Alexandra Nowak

Following the success of Unity’s 2016 award-winning South Australian Living Artists (SALA) Festival exhibition, 13 of our artistic tenants have stepped up again to showcase their artwork for the 2018 festival in an exhibition called ‘Artists in Residence’, which features textiles, photography, acrylics, watercolours, paper sculptures, and ceramics.

Unity secured an amazing venue for the launch of the exhibition on Friday, August 3 – Café Outside the Square – with more than 100 people in attendance. The launch included delicious homemade catering from the café, with local food and beverage providers sponsoring the event.

More than $2,000 worth of works were sold, giving around $600 straight back to the cafe to continue providing for the community.

“The SALA Festival provides a great inclusive platform for South Australian artists and we are privileged to be able to be a part of it again,” says Unity’s Community Development Worker, Mel Allsop. “Seeing everyone’s amazing artworks displayed on the wall for the community to see is so meaningful because the individuals are not defined by the problems they face (mental illness, domestic violence, homelessness, disability), they are defined by one of their many gifts.”

Plans are already being made for SALA Festival 2019.

Read all about the exhibition in the latest edition of our tenant newsletter Around the House here.

SALA Festival runs until August 30. Visit www.salafestival.com.

Unity has received a Certificate of Appreciation for our “shared commitment to and support of Renewal SA’s training and employment model, the Works Program”.

Now in its 10th year, the Works Program is celebrating a decade of partnerships and collaborations that have produced hundreds of training and employment programs across Renewal SA’s flagship urban renewal projects and has changed the lives of thousands.

The program’s enduring success in producing these significant training and employment outcomes has been built upon its many successful relationships and collaborations across government and industry, including the partnership with Unity Housing.

On November 21, 2017 we formally opened our most recent affordable housing project at Blair Athol.

Project summary:

• sale of four obsolete SACHA-funded dwellings;
• reinvestment on the Renewing our Streets and Suburbs site in Blair Athol;
• building project delivered by Oryx Property as a partnership project with Unity;
• two, three bedroom units (social housing for older South Australians or people living with a disability), built to ‘Silver Standard’ (Liveable Housing Design Guidelines), to be managed by EBL Disability Services;
• six, three bedroom townhouses (two social housing, four market properties);
• in total four social housing properties;
• discounted rents set at a maximum of 25 percent of the tenants’ incomes (four social housing properties)

On the evening of Tuesday, May 23, the Australasian Housing Institute (AHI) held its bi-annual South Australian Awards for Excellence in Social Housing at The Tivoli Hotel in Adelaide’s CBD.

Unity Housing were recognised for leadership and excellence in the sector by winning three of the eight award categories. Unity, our staff and tenants were awarded as winners in the following categories:

Category: Tenant Led Initiative
Winner: UnityTenant Art Exhibition
For the art exhibition that was planned and conducted as part of the SA Living Artists Festival by a group of Unity boarding house and community housing tenants, led by Sheree Lockwood (tenant) and auspiced by Mel Allsop (Community Development Worker).

Category: Excellence in Social Housing
Winner: Unity and Bedford Alliance
For the complex and collegiate planning and implementation process and the tenant outcomes achieved by the partnership Alliance between Unity and Bedford, the largest housing transfer of its type in South Australia.

Category: Outstanding Achievement
Winner: Matthew Woodward
Recognition of Matthew’s leadership of Unity to become the premier community housing provider in South Australia, and for his contribution to the broader social housing sector over 25 years.

This prestigious event was attended by the Minister for Social Housing, Zoe Bettison, and senior executives from across the Government and Community Housing sectors.

All Unity Staff are proud of these awards which recognise the collective efforts of Unity’s tenants, staff and leadership. Each of these award winners will be entered into the AHI’s Australasian Awards for Excellence in Social Housing that will take place in November in Sydney.

March 1, 2017 marked the formal commencement of a significant partnership between Unity Housing and Bedford – the largest, most recognised and trusted disability organisation in South Australia.

Unity welcomed more than 150 tenants from Bedford into our portfolio.

Unity’s ground-breaking strategic partnership with Bedford, which involved the transfer of their state-wide housing operations to Unity, will significantly improve the housing options and lives of South Australians with disability.

Bedford has chosen Unity to deliver housing services currently managed by Bedford, such as rent, leases and maintenance. Unity and Bedford will combine expertise to develop new and innovative housing models that will deliver new homes, which better meet the changing life-needs of people with disability, particularly as they age.

By providing the best housing service possible, the partnership will help build a stronger sense of community and improve the wellbeing of tenants living in Bedford properties.

Unity will work closely with tenants and their families, guardians or caregivers to provide them with all of the information they need for a smooth transition.

Unity looks forward to an exciting new era in the delivery of accommodation services to people living with disability.