants/tenant groups to discuss service planning and delivery at a local area level such as maintenance priorities, safety and security on estates; and
• Working with community service organisations and tenants in the development of local groups to improve participation of local communities in social and recreational activities, health and wellbeing opportunities and children¿s activities such as homework clubs.

Regional tenant participation

The Office of Housing works collaboratively with tenants/tenants groups by:

• Convening regional tenant forums with tenants and DHS Regional Directors to enable input for the development of action plans which focus on service planning and quality such as maintenance priorities, safety and reduction of crime, service planning and management of funded community organisations, Housing Week activities and employment and training opportunities; and
• This provides an opportunity for tenants to provide input into decisions affecting their living environment such as security concerns, anti social behaviour and health and wellbeing.

Neighbourhood Renewal

The Office of Housing funds Neighbourhood Renewal projects at sites across Victoria to strengthen communities and increase participation by bringing residents, leaders in local and state government, business managers, service providers and community groups to work together to develop community action plans which focus on:

• Increasing people¿s pride and participation;
• Enhancing housing and the physical environment;
• Lifting employment and learning opportunities and expanding local economies;
• Improving personal safety and reducing crime;
• Promoting health and wellbeing; and
• Improving government responsiveness.

Community organisations

The Office of Housing funds community organisations, such as the Social Housing Advocacy and Support Program, to play a greater role in supporting local tenant participation by:

• Working with the VPTA and Office of Housing in the development of local tenants groups
• Promoting training and employment programs
• Involving tenants in the service planning and management of PHIP services
• Supporting tenants to participate in local and regional Office of Housing tenant participation initiatives
• SHASP works with local tenant communities in the management and service planning of community facilities and gardens
• SHASP works with local tenant communities to enhance tenant self management of these facilities and gardens.

The Office of Housing will also:

• Support and fund the Victorian Public Tenants Association (VPTA) as the statewide peak body representing public tenants 
• Support tenants groups to actively represent their local communities, through Tenants Group Program funding
• Provide training and support to our staff to undertake tenant participation and to promote tenant training and employment programs
• Support tenants to attend regional tenant forums and provide participants with training opportunities to enhance their involvement
• Provide opportunities for representatives from tenants groups, regional tenant forum representatives and the VPTA to meet twice yearly with the Director of Housing.

This famework provides a statement of our commitment to tenant participation. 

View the Tenant participation framework - Diagram (PDF Size: 21KB, Pages 1)