1.0 Introduction

The Public Rental Board through consultation with its tenants and estates realizes that the empowerment of its communities is an integral part of its framework. In order to facilitate these development initiatives, PRB has first assigned a full time Community Officer Position in its office to manage its community activities. It has also invited key development partners to assist with its tenant development by way of training, resourcing and monitoring. The Community Officer plan, execute and monitor these community programs. PRB also encourages youths to complete their education and to work to support their parents. Tenants need to be financially secure to be able to:

1. Be good role models in their communities.
2. Provide for their families.
3. Save to migrate to their own homes.
4. Properly educate their children and to prevent early school dropouts.
5. Adult children to support their own families and to be less dependent on public housing.

2.0 Community Partners

These partnerships ensure that all PRB owned estates and its tenants are afforded with every opportunity for development financially and holistically. The partnership details are as follows:

• Estate Committees – PRB appoints estate committees voted by tenants at its annual estate meetings. These tenants lead at estates and assist PRB with managing the day-to-day running of each estate.
• Ministry of Women, Children and Social Protection – The Ministry assists tenants by providing social welfare assistance as well as providing training to women clubs.
• Ministry of Youth and Sports – The Ministry assists youths with the various youth training programs they offer. They also encourage youths not to be idle but to be trained and engage in sporting activities they are interested in which they can also earn through refereeing or coaching.
• Save the Children Fiji – through this partnership the PRB has been able to establish early childhood education centres in two of its estates, with plans to roll the out the same for other estates. This ensures that the all children within the PRB system can access early childhood education locally and at affordable prices.
• Commercial Banks – The Fiji Development Bank, Bred Bank and others have conducted financial literacy training at estates. They train tenants with how to manage their finances and save.
• Unit Trust of Fiji – The UTOF has also conducted training at estates with financial management and the savings options with their company.
• Fiji Police Force – An MOU with the Fiji Police Force was signed in year 2021. This partnership ensures that tenants are educated to be good law-abiding citizens.
• Estate Clubs – There are women and youth clubs that exist in every estate. This partnership with the women/youth groups ensures that all women/youths at estates are empowered and provided with programmes to not only strengthen their partnership with PRB but to also provide them with income generating opportunities.

Vision

To be the leading provider of affordable, quality and appropriate rental properties for our customers.

Mission

The Public Rental Board will achieve its vision through:

• Facilitating the development of affordable and quality rental housing to meet the socio economic needs of customers.
• Maintaining efficient and effective customer service to meet customer expectation.
• Maintaining and enhancing flats to Public Rental Board standards.
• Empowering customers through innovative public relations and community building.
• Providing cohesive communities while enhancing commercial openings that can be used to facilitate win – win opportunity for everyone.
• Undertaking profiling and analysis of existing and potential customers.
• Promoting Public Private Partnership (PPP) for innovative development and funding.

Corporate Values

Quality Customer Service

• Our customers are foremost in our minds.
• We strive for the highest professional standards, delivering our products and services that satisfy our customers.

Duty of Care

• We respect each other and show concern for one another’s well-being.
• We have trust and confidence in one another’s ability.
• We value and appreciate each other as corporate citizens caring for the welfare of the community.

Learning

• We believe in lifelong learning.
• We upgrade our skills and knowledge so that we can give our best to PRB.

Innovation

• We seek new and creative ideas to improve our products and services.
• We consciously implement productivity improvements in all areas of our work for a viable organisation.

Teamwork

• We believe in working as a team and helping each other to overcome difficulties and achieve common goals.

Corporate Objectives

PRB will undertake to achieve the following objectives:

• Re-profiling
• Re-profiling of customers in order to obtain a better understanding of PRB customers.
• Provide Government with a more precise determination of rental subsidy.
• Definition and assertion of socio-economic standing of the income range of PRB customers.
• Encourage homeownership for customers earning above $317 weekly household combined income.
• Rent Review
• Ensure equitable distribution of rental subsidy and social cost (non-commercial obligation) compensated by Government.
• Maintain rentals at viable level.
• Increase income.
• Government Grant and Aid
• Continue assisting financially disadvantaged tenants.
• Building more flats that are affordable to customers.
• Subsidy on construction costs.
• Rental subsidy requested to Government to make rental affordable to customers.
• Rental Property Stock versus Demand
• Better information and viable partnerships with other developers of low cost rental accommodation to meet demand.
• Plan and construct at least 500 flats per annum.
• PRB’s Cost Structure
• PRB recognises that its current cost structure needs to be reduced and benchmarked.
• Socio Economic Obligation
• Reduce squatter settlements.
• Promote healthy living.
• House urban workforce.
• Housing tenants in export finance and import substitute industries.