NESB Housing Taskforce NSW

NESB Housing Taskforce minutes

Wednesday 17 September 2008

Chairperson
Mary Perkins

1. Appointment of a minute-taker
Larisa Asimus

2. Attendance
Marie Hwguet-Latour
Yasmine Loupis
Cheryl Kelley
Adama Kamara
Larisa Asimus
Aynalem Tessema
Delilah Shinko
Jasmina Bajraktarevic Hayward
Helen Cooper
Mary Perkins

3. Report of meeting in May with Laurie Ferguson

Shelter NSW organised a delegation from the NESB taskforce to meet with Laurie Ferguson. The delegation included Mary Perkins, Mark Lack and Anna Samson. The delegation focused on increased entitlement to housing for humanitarian entrants, and made the following points:

• 4 weeks of initial housing for newly arrived refugees wasn’t adequate;
• hardship provisions should be introduced to assist sponsored and proposed migrants/refugees to get assistance if the sponsorship arrangements break down.

General discussion following the report of the delegation included the following points:

• women who come to Australia on visa for women at risk with many children should be given priority access to housing;
• the first barrier in housing is entitlement; the second barrier is actually getting housing.

4. Discussion items

4.1 National Affordable Housing Agreement (NAHA)

• The Commonwealth State Housing Agreement (CSHA) has financed housing services to low income people since 1945, but over the last 10+years funding to it has been curtailed.  All states and territory governments now have unsustainable funding and insufficient housing stock to meet community need.
• In the lead-up to the election, while the Labor Party made a number of commitments to addressing problems in the private market and homelessness and was critical of the previous government’s neglect of social housing, it did not make specific promises.
• It is now negotiating a new National Affordable Housing Agreement and it is very important that this agreement address the problems in social housing.
• There is a need to lobby for commitments for sufficient funding for increased and sustainable social housing. Shelter NSW has organised a letter-writing campaign asking people to write to their local members and other key ministers.
• Write to parliament and ministers, local, state and federal, encouraging them to push for increased stock. You can find a draft letter on Shelter NSW website: www.shelternsw.org.au.
• 70% of people are buying or are in their own homes, this represents a significant number of households talking about low income.
• We are addressing the needs of the minority.

4.2 Homelessness - discussion of Commonwealth Government’s direction

• PM is committed to doing something about homelessness.
• Government consulted the community with a green paper around this issue.
• Soon a white paper will be released in which the government will propose its position.
• It is important that the housing component to homelessness – ie the shortage of affordable housing – is addressed as well as the support issues.

4.3 National Housing Advocacy Day: September 25

• Coalition of national organisations has decided to go to Canberra and lobby at Parliament House.
• It would be good to back this up with lots of letters to reiterate the issue.
• It would also be good if people could get the issues mentioned in their local paper.

4.4 Issues relating to Housing NSW

• Housing NSW consultations provides an opportunity for people to raise issues about department operation status and policy.
• The previous meeting was a consultation on EAPS.
• Social housing does not have a high turnover as many people can not afford to move.
• There is more of a concentration of households with high needs in some areas and buildings.
• New housing – there are some redevelopments through trading on land with private money.
• ACCORD – agreement to tie in social housing with other social departments to guarantee support.
• People used to be given life-long leases but now leases range from 2, 5, and 10 years depending on individual needs – but not many people are being evicted as there is no where else for them to go.
• There is an evaluation strategy linked to ACCORD – community workers/organisations need to document stories of those not receiving support as evidence is needed. Need to collect information when processes don’t work.

5. Reports

5.1. Shelter NSW consultation and campaign process

• Is developing a campaign, 'Somewhere to call home', and starting regional consultations in South West Sydney (Campbelltown) and Canterbury/Bankstown.
• Will identify key priorities and then engage in a broad campaign.
• What can non-government sector do to focus on change.
• Will focus on supply, private rental market, planning, homelessness & humanitarian entrants.
• Shelter NSW website has a place where NESB taskforce can exchange documents and updates.
• Agreed that the December meeting of the NESB Housing task force would workshop the potential for contributing to the Shelter campaign.

5.2 Information exchange and reports on local action

Humanitarian network housing working party (Auburn)

• Outline was provided of the purpose of this task force by Delilah.
• Sometimes subsidy doesn’t have to come from government.
• Some organisations have equity such as property.

Western Sydney Community Forum

• Held meetings with landlords/real estate.
• Survey has been released – Mary will email details.

Auburn Council

• Housing Affordability Forum.
• Talked about some co-ops but no funding for them.
• Literature review done by Brooke Endacott – details TBA.

SydneyUniversity

• Colin James designed a program, 'CRASH', enabling the use of empty buildings for temporary housing.

St Anthony’s

• Run playgroups with Sudanese from Belmore to Blacktown.
• Working with 5 families to search for housing. Have been quite unsuccessful as there seems to be no hope. It takes a lot of hours and is very demanding.
• Private rental specialist in Housing NSW – took four months to find a family a house.
• Fairfield – has a regional housing working group.

Canterbury/Bankstown

• Documenting stories and doing a study.
• Results of survey given October 29.

6. Other business - Notices of upcoming events and issues

Benevolent Society

• Seminar on October 22 on housing affordability at Campbelltown RSL. RSVP by September 17, 2-4 pm. Mary tabled the pamphlet advertising the event.

7. Actions for next meeting

• Mary will design a pro-forma for people to document case studies for the ACCORD evaluation and private rental market issues.
• Put housing into the agenda of Federal Council of Refugee Resettlement. Yasmina will talk to them.
• Advocating that Women at Risk (Visa 204) should be given priority for housing and that that occupational therapists in housing with Minister David Borger – requires a delegation of maximum 3 people, and provide him with a briefing about WAR and OT. Centre for Refugee Research can provide research.
• Provide details for seminars/studies as highlighted above.
• Documents will be provided on Shelter NSW Website, with emailed alerts that they have been added.

Agenda for next meeting

• December 10 in Auburn, exact venue TBC.
• Report back from Shelter NSW campaign.
• Share information on successful strategies.

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Updated 14-Nov-2008