Founding trustee Lloyd Mander ends ŌCHT tenure
Foundation trustee Lloyd Mander looks back on six years of challenge and growth at ŌCHT
Lloyd Mander played a pivotal role in shaping Ōtautahi Community Housing Trust from its very beginning to where it is today.
“At the very beginning the council went through a process to decide how best to enable the sustainability of its housing assets and allow there to be a better focus on supporting tenants in housing,” Lloyd said.
“That’s when they decided the Trust model was the best way to go from a financial sustainability and operational excellence perspective.”
In early 2016, he, along with the other board members, collaborated with council staff for several months, dedicating hours each week to plan the organisation's structure before its launch.
He fondly recalls this time as a unique and distinct experience compared to joining more established boards, and a valuable opportunity for the board team to bond and work together.
Over the past seven years, Lloyd’s witnessed and contributed to the remarkable growth of the organisation. He highlights the transformation from focusing only on intricate operational procedures to tackling larger initiatives. These initiatives include exploring how to influence practices in the housing sector and how to engage with government around policy decisions.
Lloyd’s journey to becoming a board member at ŌCHT was spurred by his background in healthcare. He’d founded, grown and sold a business in audiology, specifically hearing aids and tests, and was keen to support other organisations achieve their goals.
As a practicing audiologist, Lloyd had firsthand experience visiting tenants in council housing during his career. He observed the challenges faced by the social housing sector, particularly in terms of maintenance. This experience motivated him to contribute to the then fledgling organisation.
Reflecting on his time at ŌCHT, Lloyd cites the heartwarming stories that emanate from the community engagement team as standout moments.
“It's always exciting when new places are opened and built. Building things is difficult keeping to time and budget and the Trust has been able to consistently deliver those reliably,” Lloyd said.
“But for me it’s been the times where I’ve seen and heard when our tenants have supported each other - whether that’s a health issue or helping someone out with something they need. Hearing those stories have been particularly meaningful.”
Lloyd stepped down from the board in September and holds the new board members in high regard.
“We’ve welcomed remarkable people to the board that level up the capability, all very values aligned and all bringing great experience. They see tenants at the centre of what we do and believe it’s a human right to have people housed somewhere warm and safe,” he said.
Lloyd’s confident ŌCHT has a strong team in place to continue its mission and effectively respond when unexpected things happen. He also underscores the importance of drawing on tenant insights to inform the organisation’s work, viewing lived experiences as essential for organisational improvement.
“It’s difficult to step away from something that you’ve been part of for a long time and that means a lot, but I can see from the organisation’s perspective that you need to set up the board in a way that’s sustainable over time. That means having people that bring the right skills and experience for the next seven years. I’m confident we’ve done this and the individuals are the right people to make a contribution,” Lloyd said.
“For me personally it’s been an amazing organisation to be a part of. I’m really proud of everything that the trust has done. I’m looking forward to being an active observer as time goes by and keeping in touch and see the further progress that’s being made.”
Lloyd remains on a number of boards and is also Institute of Directors in New Zealand Canterbury branch chair and on the institute's national council.