State and National Shelter Meeting with Treasurer, Scott Morrison National Shelter, State and Territory Shelters, the Australian Council of Social Services and State CoSSs we will meet with Treasurer Scott Morrison on 28th March in Canberra. The briefing will be held to discuss the future of the National Affordable Housing Agreement, capital gains tax, negative gearing, Commonwealth Rent Assistance and homelessness. Shelter Tas will be advised on the outcome of this meeting and report back any relevant information to members.
Youth Homelessness Matters Day 2017 Youth Homelessness Matters Day (YHMD) is on Wednesday 5th April, and there are a number of things you can do to get involved.
Sign the online petition calling for political leaders to commit to a national plan to end youth homelessness - click here.
If you are a young person aged 12-25 - explain what you think should be done to end youth homelessness in a short video (30 seconds or less). Go to the YHMD website for more information and ideas.
use the #YHMD2017 hashtag in your social media posts and share related social media content with your contacts.
Remember to go to the YHMD website for more information and to find out about other events on the day.
Census 2016 Data Released The Australian Bureau if Statistics will begin releasing data from 2016 Census, starting with high level national data profiling the ‘typical’ Australian in April, followed by more comprehensive data on 27 June. You can find out more about proposed dates for data release by clicking here.
Homelessness Social Impact Bond Raises $9M in an Australian first The country’s first social impact bond targeting homelessness, established in South Australia, has closed early and heavily oversubscribed after raising $9 million in less than a month. The combination of private sector capital and not-for-profit expertise will support participants with three years of accommodation, case management, pathways to employment and life skills development, with the aim of reducing homelessness while providing returns to investors. Click here to read more.
The Case for Investing in Last Resort Housing A recent study by the Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute found that that for every $1 invested in last resort beds, $2.70 worth of benefits are generated for the community over a 20-year period, mainly through reduced health service and justice system costs. Click here to read a summary of the report, or you can find the complete document in the 'Research and Articles' section below.
Fact of the Week Australia is facing a large increase of older people who do not have housing security. A Victorian study shows there has been a 44% increase in older people living in insecure private housing between Census 2006 and 2011.
Turnbull Government establishes affordable housing taskforce Treasurer of Australia, 10 March 2017. Click here.
Cautious welcome for new approach to social and affordable housing CHIA, March 2017. Click here.
Research and Articles
Homelessness, home ownership and housing affordability Adrian Pisarski, National Shelter (via Shelter WA), February 2017.Click here.
CHIA Submission to the 2017-18 Federal Budget Community Housing Industry Asscn., March 2017.Click here.
Understanding the National Affordable Housing Agreement AHURI Brief, March 2017.Click here.
Can budget 2017 fix housing affordability? Here are seven options The Guardian, 17 March 2017.Click here.
The latest ideas to use super to buy homes are still bad ideas The Conversation, 22 March 2017.Click here.
The case for investing in last resort housing Uni of Melbourne and Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute, March 2017.Click here.
Cost of homelessness: Governments will save money by spending on accommodation services, study finds ABC News, 16 March 2017.Click here.
Housing the homeless: the cause - podcast Pro Bono Australia, 21 March 2017.Click here.
'Housing First' takes second place Inside Story, 21 March 2017.Click here.
Government targeting struggling renters with housing affordability taskforce ABC News, 10 March 2017.Click here.
Almost 40,000 children sought homelessness help last year Pro Bono Australia, 20 March 2017.Click here.
Government moves forward on affordable housing Pro Bono Australia, 10 March 2017.Click here.
The truth about house prices The Saturday Paper, 11-17 March 2017.Click here.
Homes for Victorians - affordability, access, choice Government of Victoria, 3 March 2017.Click here.
'Throughcare' project helping people stay out of prison (audio) ABC RN, 17 March 2017.Click here.
Events and Training
AHURI Conference - Homelessness and Housing Solutions The AHURI conference, Homelessness and Housing Solutions, is fast approaching! Register now to hear from leading researchers, policy makers and practitioners and be part of this important national conversation.
5 reasons to attend: 1. Qld Housing Minister Mick de Brenni to unveil key reforms from the State’s new 10-year housing strategy 2. One of the first major speeches from the new Federal Assistant Minister with responsibility for housing affordability 3. The launch of the final report from the AHURI Inquiry examining funding and delivery of programs to reduce homelessness 4. Two in-depth panel discussions discussing real world, best practice examples of housing and homelessness support services 5. An opportunity to network with more than 200 colleagues from across Australia
Final program confirmed The final program includes a strong line-up of industry experts and practitioners from across the social/affordable housing and homelessness sectors in Australia. Speakers will discuss current and future challenges, and debate real policy solutions. View the program and full speaker biographies.
Conference Details When: Friday, 31 March, 2017 8:00 AM – 4:15 PM Where: Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre
Merivale St & Glenelg Street, South Brisbane, Queensland 4101, Australia Cost: $375 AUD (including GST) which includes morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea.
Information/Registration: visit the conference website.
Cert IV in Child, Youth and Family Intervention (offered in Tas through ACF) The content of this course is underpinned by the extensive experience of the Australian Childhood Foundation (ACF) in models of therapeutic care- in a range of out of home care settings- and the interventions that stem from this experience and practice wisdom.
The focus of course materials will be on applying knowledge directly into the workplace and caring for children and young people who have experienced significant abuse, violence, disruption and disconnection. For more information, please contact Margaret at CatholicCare on margaret.donaghy@aohtas.org.au. Further course details to come.
Other News
National Consultation: developing an LGBTIQ Disability Strategy for the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) Are you a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, or queer [LGBTIQ] person living with disability? Are you the intimate partner/carer for an LGBTIQ person living with disability? Would you like to ensure your lived experience contributes to guiding the work of the National Disability Insurance Agency [NDIA] into the future?
You can be involved by applying to attend the Lived Experience Forum in Melbourne on 31st March, or completing the online survey before 31 march. Click on this link to find out more.
Grant Alert Commonwealth Bank Community Grant Program As part of our Community Grants program, the Commonwealth Bank will be awarding $2 million in Grassroots Grants of up to $10,000 each year for three years to youth-focused community organisations across Australia. Further information is available on the Bank’s website at www.commbank.com.au/grants. Applications close 31 March 2017.
Tasmanian Community Fund Applications for medium grants (between $20,001 and $90,000) through the Tasmanian Community Fund close at 5.00pm on 5 April 2017. Additional information and a copy of the Guidelines can be obtained from the Tasmanian Community Fund website. The Tasmanian Community Fund can also be contacted by email: admin@tascomfund.org or by phone on 6232 7269 if further assistance is required.
Thanks to all contributors for their submissions and feedback to the eNews. As content comes from many different sources, views expressed are not necessarily those of Shelter Tas. We welcome your input to the eNews - please send suggestions or articles to comm@sheltertas.org.au for consideration.