At City West Housing, our residents are at the heart of everything we do. We’re dedicated to ensuring residents have a voice in how their housing is managed.
The Tenant Voice (TV) Group is one way that City West Housing gets feedback and ideas directly from our residents. It is a forum for residents to advise us on how to best meet their needs and improve our operations.
We asked TV Group member Katrina why she joined and to tell us about her experience of the group so far.
Above (left-right): TV Group members Katrina and Barbara updating on the group’s activities at the Annual Resident Forum
What made you want to join the TV Group?
I wanted to give something back, and since facilities management is part of my role at work, I thought I could bring some relevant experience. It turns out all I really needed was curiosity and a willingness to engage in the process. I was also curious about how the affordable housing system works beyond what I’ve seen reported in the news, and I wanted to meet other people in the same living situation as me.
What has your experience with the group been like?
It’s been wonderful! I really enjoy meeting other tenants in the TV Group and hearing about experiences in other buildings. I like hearing the history too — we have people who’ve been tenants for over a decade, some even longer. Spending time with City West staff, I can see they genuinely want to hear what we have to say and to implement what they can. We also learn what some of the roadblocks are with certain issues — this can be council (parking), building code, or safety requirements.
For some of the changes or recommendations we want, building codes need to change — and that’s something that extends beyond housing like ours to renters and homeowners across the state.
What are the benefits of being part of the TV Group?
Volunteering in general is a good thing to do for the community and for ourselves, and I can put it on my CV. Being included in something bigger than myself in a meaningful way is really rewarding. We may not be able to go back and change things, but we can influence future building design with our feedback for new City West tenants, and advocate for improvements for existing ones based on feedback from other tenants. We get to brainstorm potential solutions, and it’s not just about ticking a box.
Any other comments you’d like to share?
During COVID, I had the opportunity to run a Coffee Club on our rooftop through our Build Your Neighbourhood community connections program. If people have ideas for what they want to do, please share them. If you feel that what you’re suggesting isn’t something you could or would want to manage, please share anyway. There are residents across our different buildings who may not have your idea but would be willing to help. This is one of many things we talk about in our meetings.
Also, if you see us around, you can talk to us, and we can take your questions or ideas to our meetings.
