​Honouring our colleague Natalie Jameson

She had a vast amount of experience in housing that included: working in community housing in New South Wales and Victoria; community development and tenant participation experience in New Zealand’s community housing sector, state housing experience in New Zealand and local authority housing experience in the United Kingdom.

She worked at Community Housing Aotearoa between January 2013 and May 2015, holding the fort alongside Scott Figenshow and Chris Glaudel. She combined this with working at CORT in Auckland. She later worked solely at CORT in a new role assisting Peter Jeffries.

During her time at CORT Natalie under took several radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatments until she resigned in February 2016 wanting to travel and visit friends and family.

Natalie was passionate about the provision of good housing and about the professional development opportunities for people in the sector. She was keen to find ways to increase the formal academic opportunities to enhance the professionalism of New Zealand’s fledgling social and affordable housing sector. A tireless member of the Australasian Housing Institute for many years, she represented New Zealand on their awards committee and contributed to their publications.

Natalie was an open and effective communicator with the ability to foster enthusiastic engagement in learning. She held a post graduate diploma in teaching and an honours degree in English and American studies, as well as housing and mediation qualifications.

Natalie always maintained a positive and bubbly personality even during the tough times of going through treatment. Peter Jeffries says that in her short time at CORT, Natalie made a major contribution assisting them in capacity building and to transition to a more professional community housing organisation. She was particularly passionate about tenant services, tenant participation and positive ways of enhancing the tenant-landlord relationship.

Scott Figenshow, CE of Community Housing Aotearoa, said that Natalie always found the best in things – no matter what. “That’s a lesson I’ll always remember her by.”

She died with a smile on her face. Our thoughts go to Natalie’s partner Roger, and their two daughters Sarah and Emma.