Communities

community development
Photos of community
building activities
at The Platform
apartments supplied
by City West Housing
Group’, which, as a group, planted and
will continue to care for the garden,
sharing the produce amongst the residents.
The Community Garden has given
the tenants a physical project they can
all make a contribution to and nurture
over the years. Through their participation,
the tenants can feel that they
are enhancing the place where they
all live and share and build upon their
sense of community with their fellow
neighbours.
I like to relate this process to how
it would feel if a stranger came to
your home and asked you to be part
of something that either you had no
interest in or you didn’t feel you had
time to support. Most people would
politely say “thanks but no thanks”
and offer no assistance to the project.
Comparing this to a different scenario,
if a close friend or someone who you
knew was a trusted community
member asked you to be part of a
project, you wouldn’t say no straight
away. You would at least think about
it and be much more likely to offer to
contribute or be part of the project in
some form or another. This way, you
are building trust with tenants, this is
the cornerstone of successful community
building.
Whether it’s in social, community,
affordable or private housing, all
humans intrinsically have the same
desire to be a part of something bigger
than themselves. However, in our
busy modern lives, it is important
to remember that both parties must
feel valued in order to remain content
within this relationship.
Community projects are an essential
part in engaging a new community,
breaking down the barriers of fear,
initiating contact between people
from vastly different backgrounds and
demonstrating the common human
traits they all share.
While projects that feature shared
interests can be successful in engaging
the community, they don’t guarantee a
harmonious community. Through my
many roles in the not-for-profit sector
over the years, I have seen failures
highlight areas where ego or organisational
benchmarks have affected
the organic process of community
building.
These failures have demonstrated
that you cannot push nor can you make
community happen, it’s a process that
involves; people, listening, time, trust
and a genuine interest.
René McKenzie-Low is the Community
Engagement Manager at City West Housing.
www.innersydneyvoice.org.au • Summer 2015/16 • Inner Sydney Voice 15