SA Housing Trust

Janine and Michael are taking great care of their Trust property and making it their own.

The couple have lived in their Whyalla Trust home for around six months now after previously living in Adelaide and other places, though they’ve lived in Whyalla before.

They say they “love the people in Whyalla and the ease of things. Even when we lived in Adelaide we kept coming back.”

When they moved into their Trust property they say there wasn’t much to the yard but they had a vision for what it could be, and wanted it to feel more like a home that suited their style.

Their housing officer says that they’ve done an excellent job of going through the correct process to get each of their alterations approved. They’re doing landscaping in both their front and back yards, they’ve poured concrete and built sheds, installed ceiling fans in their favourite colour black, and added air conditioning – just to name a few improvements.

“We’re going to make it the way we like it. You don’t often get that opportunity when you’re renting” Janine says. “you’ve got to care for the property and take pride in what you do” Michael added.

If you’re interested in making improvements to your Trust home, applications can be made online via the Housing Connect system or by printing and lodging the Tenant Alterations Application Form. A link and more details can be found in the comments below.

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We’re upgrading older flat sites across Adelaide to make them safer for everyone.

At one of our sites, Bentzen Court, we’ve installed new security fencing, added CCTV, and are making changes to the layout of the property to make it easier to spot people who shouldn’t be there.

In addition to these safety improvements, demolition has begun and construction will soon be commencing on a broader renovation of Bentzen Court to transform it into more modern and comfortable housing.

All units will receive new kitchens, bathrooms, and internal laundries, while outdoors there will be improved lighting, enhanced landscaping and pathways, as well as a further strengthening of security measures.

Bentzen Court is just one of several large flat sites where we’re undertaking major renovations, with others in-progress around suburban Adelaide, and some locations already complete.

We have many flat sites across the metro area and will continue to work through our list of properties to create better neighbourhoods and more modern housing.

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Dean has been working hard to grow an amazing vegetable garden at his Trust home in Ceduna.

He says he’s been growing his own veggies since he was a teenager after being inspired by his parents, who also did some gardening.

At the moment Dean says he’s got chilis, zucchini, silver beet, tomatoes, capsicums, and olives which he turns into olive oil. He’s already made six litres of passata with the tomatoes and has a lot more to go.

He also loves it when he shares his produce with others in the community and ends up coming home with new plants that people have given him.

“We’re lucky here in Ceduna that we have a longer growing season because of the climate” Dean says. “I love gardening. It’s therapeutic and it helps me to switch off. Once you get me into the garden it’s hard to get me back out again”

We love seeing tenants like Dean have a passion for gardening and caring for their property. We look forward to seeing what he does with his garden next! Thanks for sharing your story Dean!

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Renovations at this southern suburbs property have been done just in time for the wet weather.

Our maintenance team have recently completed flood mitigation works for the public housing units here to help ensure that rainwater is draining correctly and not causing issues for tenants. It's also a more environmentally friendly system with excess water now being captured in a new storage tank for irrigation use in the warmer months.

In addition to improved water management, this older property will also be receiving upgraded carparks, fencing, letter boxes, bin storage and a re-landscaped communal garden.

We maintain over 30,000 properties across South Australia and have different programs, staff and contractors that respond to different types of maintenance issues.

While much of our focus is on reactive maintenance or getting vacant properties ready for new tenants, we also work to make improvements to occupied homes through our Home Renovation Program, SHEPI, and other initiatives.

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Maureen may be one of our most creative tenants, she can make something beautiful out of just about anything!

Along with her hearing assistance dog Spot, Maureen has been a long-time resident of Streaky Bay on the Eyre Peninsula but moved around a lot as a child. She says that back then you couldn’t just buy everything at the store and so if you wanted something you had to learn make it yourself.

Over the years she’s learned painting, knitting, pottery, gardening, photography, and a whole range of other crafts which she proudly displays in her Trust home. Maureen has won several prizes for her work at regional competitions. Her favourite piece is a clock she painted with dolphins.

Maureen likes to share her knowledge with the community, holding classes at the local seniors home and teaching children at vacation care. She says “it’s better to keep yourself busy rather than sitting around thinking about how crook you are, and I like to pass my skills on to others.”

Thanks Maureen for all you do and sharing your story with us. We look forward to seeing what you create next!

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Thomas is thrilled to have a Trust home in Whyalla after spending months sleeping rough in his car.

Life was going well for Thomas, he had good job, properties, and even had his own businesses; then a terrible motorcycle accident changed everything for him.

Thomas spent many months in hospital and was told he would never walk again. Miraculously he proved the doctors wrong, but he ran into further financial and personal challenges that ultimately led to his homelessness.

Unable to get a private rental, Thomas travelled around, sleeping in the back of his car and eventually settling in the Whyalla area because he says “it’s a great town with a beautiful coastline, friendly people, and everything a man needs – except maybe a Bunnings.”

He began the process of applying to the single housing register and was grateful to be offered a property within two months.

However, Thomas says that transitioning out of homelessness isn’t always easy even once you have a home. "I got so used to not having a house that it took me a little while to get comfortable being here. The first two nights I had this place I still slept in the car because it’s what I was used to.”

Four months after moving into his new home Thomas is much more settled. He’s also been able to buy a tinnie and spend more time fishing which is his true passion! Thomas has been doing plenty of work around the house too, tidying up the yard and growing a healthy green lawn. He’s recently built a garden bed out of an old door and has many more improvements he’s planning to make.

“I really didn't expect this place and I'm so grateful for it. It's an older house but sometimes old is better than new. The area is great and close to everything I need. I’ve also got good neighbours who get to eat a lot of seafood because most of what I catch I give away. This place is beautiful I really love it!”

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We’ve fixed up over 800 vacant homes across South Australia this year so far!

It’s important to understand that being vacant doesn’t mean being ignored.

Most properties are vacant because someone has moved out and we’re working to get the home ready for new tenants. Other properties may remain vacant for longer if extensive renovation is required or if they’re awaiting demolition to make way for new homes.

We always need to keep a number of properties vacant so that we can relocate tenants whose homes are going to be part of redevelopment projects.

Whatever the reason, we know that it’s more important than ever to get vacant homes ready for tenants as quickly as possible.

That’s why last year we made changes to the way we manage vacant properties and established a dedicated team to get properties occupied faster.

In addition to the hundreds of homes already fixed up, works are continuing at other locations, including major renovations at several large flat sites and in regional areas too. In Whyalla we even have students helping to renovate vacant homes, simultaneously preparing future tradies for the workforce!

Having fewer vacancies and being smarter about the way we manage them is just one of the ways we’re tackling housing challenges in our state.

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Aboriginal Elders will soon have a new home in the southern suburbs!

Last week we visited the new Purrkanaitya Aboriginal Elder Village for a sneak peak at how construction of the first-of-its-kind project is coming together.

The site will offer 40 beautiful single-bedroom units which will bring Elders together in one place, helping to build community and preserve culture. It’s an important targeted housing solution which will also have a range of benefits for South Australians more broadly.

The modern units will be full of natural light, highly energy-efficient and have been designed with improved liveability standards in mind. While all units will be accessible, 10 of them are going even further and being built with specialised cabinets and furnishings which can be lowered for wheelchair users or others with mobility challenges. Common areas and fire pits are also being built as part of the project.

Purrkanaitya is located on Aboriginal-owned and culturally significant land, and represents a collaborative effort between Aborginal Community Housing Limited, Housing Australia, the South Australian Housing Trust, the Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation, and the Kaurna Yerta Aboriginal Corporation (KYAC).

Completion of this village is expected later this year, and we can’t wait to see the finished results!

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More public housing is under construction in the southern suburbs!

Another 20 homes are being built in both the inner and outer south which will go to South Australians in need. They’re the latest batch of homes in the area after we've completed previous properties over the past few months.

Most of the new homes are two-bedroom properties but some larger four-bedroom homes are being built as well. They come in different layouts with some being lower maintenance properties, and others offering greater yard space.

In addition to building new homes we’re also renovating older ones, so that we have fewer vacancies and more modern, comfortable housing available for South Australians in Adelaide’s south.

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