Victorian Government Homelssness Action Plan Welcomed The Victorian Government’s Homelessness Action Plan 2011-2015 was welcomed today by two of the peak bodies representing homelessness and housing in Victoria, the Council to Homeless Persons and Community Housing Federation Victoria.
CONSUMER PARTICIPATION IN HOMELESSNESS SERVICES Monday 1 August 2011 marks the start of National Homeless Persons’ Week. The Council to Homeless Persons (CHP) along with the Royal District Nursing Service is hosting an event to celebrate consumer participation in homelessness services development and provision. The event will take place at Richmond Town Hall on Monday from 10:00am to 12:00pm
18-03-11 Read CHP's March e-news online CHP's March e-news features stories about:
* Homelessness Services National Data Collection
* NRAS update
* H2020 Sector Consultation Report
* 2011 Census update
* Initiatives to end rough sleeping
* National Quality Framework
* CHP Sector Quality Survey 2008-10
* Privacy Victoria
* Threat to Victoria’s Human Rights Charter
17-02-11 Read CHP's February e-news online CHP's February e-news features stories about:
* Proposed $264 million cut to NRAS
* Council defers law to ban sleeping in cars
* Homelessness and children edition of Parity
* Join our Peer Education Support Program
* CEO position
* Pay Equity case hearings
* National Quality Framework for Homelessness
* Online survey – Rights of the Child
02-02-11 Sector bulletin: Proposed cuts to NRAS The Commonwealth Government is proposing a $264 million cut to the National Rental Affordability Scheme (NRAS) to pay for the flood relief effort. NRAS is designed to stimulate the construction of new affordable homes. This cut could reduce the number of dwellings built from 50,000 to 35,000.
We welcome the Federal Government’s quick action to provide relief to people affected by the floods. However, funding cuts to affordable housing could undermine this effort and leave more people homeless.
Please join us in calling on the Federal Government to protect investment in the NRAS.
21-12-10 Media release: Will you be home for Christmas? “At this time of year most people are home with their families celebrating, but for many Victorians there is little to celebrate if you don’t have a safe place to sleep on Christmas eve” Council to Homeless Persons Chairperson, Michael Perusco said today.
27-01-11 Read CHP's January e-news online The Council to Homeless Persons would like to express our deepest condolences to everyone who has been affected by the recent floods. There are a number of supports available to those who have been impacted...
24-01-11 Council ban would punish homeless - The Age Link to The Age website to read "Council parking ban would 'punish' homeless" story by Farah Farouque quoting James Farrell from the PILCH Homeless Persons' Legal Clinic.
"A COUNCIL move to stamp out naked backpackers frolicking in parks in the Dandenongs and Yarra Valley will also punish homeless people forced to sleep in cars, an anti-poverty advocacy group says... "
15-12-10 Read CHP's December e-news online 2010 Year-in-review
Wow, what a big year for the homelessness services sector! We’ve taken important steps toward ending homelessness in Victoria through advocacy, policy and sector development:
Over 475 supporters joined the It Takes a Home… state election campaign and worked with candidates on practical solutions to homelessness
The Victorian Homelessness 2020 Strategy re-focused emphasis on shared responsibility and whole-of-community responses to homelessness – a policy shift toward prevention, early intervention and tailored responses to homelessness
Victoria’s homelessness, family violence and housing support organisations were formally accredited and are improving outcomes with the Homelessness Assistance Service Standards, with work underway on integrated standards across DHS
CHP’s Peer Education Support Program (PESP) provided people who have experienced homelessness a powerful voice on policy and practice through conferences and submissions to government
CHP's Annual Report has more about sector achievements in 2010.
25-01-11 Letter to the Editor The Council to Homeless Persons welcomes the debate generated by the release of the Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey (Melbourne housing now ‘severely unaffordable’, The Age 24 January and The Australian dream is growing hazier, The Age 25 January).
More people than ever before are struggling to pay for their housing. This is one of the leading causes of homelessness in Victoria.
Around 42% of tenants in private rental are in housing stress, many of whom are paying way more than 50% of their income on rent. Today, there are almost 40,000 households on the waiting list for public housing and more than 20,000 Victorian men, women and children experiencing homelessness.
These figures tell us that without further action, the affordability crisis will get worse and could cause spikes in homelessness.
We welcome recent federal and state government investments in new social housing, but we need an ongoing commitment to affordable private and public housing if we are to continue making progress on preventing and ending homelessness.
CHP remains committed to the recommendations of the Victorian Parliament’s Family and Community Development Committee that we increase the proportion of social housing. Only then will everyone have access to what we are all seeking - a safe and secure place to call home.
Sarah Kahn
Council to Homeless Persons
2 Stanley Street
Collingwood, Vic 3066
Phone: (03) 9419 8699
Mobile: 0400 177 486
Email: sarah@chp.org.au
19-11-10 Read CHP's November e-news online November's e-news features stories about the upcoming CHP Annual General Meeting and the new DHS Pay Equity Implementation Reference Group.
07-10-10 Media release: Bipartisan support for public housing MEDIA RELEASE – 7 October 2010
Report shows bipartisan support for public and community housing
Housing and homelessness advocates have welcomed a bipartisan parliamentary committee’s recommendations designed to alleviate Victoria’s critical housing shortage.
The committee report recommends the Victorian Government increase the percentage of public and community housing in the state to 5 per cent by 2030.
‘Both Labor and Liberal committee members support the report’s recommendations. We are now calling on the major parties to commit to funding significant increases in social housing in their election platforms,’ said Cath Smith, VCOSS CEO
‘Increased public and community housing is critical to ending homelessness in Victoria. At a minimum we need 3,000 additional social homes every year over the life of the next Parliament,’ said Michelle Burrell, CEO of the Council to Homeless Persons. ‘These need to be funded by the Federal and State Governments.’
‘Community housing organisations can only meet the huge demand for ongoing affordable housing with long term and sustained funding commitments,’ said Jacqui Watt, CEO of the Community Housing Federation of Victoria.
‘More public and social housing is vital to resolving the housing crisis for low income Victorians. This 5 per cent target deserves bipartisan support enshrined in legislation in a similar fashion to the emissions reduction target contained in the Climate Change Act’ said Mark O’Brien, CEO of Tenant’s Union of Victoria.
The report, Inquiry into the adequacy and future directions of public housing in Victoria, by Victoria's Family and Community Development Committee, also contains other important recommendations, including minimum standards for rental housing and the introduction of inclusionary zoning, which can require new developments to include a proportion of affordable housing.
‘Inclusionary zoning will help to ensure that there is more new affordable housing in places where people want to live, close to jobs, schools and transport,’ said Cath Smith, CEO of VCOSS.
For comment contact: John Kelly, VCOSS - 0425 701 080, Michelle Burrell CHP - 0437 864 899, Jacqui Watt CHFV - 0423 044 670, Toby Archer TUV - 0417 138 471
15-09-10 Media release: Use property taxes to build homes for homeless, Victorians say An independent survey has revealed that 76% of Victorians surveyed support a proposal to allocate 10%
of state property taxes to providing homes for the homeless.
The research, commissioned by the Council to Homeless Persons (CHP) in partnership with 12 leading
homelessness and welfare organisations across Victoria, also found 89% of those surveyed believed
tackling the issues of homelessness and access to affordable housing was important. Almost half
described this as ‘very important’.
CHP Chief Executive Officer, Ms Michelle Burrell, said the results showed Victorians not only cared
deeply about homelessness, but were also prepared to contribute financially towards ending it.
“Last year the state government collected around $5 billion in property taxes. Spending just one in ten of
these dollars on homes for those in need would make an enormous contribution to tackling homelessness
in Victoria,” Ms Burrell said.
Ms Burrell today released the survey results at the launch of the It Takes A Home… campaign, which
aims to build bipartisan political support for five actions to tackle homelessness.
20-07-10 CHP Sector Bulletin: Federal election campaign The Federal election will be held on Saturday 21 August 2010 and Homelessness Australia, in partnership with CHP and the sector, has commenced an election campaign.
We need your help to ensure homelessness remains on the national agenda for all candidates during the campaign season and beyond.
View below:
* CHP Sector bulletin: FEderal election campaign
Download below:
* Homelessness Australia Election Statement 2010
* List of marginal seats
* Sample press release
16-07-10 Read our CHP July 2010 e-news online Our July 2010 e-news features a welcome to our new Policy and Communications Manager, Sarah Kahn, as well as upcoming events, rooming houses, and Eastern Metro regional spotlight.
10-06-10 Read our CHP June 2010 e-news online Our June e-news features stories about our forthcoming Homelessness & Social Inclusion Forum, and on contributing to our next edition of Parity magazine on Leaving Care and Homelessness.
New CHP Policy Advisory Group: Call for applications The direct involvement of the membership and consumers is an important and valued aspect of all of CHP’s work. In recognition of this, we are establishing a Policy Advisory Group (PAG) to provide expert advice on the policy issues and solutions which CHP should be advocating.
The PAG provides a forum for members who wish to be involved in the ongoing policy development and policy setting processes of CHP. The PAG will provide a high level, structured avenue for members to actively shape the policy setting of the organisation.
Deadline for applications: Wednesday 30 June 2010
Read our CHP May 2010 e-news Our May e-news features an update on the ASU pay equity case and news on the Victorian state budget.
04-05-10 Media release: Christmas can’t come too early for Victorians in need Christmas can’t come too early for Victorians in need
- Council to Homeless Persons, Community Housing Federation of Victoria call for stamp duty windfall to be used to ease housing pressure for needy
Victoria’s peak housing and homelessness organisations have welcomed the State Government’s continued investment in social housing and homelessness, handed down in its budget today.
The Council to Homeless Persons (CHP) and the Community Housing Federation of Victoria (CHFV) acknowledged the Government’s promise to deliver 3,800 additional permanent and transitional homes in the budget, noting that this is largely due to the significant spend on social housing under the Nation Building program, as foreshadowed last year.
“Under the stimulus package, the Victorian government will deliver 4,750 social housing units by 2012, with three quarters of these due by Christmas” said CHFV CEO, Jacqui Watt. “These homes can’t come quickly enough for the more than 23,000 Victorians experiencing homelessness”.
CHP CEO, Michelle Burrell added that despite the Government’s very welcome budget commitments, crisis and transitional housing services continue to operate at full capacity.
“While there are no specific funding announcements in this years budget, the good news is that the substantial spending forecast last year is well underway. This new social housing and homelessness support is coming on line now, and will certainly help to free up the system.
“However, given the latest data showing 35,000 adults and 23,000 children in Victorian homelessness services, the question must be: how will we sustain the investment needed to end homelessness once and for all?”
Both organisations called on the Government to consider quarantining some of its expected $5 billion revenue from property taxes for housing for disadvantaged Victorians.
“The State Government is expecting a windfall of $3.6 billion in stamp duty and $1.3 billion in land tax over the next 12 months,” said Ms Burrell. “With so many benefiting from the property boom perhaps it’s time for some of that money to be channelled back into permanent housing for Victoria’s most needy citizens.”
Ends/ends…
30-04-10 Media release: Victorian children and young women: the new faces of homelessness Victorian children and young women: the new faces of homelessness
- Homelessness services at full capacity but yet more children come
More than 23,000 Victorian children are in specialist homelessness services with one or both parents and more than 1 in 5 people receiving assistance are young women under 25, according to new figures released today.
The Council to Homeless Persons (CHP) has deplored the latest annual Supported Accommodation and Assistance Program (SAAP) figures, which showed the highest number of children on record accompanied their parents to homelessness services.
15-03-10 Read our CHP March 2010 e-news We've introduced a regular e-news bulletin for those interested in homelessness news, events and updates in Victoria. Read our latest e-news by clicking the link below.
21-04-10 Read our CHP April 2010 e-news We've introduced a regular e-news bulletin for those interested in homelessness news, events and updates in Victoria. Read our latest e-news by clicking the link below.
31-03-10 Media release: Support and stability break homelessness cycle for youth Australia’s only long-term study into youth homelessness has revealed that inter-dependence – not independence – is the key to breaking the homelessness cycle for the more than 30,000 Australians between 12 and 24 who couch-surf, sleep rough or stay in emergency accommodation every night.
The Moving Out, Moving On study shows that higher than expected numbers of young people successfully moved out of homelessness when supported by family, friends or specialist homelessness services.
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.
