Tenā koutou
Mauri tū mauri ora. An active soul is a healthy soul.
I hope you all enjoyed the recent King’s Birthday public holiday and that you were able to spend more time catching up with family and friends over the long weekend. We’ll have another opportunity on 14 July to come together with whānau and community to celebrate, when Te Rā Aro ki a Matariki – our newest official public holiday created last year – commemorates the start of a new year for many Māori.
As winter’s now in full swing, you might be inclined to stay indoors and enjoy your home comforts, but I encourage you to take part in, or organise, community activities in your village such as card games, shared meals or walking groups. Our van trips are continuing throughout winter, as are many of the activities in our village community houses. It’s good for our wellbeing to get out and about and socialise with others whenever we can.
The results of our tenant satisfaction survey are in and I’m delighted to say that tenants’ overall satisfaction with the service provided by Haumaru Housing has increased significantly from 12 months ago – up from 91% to 94%. This is a very positive result, and it’s the fourth year in a row that we’ve topped the 90% mark. We also had the highest response rate ever, at 66%.The results are particularly pleasing for all our team, who always seek to provide a responsive, quality service to tenants come hail, rain or shine. I’d like to thank everyone who took part in the survey – your feedback is very important to us as we continue to develop and enhance our services further. You can read more about the survey results in our article below.
That’s all for now. Stay warm in this colder weather, take care – and remember now is the time to get your COVID-19 booster and Flu vaccinations.
Ngā mihi maioha
Gillian Schweizer,
Chief Executive Officer
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The results are in: our tenant satisfaction survey 2023
A total of 934 tenants responded to our survey this year, up from 801 in 2022, with the highest number of people taking part since the survey started in 2016. The results show that more tenants are satisfied overall with the service provided by Haumaru Housing. People’s satisfaction with the service from our staff has also improved, and more tenants are happy with the unit maintenance, especially with how quickly repairs are undertaken and our speed of response to maintenance issues.
Tenants continue to appreciate their good neighbours, the privacy and peacefulness of their village, the proximity to amenities such as shops, medical facilities and public transport, and they feel safe/secure.Awareness of and participation in village activities have also increased significantly over the last 12 month period. We received particularly positive ratings for:
- The service provided by Haumaru Housing staff overall (92%satisfied)
- Quality of communication received (96% satisfied)
- Service provided by our unit maintenance contractors overall (94% satisfied)
- Quality of maintenance work done (92% satisfied)
- Perceptions of safety and security in the home and in the village (92% satisfied)
- Satisfaction with current level of connection and involvement (91% satisfied).
Thank you to everyone who took part in the survey and offered their views and comments. We’re now reflecting on all the feedback and opportunities for improvement, so we can further enhance tenants’ enjoyment of their surroundings and the experience of living in a Haumaru village.
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Spotlight on...
Welcome to our new Facilities team members – Lynda Hermsen who’s joined us in the newly created role of Capex Project Coordinator to support the team on the larger facilities projects, and Facilities Maintenance Coordinator Luke Munzone.
Lynda has a wide range of experience in the facilities management sector. In her previous role, she worked closely with Auckland Council assisting in the maintenance of all council facilities. Away from the office, she’s actively involved in her local church and loves spending time with her friends and family.
Luke also has a facilities background and has previously worked as a carpenter overseeing maintenance across multiple sites in Sydney.
When not at work, he’s kept busy with his family, church and sport. Lynda and Luke will be out and about in the villages, so give them a cheery wave when you see them around.
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Fond farewells
Tenants of Milford’s Gordon Court gathered together on a sunny 14 June to wish their neighbour of many years, John French, a fond farewell as he moves to new pastures. Over a scrumptious morning tea, they reminisced with John, presenting him with a photo montage of some of his happy occasions at the village over the years. To thank everyone for their friendship and support, John’s family donated a beautiful bench for the village with a plaque bearing John’s name.
Another long-standing tenant, David Fox of Māngere’s Court Town Close, who’s recently moved to the South Island to be with family, has written to wish all his Court Town neighbours and Haumaru staff well. In his letter, David (who had been a Warden with the former Manukau Council), says: "I want to thank Haumaru for the comfortable flat I had in Court Town Close and –to all the residents there – it’s been nice to have known you especially". In his parting note, David also advised any tenant who hadn’t yet been on one of the Haumaru minivan trips "to give it a go"! Go well, David and John.
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Check out what’s on at your local community centre
If you’re looking to try a new activity or meet new people, why not ask about what’s on offer at your local community centre or community house? You might find just what you’re looking for. For example, new tenant Karen Winiata of our Shepherds Park village went along to the Beach Haven Community House which is right next door to the village and has now joined the ukulele group that meets there on Tuesdays. Karen says she’s met some amazing people who are part of the group and the music’s beautiful. So check out your local centre and try something new today!
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Get your skates on!
Richard Phillips of Te Atatū’s Kaumātua Court leads a very adventurous and active life indeed and never lets anything slow him down. Most mornings, Richard’s up bright and early to head off to central Auckland’s Viaduct Harbour, where he spends a couple of hours either rollerblading or rollerskating (however the mood takes him) along Hobson Wharf. He’ll then meet up with some of his friends from Kaumātua Court who motorbike in from the village, and then they all bike home together. On some days, you might even bump into him at the roller rink either in Glenfield or Mount Wellington. Richard’s a huge inspiration to his village neighbours and Community Manager, who think he’s "so very cool"!
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Elder abuse is not OK
The annual World Elder Abuse Awareness Day was held again on 15 June, providing an important opportunity to highlight the issue and how we can all help in stopping it. If you have any concerns about yourself, a loved one, a friend or neighbour, call the free, confidential Elder Abuse 24-hour helpline on 0800 326 6865.
You can also text 5032, email support@elderabuse.nz, or call Age Concern on 0800 652 105 or the Haumaru Helpdesk.
If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call 111 and ask for the police. For more information on preventing Elder Abuse, visit the Office for Seniors’ website at officeforseniors.govt.nz/our-work/raising-awareness-of-elder-abuse/
