What do you get when you bring 65 passionate voices together?

This year’s Tenant Forum in Blacktown NSW brought together 65 Mission Australia Housing tenants from Greater Western Sydney and Common Ground Sydney in Camperdown, our Tenant Action Group, community partners and MAH operations staff and Executive, Chris Bratchford to talk about what is important to our housing communities and the people that live in them.

“Tenant voice is critical to our place-based approach to inform how we do what we do. Listening to and collaborating with tenants is important to the work we do in the communities we serve,” said Chris Bratchford.

“To ensure we are meeting the needs of MAH tenants in their communities, opportunities such as the Tenant Forum provide invaluable tenant feedback that influence and guide our directions, operations and service delivery.” Presentations, round table discussions, getting to know each other over lunch, light entertainment, the much anticipated “Tenant of the Year” award and the odd lucky door prize were all the ingredients to a successful day of collaboration.

Working towards our goal of reducing homelessness and strengthening communities, tenants not only found the Tenant Forum informative through the presentations and expo provided by MAH and community partners, they also found it provided the opportunity to socialise, connect with others and get to know their neighbours.

“The forum is enlightening and enriching and full filling and enjoyable. I am happy I came and thanks to Mission Australia Housing of what you are doing to us tenants and to communities. Yes, I are supportive, have no complaints about the services provided by the housing. I am happy we have nice people to help us with our complaints and meet new friends today.”

Joining forces with tenant voices were MAH’s own Australia’s Got Talent where everyone was treated to the jazzy tunes of semi-finalist Bobby and his trumpet. Next up, daughters of MAH staff member Liz Leavasa raised the roof with their soulful rendition of “Hallelujah”.

Excited about the future and feeling heard and valued, tenants and staff packed up for the day, talking about and planning next years’ event that will be “even bigger and better!”