Shelter Tas would like to congratulate all the Social Housing students for graduating and receiving their Certficate IV in Social Housing and Diploma of Social Housing units.
Pictured with Lynden Pennicott from Housing TAS and Pattie Chugg from Shelter TAS.
Anglicare’s Rental Affordability Snapshot
Anglicare has released their annual snapshot collecting information on 1,842 rental properties advertised across the State on the weekend of the 11th and 12th April 2015. Of these properties, only a small proportion were affordable for people who depend on Centrelink payments as their main source of income, highlighting the difficulties low income families face when looking for housing in the private rental market. To access the Tasmanian and National reports click here.Future for National Peak
National Shelter will continue to advocate for vulnerable people and a better housing system, despite the Commonwealth Government’s decision to withdraw funding from peak and advocacy bodies including National Shelter, Homelessness Australia and the Community Housing Federation of Australia (CHFA) as of 30 June 2015. The National Shelter Council Meeting in Brisbane on 30 and 31 March 2015 resolved to continue operations using their current structure until at least December 2016. This extension of the work program and staffing arrangements beyond the funded period will rely on the successful pursuit of a fundraising and sustainability strategy.
Planned project areas include:
• A National Rental Affordability Index
• The impact of house price inflation on States and the low cost rental market
• Innovative and practical policy responses in housing affordability, drawing on a coalition of housing peaks from both the community and private sectors.
If you are interested in partnering on any of these projects, please contact Adrian Pisarski via emailadrian.pisarski@shelter.org.au or phone 0417 975 270.
Your Human Services Progress Chart
The Your Human Services Progress Chart provides a wide range of information about the performance of Tasmania’s human services system. The report found that the public housing wait list has increased from last year. The wait list at 31 December 2014 was 2,948, an increase of 43.5% compared to the previous year. The period coincided with the introduction of the new housing help system ‘Housing Connect’, which may have encouraged more people to seek assistance, as it provides a portal for all enquiries in relation to housing including private rentals. Click here to access the full report.
Affordable Housing Strategy Survey – Draft Recommendations
Housing Tas is seeking feedback on the Affordable Housing Strategy Draft Recommendations. The survey will take between 15 to 30 minutes to complete depending on the amount of feedback you wish to give. Click hereto begin the survey, comments are requested by Wednesday 6th May.
National Housing Conference 2015 opening doors…
The National Housing Conference 2015 is now calling for abstracts. This is your opportunity to share your work and actively participate in the conference program. The submission deadline is Friday 15 May 2015 and places for abstracts in the program are limited. To view the draft program timetableclick here. The conference will be held in Perth from Wednesday 28th October to Friday 30th October.
Abstracts are invited that address the following program themes:
Reform of the Federation
Reform of Australia’s Tax System
Social impact investment in housing
Housing and labour markets/economic productivity
The housing continuum
Indigenous economic participation and housing
What does a future Australian city look like?
Evaluating early intervention and prevention in homelessness
The new sharing economy
NDIS and housing.
To find out more about the submission process, learn about the conference experience streams, or to submit your abstract, visit the Call for abstracts page. For all other conference details, visitwww.nhc.edu.au.
Shelter Tas’ New website
Our new website is finally here! We hope you find it informative and easy to use. There are still some improvements to come (such as great document sharing options) and the inevitable technical issues to resolve, so please let us know if you come across any problems so we can fix them up as soon as possible. If there is a document on our old website which has not yet been transferred across to the archive, please let us know and we can forward it to you. Go to sheltertas.org.au.
Factoid of the Week I Domestic & Family Violence
Domestic and family violence is the number one reason why people present to specialist homelessness services, with 55% of female clients citing this reason; a total of 25% of all clients.
Source: Homelessness Australia (2013), Homelessness and Women fact sheet, Homelessness Australia. Cited in Anglicare Australia, 2015, Anglicare Australia Rental Affordability Snapshot, Canberra.
Media Releases
Building a community at Queens Walk
Minister for Human Services, Friday 1 May 2015. Click here.
New group home to help Tasmanians living with a disability
Minister for Human Services, Friday 1 May 2015. Click here.
Rental crisis illustrated by by Anglicare snapshot
National Shelter, Thursday 30 April 2015. Click here.
Ex-prisoner housing support to continue through Housing Connect
Minister for Human Services, Monday 27 April 2015. Click here.
Research and Articles
Public housing waiting list in Tasmania blows out by 900 to almost 3000 people
ABC News, 21 April 2015. Click here.
Housing affordability crisis
ABC Lateline, 23 April 2015. Click here.
I just want a place to call my own
The Examiner, 21 April 2015. Click here.
Axing Tasmanian housing scheme for ex-prisoners will affect public safety, former minister says
ABC News, 28 April 2015. Click here.
Social Housing Change in Tasmania
HousingWORKS, March 2015. Click here.
How housing affordability hurts women and kids fleeing violence
The Conversation, 29 April 2015. Click here.
The relationship between intergenerational transfers, housing and economic outcomes
Australian Policy Online, 27 April 2015. Click here.
Project targets CALD seniors at risk of homelessness
Australian Ageing Agenda, 24 April 2015. Click here.
NFP’s Hit Out at Funding Process During Senate Inquiry
Pro Bono Australia, 21 April 2015. Click here.
Events and Training
National Day to Remember Candle Lighting Ceremony
National Day to Remember Candle Lighting Ceremonies will be held in Hobart and Launceston on Wednesday 6th May 2015. The Hobart service will be held at 5:30pm at Frankiln Square, Macquarie St. The Launceston service will be held between 6pm – 7pm at Princes Park, Charles St. The annual vigil is held in memory of those that have died as a result of domestic and family violence.
White Ribbon Regional Forum – Hobart
White Ribbon Australia will host a series of regional forums across Australia showcasing a whole of society, whole of community approach to long term change in the prevention of violence against women. The Hobart forum will be held on Monday 25th May at C3 Convention Centre, Anglesea St, South Hobart. To purchase tickets click here.
Save the date – Practice, Service, System & Community Transformation Conference
The Practice, Service, System & Community Transformation Conference is for people living with mental illness, families, friends, community groups, community members, service providers and policy makers. It will be an opportunity for people from all walks of life and support areas with broad experiences to come together to consider and contribute to ‘how we can be the best we can be’. The conference will be held from Monday 15th June to Wednesday 17th June 2015 at the Tailrace Centre, Riverside, Launceston. Registrations are required and will be opening soon. For more information contact Partners in Recovery Tasmania 1300 827 747 or email info@pirtasmania.com.au.
TasCOSS State Budget Briefing
The TasCOSS State Budget Briefing will follow the Budget Lock-Up at 4:30pm on Thursday 28th May 2015 in Hobart. TasCOSS staff will provide an immediate analysis followed by a presentation and Q&A with The Hon Jacquie Petrusma, Minister for Human Services. To register click here.
Building Confidence and Budgeting Program – Ulverstone
Housing Choices Tasmania is running an eight-week Building Confidence and Budgeting Program workshop starting Tuesday 12th May 2015 at Ulverstone Neighbourhood House, 8/10 Lugana Crescent, West Ulverstone.
Workshop topics include:
Practical confidence skills
Preparing for job interviews
Finding the right words to say
Saving on everyday living costs.
Find out more or contact Kathryn at Housing Choices Tasmania 1300 312 447 to RSVP.
Working With People Who Hoard One Day Workshop
Presented by Angela Esnouf, from Creating Order from Chaos, and Wendy Hanes CPO-CD, from Skeletons in the Closet, this course is for everyone who works with people who hoard.
The course will be offered on the following dates:
Launceston: Monday 11th May 2015, Room 28, Inveresk Tramsheds Burnie: Monday 13th May, ‘The Point’ West Park Oval, Parklands Hobart: Monday 19th May 2015, Blundstone Arena, Century Room, Bellerive
Rent Rant
The latest edition of Rent Rant, The Tenants’ Union of Tasmania’s (ir)regular newsletter is now available. Click here to read the latest edition.Financial Literacy Australia (FLA) Grants Program
The Financial Literacy Australia (FLA) Grants Program supports not-for-profit organisations to advance financial literacy in Australia. In 2015, FLA expects to allocate up to $1.4 million in grants. Expressions of Interest close on Friday 29th May. Click here for more information.
ACST State Conference – Call for papers and short presentations
The Organising Committee for the Aged and Community Services (ACST) State Conference 2015 invites you to submit an Expression of Interest to present a paper or short presentation at the conference to be held on the 19th and 20th November at the Country Club Casino, Launceston. The theme of the conference is “Reform and Reality – exploring the theory and the real outcomes of system change”. Expressions of interest close on Friday 29th May 2015. For more information click here.
