Meet Sonja Lal

Sonja joined Access 2 Place in September last year, she has eagerly taken on her new Housing Officer role and has been getting to know our tenants.

Like several A2P team members, Sonja brings community and social housing experience with her.

Sonja grew up in New Zealand and embarked on a career in travel and tourism. She moved into banking as a front-line staff member, eventually shifting into a role as Business Banking Associate.

“I was in banking for about 15 years, then had a career change where I wanted to make a difference in people’s lives in some way,” Sonja says.

Sonja undertook a Diploma in Community Services and worked in community housing for two and half years. She moved into social housing, providing accommodation to disadvantaged and vulnerable members of the community including people experiencing homelessness. She became an independent Affordable Housing Officer, managing a housing portfolio.

“While I was working as an Affordable Housing Officer, I also managed retirement villages for for two years,” Sonja says.

“In that role, I gained further training in managing the village, via a professional development organisation. This helped me to upskill and build better outcomes in management within retirement villages.”

Sonja loves her coffee, walking in nature, cooking, and spending time with family and friends.