09-03-10 Media release: Opportunity to end discrimination against homeless Victorians passed up Opportunity to end discrimination against homeless Victorians passed up
Victoria’s peak homelessness body today expressed disappointment that the new Equal Opportunity Act would not include a provision to prohibit discrimination on the basis of homelessness.
Council to Homeless Persons CEO, Ms Michelle Burrell, said the danger in omitting homelessness from the Act was perpetuating the message that “it’s OK to treat someone who is homeless unfairly," Ms Burrell said.
“We’re obviously disappointed that the Government has passed up this historic opportunity to protect people experiencing homelessness from discrimination.
“We cannot understand why such a simple, yet significant step in reducing the harm caused by homelessness has been passed by.
“While it is unlawful to discriminate against someone on the basis of race, gender, age, sexuality, disability or other personal characteristics it remains legitimate under Victorian law to refuse someone service or employment because they are homeless.
“This is blatantly unfair and allows employers, shop keepers, doctors, transport providers and other services to turn people away if they do not have a permanent address and to treat people who ‘look homeless’, with impunity.”
16-02-10 Media release: Ending homelessness – when the going gets tough, we need to get going Victoria’s peak homelessness body today urged political leaders to commit to a bipartisan approach towards ending homelessness.
The new CEO of the Council to Homeless Persons, Ms Michelle Burrell, called on parliamentarians to renew their focus on finding solutions to the issue that Prime Minister Rudd has described as a ‘national obscenity'.
27-01-10 ABC Radio National - Triple J story on youth homelessness ABC Radio National
Triple J Hack program
27/01/2010
High School and Homeless
So you might be heading back to school today and in-between your groans, maybe pay a thought for people like Andy.
She's intelligent, outgoing and like thousands of other young people going back to high school today, she's homeless.
Imagine trying to juggle year 12 as well as working out where you're going to rest your head for the night.
We met her a few months back, here's what she had to say.
Irene Scott
16-12-09 Homelessness is never a willing choice Letter to the Editor: The Council to Homeless Persons takes issue with Lord Mayor Robert Doyle’s recent comment that “There will always be those who choose not to have a roof over their heads” (Melbourne Times - City council pledges to get people home, and homes 9.12.09).
17-12-09 Victorians encouraged to share Christmas giving with homeless Media release - The Council to Homeless Persons today invited fellow Victorians to open their hearts and contribute to people experiencing homelessness this Christmas.
Includes list of venues and organisations offering free Christmas lunches.
30-10-09 Community campaign welcomes Government action on rooming houses The “Call This A Home?” campaign has welcomed the Victorian Government’s much anticipated response to the Rooming House Standards Task Force recommendations.
The Tenants Union of Victoria (TUV), the Council to Homeless Persons (CHP), Victorian
Council of Social Services (VCOSS) and the Community Housing Federation of Victoria
(CHFV) participated in the task force and fully support the final recommendations as a
necessary and comprehensive suite of reforms. We believe the recommendations will help ensure rooming houses operating in Victoria provide affordable and appropriate accommodation to low income Victorians.
16-10-09 No evictions, no moves for families to reduce childhood homelessness, says report The Does Camping Count? report highlights children’s experience of homelessness and significant
recommendations to reduce the impact of homelessness on children.
The report highlights the social, health and educational impacts of
homelessness on children. The Salvation Army Crossroads Network
commissioned this research in partnership with Council to Homeless Persons,
Family Access Network, Melbourne Citymission and the University of
Melbourne.
06-07-09 Media release: Welfare groups challenge Government to tackle 'slumlords' A coalition of peak welfare groups and agencies are challenging the Victorian Government to take on a growing number of ‘slumlords’ who are operating unsafe, overcrowded and often squalid private rooming houses and exploiting thousands of the state’s most vulnerable citizens.
The Tenants Union of Victoria (TUV), the Council to Homeless Persons (CHP), Victorian Council of Social Service (VCOSS) and the Community Housing Federation of Victoria (CHFV) have joined forces under the “Call This A Home?” campaign to expose the seamy underside of Victoria’s lucrative private rooming house market, which has exploded in the past 12 months due to the shortage of affordable housing.
Call This A Home? is calling on the State Government to introduce minimum standards and licensing for private rooming houses and greater penalties for non-compliance, to stamp out rogue operators and protect an estimated 2,000 Victorians from harassment, violence, unlawful eviction, overcrowding, unsafe housing and exposure to illegal activities.
Media resource - Guidelines for reporting on homelessness The CHP has produced these media guidelines for reporting on homelessness to help break down some of the stereotypes and stigma associated with homelessness and assist journalists to report accurately and fairly on the issue.
Media resource: Homelessness in Victoria - Key contacts The Council to Homeless Persons has compiled this list as a resource for journalists seeking interviews
and information on homelessness in Victoria. The list includes the Victorian Homelessness Network Coordinators, organisations represented on our Board, organisations we work closely with, and other key organisations providing services to people experiencing homelessness in Victoria.
05-05-09 Vic Govt takes first step to deliver homelessness strategy The Council to Homeless Persons (CHP) today welcomed the Victorian Government’s leadership in investing $104.8 million over four years as part of a first step to halving homelessness in this state by 2020.
30-04-09 CHP hails Victorian homelessness strategy announcement Homelessness peak body hails Victorian strategy
The Australian Government’s ambitious target of halving homelessness by 2020 took a step towards being realised, with the announcement today of a Victorian homelessness strategy by the State Government.
The Council to Homeless Persons (CHP) hailed the announcement by Minister for Housing, Richard Wynne, and praised the Minister and the Victorian Government for showing strong leadership on the issue of homelessness.
03-04-09 Governments must act now on record levels of child homelessness The Council to Homeless Persons (CHP) has called on Governments to deliver promised action on homelessness as a matter of urgency, following the release today of new figures showing family homelessness continues to increase and has reached a critical point.
03-02-09 Historic re-birth of housing investment Media release - The Council to Homeless Persons (CHP) today welcomed the Australian Government’s $6 billion Commonwealth Social Housing Initiative to fund 20,000 public and community housing dwellings by 2010.
18-12-08 Victoria's homeless face bleak Christmas Media release - Forget cutting back on the turkey and pudding this year – more than 23,000 homeless Victorian men, women and children will face this Christmas day without even basic food or shelter.
04-12-08 Peak body welcomes Government pledge on homelessness Media release - The Council to Homeless Persons today welcomed the Australian Council of Government’s pledge to halve homelessness, end ‘rough sleeping’ and improve housing outcomes for youth at risk of homelessness.
31-07-08 Sector welcomes fairer go for homeless The Council to Homeless Persons has welcomed proposed legislative changes that will make it illegal to discriminate against people experiencing homelessness.
24-05-08 Australia well placed for homelessness plan A new report from the Council to Homeless Persons (CHP) has warned that
although Australia is better placed to tackle homelessness than the US, Canada
and some European countries, urgent action is required to avoid the escalating
problems now facing other Western countries.
22-05-08 Sector calls for greater vision from Green Paper A coalition of key Australian homelessness peak bodies today welcomed the release of the Federal Government Green Paper on homelessness but called for greater vision and a robust consultation process.
23-04-07 National Youth Commission in Melbourne Media release - As the federal election draws near, the recently launched National Youth Commission Inquiry into Youth Homelessness gathers pace, arriving in Melbourne today having already conducted hearings in Sydney, Brisbane, Canberra, Darwin, Alice Springs, Geelong, Warrnambool, Townsville and Wagga Wagga.
01-04-07 Aspirational or Authoritative? Human rights and young homeless people Article
This article appeared in YACVic's newsletter YIKES, Vol 5, Edition 2, April 2007
Aspirational or Authoritative?
Human Rights and Young Homeless People
With this special National Youth Conference edition of YIKES, it is timely to reflect on some of the major themes that were recently discussed at a youth homelessness forum hosted by the Council to Homeless Persons (the Council) on March 9 at the Melbourne Town Hall. Many of these themes will be revisited in May at the National Youth Conference convened by YACVic.
08-03-07 Human Rights Forum and National Youth Homelessness Inquiry Media release - With more than 36,000 Australians between 12-24 experiencing homelessness on any given night, the Council to Homeless Persons welcomes a new national inquiry, launched by Professor Burdekin.
