Presentation to Shelter NSW seminar
HOUSING DOLLARS, SOCIAL VALUE: THE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC OUTCOMES OF PUBLIC AND COMMUNITY HOUSING
Sydney, 5 July 2005

PLANNING AND PARTNERING TO BREAK THE CYCLE OF DISADVANTAGE

Jane Woodruff, UnitingCare Burnside

Using a results-based accountability framework there are two questions we can ask about the benefits of social housing

1.   does it make a difference?, and

2.   what happens if it does not exist?

(I am taking social housing to have the following characteristics: reasonable standard; adequate security; and affordable price.)

Some answers to these 2 questions are woven through my paper.  The comments in this paper derive from my experience working with UnitingCare Burnside but the sort of work we do is done by many agencies, and none of it is possible without the involvement and support of the people who use our services, in this instance, the public housing tenants

Burnside's experience is mainly in public housing estates - five in South West Sydney, Doonside, Bidwill and Rydalmere, Gosford and Wyong, Fairfield and East Dubbo.  In most of those estates we have a family centre - a soft entry point for all families, with a range of wrap-round services provided by Burnside staff and volunteers and other agencies through co-location, running non-government programs together, working in and with local schools etc.  We also have a range of youth services that both operate separately and link to the family centres. 

For example we are running a drop in centre for young people and their parents in one of the Macquarie Park high schools, have an extensive program for 0-12s that encompasses drama, art, self esteem, groups etc in Minto, work with 9 primary schools in the Rydalmere area to provide tutoring and after school homework groups for children in the middle years of school and through them supported playgroups for their younger siblings and a range of groups and counselling for their parents; bring TAFE into the centres to run literacy, computer, first aid and other classes for parents, run father's groups for father's that have weekend custody of their children (and have nowhere to go) and run the largest physical education club in NSW for girls in Airds/Bradbury.

What we want for people, and what they want for themselves is hope, resilience and opportunity.

Our experience is that the achievements are amazing and celebratory - for example the mother with a severe disability receiving a certificate the other day for 5 years of hard work to establish the Dream Park at Claymore and who has taken herself back to school so she can be literate, support her son's education and write her story; or the women of the Newpin program in Doonside and Bidwill who have got themselves out of the DoCS child protection system and chronic domestic violence and gone on to complete their welfare training and become employed as befrienders to support other women.

What works is a holistic approach - child, family and community, and a belief that people want the best for their children.  This is in sharp contrast to many government policies and espoused views about individualism, bad behaviour and abuse.

However what makes a holistic approach possible is social housing - it is the bedrock on which you can build.  I believe there have been significant benefits for people in living in areas where numbers justify an integrated family centre model - they are less isolated, they build real pride in their communities, children are close to other children and extended families, resources can be shared (for example clothing exchanges etc), people work on safety issues together and people find other local people to whom they can turn in times of difficulty.  Remember the Sure Start program mantra of '.within pram pushing distance'  This is extremely difficult to achieve in Australia and we all know the importance of transport by minibus, but the principle remains.

One of the interesting things that is happening in Minto (and more about the redevelopment later) is that an increasing number of non-public housing families are accessing the services.  What these people have in common is isolation, young children and a desire to find out why a seemingly mad group of people, including a baby health nurse with a set of baby scales, is setting up a colourful and attractive playgroup in the middle of a park in Macquarie Fields, or Minto or Wauchope.

I don't know whether the same sort of closeness can be achieved with greater social mix and the devolution of the public housing estates.  But I do know that if people do not have secure and affordable housing, with the best will in the world they will find the social systems that control their lives impenetrable and problems will escalate.

It is not only families that are affected

The experience from our two SAAP funded services, in Macarthur and Dubbo, is that homeless young people experience

> lack of knowledge of the system and the policies

>    lack of information and not knowing where to go

>    mental health/health/drug and alcohol issues

>    poor self esteem

>    family breakdown, domestic violence or other abuses

>    illiteracy

>    need for additional support

>    lack of income or limited income

>    high unemployment

>    discrimination due to age, gender, being a single parent, etc.

.and these young people are our future!

What works is a friendly accessible environment, approachable workers and flexible procedures, and a range of local partnerships that work at the levels of individuals, target groups, communities and policy.  For example a Department of Housing officer has been coming to the Drum in Macarthur once a fortnight over a number of years to provide an outreach service to the young people.  Housing and non-housing outcomes have improved.  By enhancing the capacity to assess need and provide accurate information about housing options within a friendly, respectful environment many young people have increased their trust in both government and non-government agencies.  Issues are resolved speedily and feeling respected and trusted can provide an impetus to change behaviour away from frustration and resentment.

From research done in 2005, Phibbs and Young found that people moving into public housing  felt more stable, their stress levels declined and they had additional disposable income.  64% of the respondents (350 respondents) felt public housing was a better deal than their previous accommodation - previously a large proportion of them had been in private rental with Commonwealth Rental Assistance,  Educational stability increased and educational progress improved.

Public or social housing may not be an end in itself in terms of tackling intergenerational poverty and related neglect, poor educational outcomes, low levels of employment, poorer health outcomes, etc., but it is of huge significance.

Burnside and many other agencies start from the premise that it is possible to make a difference, and perhaps, even more importantly, that it is worth while working with families on the ground, where they live and building on their strengths and skills.  Often people do not see themselves as having any strengths at all.  They do not think of the sheer tenacity required to manage financially as a single parent, get the children to school each day and to bed each night.  On these strengths you can build hope, resilience and opportunity.

The policy framework in which we are operating does not seem much interested in working with individuals to make a difference, at least not in any co-ordinated fashion.  If we take the example of the redevelopment of Minto, all the benefits of public housing are being stripped away - security and reasonable standards are threatened.  As I'm sure you know many of these people have lived in the area for 25 years or longer. 

If we take the recently announced tenancy changes - affordability and security is threatened and we are making changes in an environment that is devoid of an affordable housing policy or strategies for the replacement of social housing in other areas (other than an agreement that it will happen).

The residents and agencies  involved in the regeneration of the St Michael's public housing estate in Dublin, Ireland,  have published a set of principles for a community vision ('A community vision for the regeneration of St Michael's Estate', 2002).  They are not rocket science but they are worth remembering

§ treat us as a community

§ the regeneration will be holistic, integrated, comprehensive and see the estate in its entirety

§ the process will be democratic and inclusive

§ the process will include residents from start to finish

§ the process will be one of equality between the community and the state agencies

§ we will meet the highest ethical standards

§ we will be ahead of our time and visionary

§ the regeneration will deliver a gold standard model of housing, facilities and amenities

§ the information and plans will be of substantial depth and quality and will be truthful, comprehensible, accessible and transparent to the community

§ consultation will continue until the regeneration is complete.  Consultation is an ongoing and continuous process

§ the consultation will have a clearly mapped out timeframe and set of criteria

(The Department of Housing uses 2 terms - regeneration and community renewal.  Irrespective of whether people are to be relocated and major redevelopment is planned, these principles apply.)

I have been tremendously impressed by

§ the work of non-government agencies - WILMA Women's Health Centre drumming group, the Animation Project run by St Vincent  de Paul , and the joint work done by the Benevolent Society and Burnside (Wheely Good Fun - that playgroup in the park), to name just a few.

§ the resilience of the tenants themselves

§ the way people rally with pride, volunteer, attend interminable meetings, and celebrate their successes

I have been, and am challenged by

§ the way many agencies and organisations seem to think they are doing people a favour by letting them rent a house or live in the area at all

§ the judgemental attitude of politicians and other people who should know better

§ the apparent inability of regional govt people to co-ordinate, plan for infrastructure, redevelopment or service system changes

§ the emphasis on deficits rather than strengths

I think it is quite clear what is needed, and it is needed whether people live in congregate public housing estates or in more isolated arrangements.  If people have secure, affordable and adequate housing we really do know what works and how to make the difference. 

In the words of the residents of the St Michael's estate, we need

§ information

§ consultation

§ to decide together

§ to act together, and

§ support for independent initiatives

This is hardly beyond the capacity of a sophisticated State such as NSW.  What we can achieve together is hope, resilience and opportunity.