NESB Housing Taskforce NSW

NESB Housing Taskforce minutes

Wednesday 8 August 2007

Attendance

Maureen Kingshot, Izeta Zecevic, Kyunga Jung, Amanda Thompson, Vanessa Whittington, Louise Scuderi, Maeve Brown, Sherrill, Jasmina Bajraktarevic-Hayward

Chair

Maureen Kingshott

Minute taker

Vanessa Whittington, Jasmina Bajraktarevic-Hayward

Apologies

Mary Perkins

Review of notes from last meeting

• Nil

4. Items for Discussion

4.1 Liaison meeting with DOH

• Next meeting Wednesday 29 August, 1.30 pm at Ashfield DOH. Members of this Taskforce encouraged to attend, but please inform Mary Perkins at Shelter in advance.

Issues for agenda:

• Request Commonwealth State Housing Agreement (CSHA) update

• Update on Reshaping Public Housing including progress with devising methodology for assessing complex housing need. Are bands being used? And what progress has been made with accord with other state governments?

5. Reports

5.1 Refugee Support Network meeting

• Refugee housing strategy raised but no resolution. Parramatta MRC doing some work but no details available. Marl Lack involved- may be preparing a paper.

5.2 CSHA

• Howard government’s media release tabled about future of public housing. In short it blames the states for problems, and indicates that Government is throwing next CSHA open to private and non-government sector in addition to state governments. Current CSHA valid until June 08. The Government has called for expressions of interest from all of above “for their proposals and ideas on new & innovative approaches to using the available funds to increase affordable housing supply”. The Government states that the new approach is intended to “ensure housing is available for those most in need including low-middle income earners, indigenous Australians and older people” www.facs.gov.au/internet/minister3.nsf/content/public_housing_26jul07.htm

• With regard to above, FaCSIA has issued a Request for Information on Increasing the Social Housing Supply. Submissions are invited from range of parties including NGOs. Information is requested on new and more cost-effective ways to increase the supply of social housing, for groups such as the above and other groups in need of assistance. Submissions should be received by COB September 28 2007. To make a submission, register with FaCSIA to receive an information pack containing an application form- socialhousing@facsia.gov.au , hotline 1800 047 482 or See http://www.facs.gov.au/internet/facsinternet.nsf/aboutfacs/programs/house-social_housing.htm

• Note that this is a request for information not a request to submit a tender.

• The Shelter Board is intending to meet to discuss doing a community housing sector response. Meeting discussed that it would be useful if Shelter was able to provide ‘set of principles’ response for the information of the housing sector, to aid in groups developing a unified response on key issues, as this development has the potential to significantly change the provision of public housing, and consequences could be both positive and negative.

• NESB Housing Taskforce members present expressed interest in preparing a submission to FaCSIA on this issue. Vanessa Whittington from STARTTS offered to coordinate this. Members of the Taskforce are asked to send comments and any relevant background material to vanessa.whittington@sswahs.nsw.gov.au. Mary Perkins is requested to email all members of the Taskforce letting them know this is occurring, with the request to email comments to Vanessa. Agencies are also free to prepare additional individual responses on behalf of their organisations. In order for a draft to be circulated for comment, Vanessa will need your input by Friday 14 September.

5.3 Advocacy Training 12 September

MDAA, on behalf of Taskforce, is offering a 1 day workshop ‘Being an effective advocate for housing- skills strategies & tricks of the trade- 10- 3 pm, 12 Sept at ACL Auburn College, 3 Mary St Auburn. Comments were offered on the draft flier.

Possibility of an individual workshop just for STARTTS staff was discussed. Barbel to liaise with Jasmina about this.

Cheryl will forward the flier to SGP workers. Mary Perkins will forward to the NESB Housing Taskforce list. Cheryl will also send to RSN members.

6. General Business

6.1 Review of community housing

The paper on this topic is available on the Shelter Website. Shelter comments on the paper are also available. The original paper was put out by the Office of Community Housing.

6.2 Review of the Housing Appeals Committee

This is in progress. There might be more information on the Shelter website. There is a suggestion that the Committee might become more formally independent from the Department.

Both 6.1 and 6.2 to be placed on the agenda for the meeting with Department of Housing.

6.3 ACOSS Australia Fair Campaign

Shelter is trying to advance the concept of “Fair Housing”. If anyone is interested go to the www.australiafair.org.au.

6.4 Housing Affordability Summit

Cheryl was interested in what was covered at the Summit. Shelter Chair, Chris martin, attended.

Maureen suggested that the Summit put affordable housing firmly on the federal agenda. It is a big issue along with the general costs of living. ALP Paper is available and can be found on their website. It appears reasonable with doable suggestions focussing on what federal government should be doing to keep the prices down. Negative gearing takes the prices up. The paper is worth a read.

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Updated 23-Aug-2007