Interlink Housing & Support

Association Incorporated
Our Mission
To assist people to move from crisis to stability through access to effective housing & support.

Volume 1, Issue 2 September 2007

Contact Details Our Values

Phone: To be client focused, sensitive to client needs and
(07) 3808 2206 achieving the best outcomes for individuals
Fax: To apply social justice principles, including respect,
(07) 3808 7164 dignity and equity to all people.

E-mail: Flexibility to maximise our ability to respond to the

info@interlink.org.au needs of clients and the community

Web Address: Interlink Housing & Support Association Inc. Newsletter Contents
www.interlink.org.au
2007 Annual General Meeting • Interlink’s 2007 AGM
Postal Address:
8/94 Wembley Road 2pm, Thursday 25th October 2007 • Housing Company Amalgamation
Woodridge Qld. 4114 8/94 Wembley Road, Woodridge • Pathways Project Official Launch
Postal Address: Community stakeholders welcome
P.O. Box 33 • Management & Staff Information
Woodridge Qld. 4114 RSVP to development@interlink.org.au

Update on our Amalgamation

We are working with a like minded organisation, Mangrove Housing Association Inc. to amalgamate under the guidance of the Queensland
Community Housing Coalition. The goal is to become an Affordable Housing Company with both a Support & Development Arm.
Both organisations have completed a Foundation Report and Project Plan, selected a Steering Group and Professional Team, including legal
and accounting advisors. Work is currently being undertaken to develop the new Company Model, Constitutional, Business & Marketing Plan
and preparations to complete a new Housing Accreditation Process.
Our amalgamation partners, Mangrove Housing are a Community Rent Scheme funded by the Queensland Department of Housing. Mangrove
Housing operates under the Community Rent Scheme Program. They are funded to provide short/medium term housing, on a priority basis, to
people waiting for public housing in our area. Mangrove lease private rental properties and sub-lease them to tenants who are eligible for our
service.
Mangrove Housing Association Inc. is a non-government community based organisation funded to provide short to medium term housing for
people on the public housing waiting lists who are experiencing housing stress. The areas that Mangrove currently services include: Morning-
side, Balmoral, Cannon Hill, Murarrie, Carina Heights, Hemmant, Wynnum, Manly, Lota and the whole of the Redland Shire. We house on a
priority, not a wait turn basis
Mangrove work with all population groups, and specifically groups which are more likely to be disadvantaged in procuring suitable accommo-
dation in the private rental market, either because of their status or limited finances, such as people with a disability, youth, aged, singles, Abo-
riginal and Torres Strait Islanders and people from non-English speaking backgrounds, women and children escaping domestic violence and
sole parents.
Their referrals come from many areas within the community, such as welfare organisations, church groups and housing resource services, as
well as government departments, self referrals and referrals from friends and relatives.
People referred to Mangrove are often in emergency accommodation, sharing with family or friends, staying in caravan parks or renting in the
private rental market and unable to keep up with the high rent, and sometimes with no accommodation at all.
All community stakeholders will be kept up-to-date on our progress to becoming an Affordable Housing Company via regular Newsletters, our
web site, Logan Housing Interagency and ‘Pathways to Create Housing Opportunities” Project Steering Group Meetings.

Interlink Housing & Support is currently not funded to provide services around emergency housing.
 ‘Pathways to Create Housing Opportunities’ project
The Department of Housing’s Community Renewal program has provided
funds for a two-year project to be carried out by Interlink Housing and
Support Association Incorporated in the Logan region. The project
started in April 2007 to 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 and increase the number of
Logan residents supported in their search for affordable housing. Our
Housing Pathways Worker will help residents maintain current and future
tenancies and increase housing and support options available to Logan
Where We Are Located residents. The Projects Community Development Facilitator will develop
stronger working relationships with community stakeholders and private
providers.
The project’s Community Development Facilitator and Housing Pathways
Worker have developed a multiple approach that includes an analysis of
current housing, existing gaps and emerging critical issues in Logan, the
identification of existing tenancy training and the development of comple-
mentary training based on local needs.
The project’s Community Development Facilitator has developed
training for Interlink staff to better support residents in maintaining or ap-
plying for a tenancy. The Community Development Facilitator is focusing
on partnerships and stronger links with the private sector to explore new
models that could increase the range and number of low cost housing
We are here
options. A good example of these new partnerships is a six month Pilot
Interlin Indigenous Housing Worker project involving the Murri and Torres Strait
k
Islander Network. A new worker is now operating from Interlink one day
Office Hours per week to increase the capacity to provide culturally appropriate hous-
ing services. Housing staff are supporting their new colleague to develop
Monday to Friday—9.00am to 5.00pm appropriate skills and experience to undertake a wide range of housing
related duties such as tenancy management, house inspections, working
with Real Estate Agencies to secure clients a rental property.
“Pathways to Create Housing Opportunities” Project Additional services and opportunities to engage with tenants are under-
way, covering a wide range of community activities and community mem-
Official Launch bers are welcome to send their comments, suggestions and ideas to
Interlink.
1pm, Thursday 25th October 2007 Contact details
For more information about the Pathways to Create Housing Opportuni-
8/94 Wembley Road, Woodridge
ties project, please contact the project’s Community Development Facili-
Community stakeholders welcome
tator on 07) 3808 2206 or email development@interlink.org.au
The “Pathways to Create Housing Opportunities” project is funded by the
RSVP to development@interlink.org.au Queensland Government’s Community Renewal program

Management & Staff

Staff Management Committee
President: Brett Davies
Manager: Jenny Schultz
Financial Administrator: Sylvia Vallender Vice President: Vacant
Senior Youth Worker: Jenni Fawcett Treasurer: Sid Pauga
Youth Worker: Krystal Telford Secretary: Timothy Stanko
Letting Officer: Joan Maguire
Housing Worker: Natasha Burns Committee Member: Peter Attwood
Property Worker : Nicky Smith Committee Member: Frankie Buchanan
Mental Health Housing Worker: Fleur Sheppard Committee Member: Malcolm Reid
Multicultural Housing Worker: Jeremi Heri Committee Member: John Larme
Housing Operations Manager: Anne Siakasini
Financial Support: Yvonne Mitchell Committee Member: Anne Garrett
Reception Admin: Cassie Marshall & Peter Kloeckl Committee Member: Venantie Niragira
Housing Pathways Worker: Lauren Richards
Community Development Worker: David Browning Tennant Representatives:
Keira McDowell
Rhiannon Stuart
Linking Communities through Housing & Support”

www.interlink.org.au Our Goal

“To respond to the needs of local residents in obtaining and maintaining stable housing”