Community Facilities

Wombat Housing manages 22 community facilities in the North and West regions of Melbourne. These facilities are owned by the Office of Housing (OoH) and used primarily by public tenants, or, by service providers that are providing services to public housing tenants. Wombat Housing uses an Off-Site Management Model for these community facilities, which is driven by community development principles that include: diversity of access; community capacity building; and, community-driven decision-making. There are two main facility types: General Use Facilities and Elderly Persons’ Facilities; the key difference between these facility types is that the latter are generally used solely by local tenants.

Community Facility Services

Wombat Housing provides the following services:
• Taking bookings and providing access, subject to booking availability.
• Co-ordinating maintenance through the OoH’s Maintenance Call Centre and associated maintenance contractors.
• Monitoring cleaning of the facilities, provided by OoH cleaning contractors.
• Advocating on behalf of facility users to improve the quality of the facilities.

General Use Facility Hire

All facilities are governed by Wombat Housing’s Conditions of Use, and potential facility users must complete a Booking Request Form and User Profile Form.

A Booking Request Form and User Profile Form must be completed and received by Wombat Housing at least 14 days prior to the intended booking date. A bond of $100 is required for all facility users. For non-public tenant users a fee for use will apply, see Facility Fee Structure for relevant costs.

 
Community Development

Wombat Housing provides community development services in the North and West region of Melbourne. There are two main parts to this service: community governance development, and, community education. These separate service streams have overlapping aims, which include:
• Enhancing the confidence and skills of community leaders.
• Promoting leadership and governance opportunities for public tenants.
• Maximising networks between tenants and key stakeholders.
• Providing education opportunities that meet tenants’ needs and enhance local governance.

Community Governance

Wombat Housing’s community governance development is focused on emerging leaders within public housing communities. Working collaboratively with the Office of Housing and other key stakeholders, this program stream provides tailored support and advice to aspiring and current community leaders. Outcomes from this program stream may range from enhancing advocacy confidence and skills for an individual tenant, through to more formal governance structures, like the development of incorporated tenant associations. Governance development may also be supported through referrals to relevant stakeholders, such as the Victorian Public Tenants Association and Consumer Affairs Victoria; and/or the promotion of Office of Housing participation opportunities, such as, Housing Week and the Regional Tenants Council.

Community Education

Wombat Housing’s community education program aims to provide opportunities for tenants to gain education and training that meets their needs. A specific focus of this program includes the development of governance skills, for example, strategic planning for community groups and methods for conducting meetings. Community education, and associated consultation, is provided with appropriate support for linguistically diverse communities. Education streams are provided by training specialists, and, where relevant by Registered Training Providers, leaving participants with accredited qualifications for employment.

For further information please contact
Lenka Brazda, Mat Dalby or Liz Didilis on 8327 2222