News
25th January 2019 AFFORDABLE REMOVALIST
by Wombat Housing & Support Service
AMA Multiservices Pty Ltd, based in Werribee.
Charges are $70 per hour for 1 person or $90 an hour for 2 people. Contact: 0437 724 469 or 0481 288 759.
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25th January 2019 ‘CROWDING OUT’ EVIDENCE-BASED POLICY: THE CASE OF NEGATIVE GEARING
by Isla Pawson for the Tax and Transfer Policy Institute
Negative gearing is often cited as a tax concession that inequitably distorts rental housing markets. Yet despite concerns for housing affordability driving a wide array of voices calling for its reform in recent years, negative gearing has remained largely durable throughout. How can we account for the continued inclusion of negative gearing in Australia’s housing tax settings given the wealth of evidence that demonstrates its poor policy record? It is now widely accepted that negative gearing, as it applies in housing, performs poorly on conventional tests of efficiency and equity. As a housing subsidy, negative gearing is entirely untargeted. While the rationale for negative gearing centres on the claim that it encourages housing investment, the vast bulk of rental property acquisition involves existing properties. In 2017, less than 10 per cent of investor property loans were for newly-built homes. The overwhelming impact of negative gearing is therefore to distort the market by inflating demand for a fixed supply of dwellings, with only a negligible contribution to new housing supply. Moreover, negative gearing is a highly iniquitous way of supporting the housing market. According to research, those in wealthier occupations are much more likely to access the concessions offered by negative gearing than people on low-middle incomes. The overriding distributional impact of negative gearing is therefore an upward redistribution of income, compounding the regressive tendencies of Australia’s housing tax settings. Negative gearing is also expensive. Together with associated Capital Gains Tax relief for rental investors, negative gearing costs Australian taxpayers nearly $12 billion per year. Its continued inclusion in the housing tax system sits uncomfortably alongside longstanding commitments to deficit reduction. Click here for the full article: http://www.austaxpolicy.com/crowding-evidence-based-policy-case-negative-gearing/
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24th January 2019 SECTOR SLAMS SOCIAL HOUSING SPENDING AT ALL LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT
by Pro Bono
Victoria spends less than any other state in Australia on social housing, new research shows, with the community housing sector labelling the figures a “damning insight” into years of neglect on the issue from both state and federal governments. On Tuesday, the Australian Productivity Commission released the Report on Government Spending (RoGS), with key findings revealing Victoria spent just $530 million on social housing, behind New South Wales ($1.37 billion), Queensland ($629 million) and Western Australia ($829 million). Taking population growth into account, Victoria’s spend per person on social housing was $82.94 in 2017-18, compared to the national average of $166.93.
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24th January 2019 ARDOCH SCHOOL COSTS GUIDE
by Ardoch School
The attached Ardoch School Costs Guide is intended to support parents, carers and those who care about children’s education and ensuring that they have everything they need to learn and
realise their potential.
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24th January 2019 MATERIAL AID GUIDE
by North and West Children's Resource Coordinators
See the attached guide to some material aid options in Melbourne.
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24th January 2019 HOUSING AFFORDABILITY IN VICTORIA
by Dr Kate Raynor for the Parliament of Victoria
This paper has been produced for the Parliament of Victoria to outline the impact of a changing housing market is impacting on the way Victorians live. This paper provides insights into housing affordability and housing stress in Australia, and specifically in Victoria, over the last decade.
In particular: - Victoria's population is growing rapidly and is increasingly urbanised;
- More people are renting;
- Fewer young people are entering home ownership and they are doing it later;
- Housing is becoming more unaffordable; and
- More people are experiencing housing stress and taking on greater debt burdens.
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24th January 2019 WALK IN HER SHOES TOUR
The 'Walk in her Shoes' tours aim to provide participants with a sense of the experience of applying for an intervention order and the court process involved, including an understanding of the support services available at court. Tours are being offered at the Melbourne Magistrates' Court and the Sunshine Magistrates' Court. Bookings are essential.
Melbourne Magistrates' Court dates:
5th Feb, 5th Mar, 9th Apr, 7th May, 4th Jun, 9th Jul, 8th Aug,
3rd Sep, 8th Oct, 12th Nov, 3rd Dec
Contact Emma Taylor on 9628 7774 or Emma.Taylor@courts.vic.gov.au
Sunshine Magistrates' Court dates:
15th Feb, 5th Apr, 21st Jun, 16th Aug, 25th Oct, 6th Dec
Contact Karen Field on 9300 6274 or karen.field@courts.vic.gov.au
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5th November 2018 STAYINN COBURG: INSIDE MELBOURNE'S WORST REVIEWED HOTEL
by Rohan Smith in news.com.au
RUBBISH piles up inside rooms at a motel in Melbourne’s north and visitors rarely open their doors. When they do, they reluctantly hand over rent.
The reviews are devastatingly honest. “This place is junky city … never staying in this flea invested (sic) sh*t box they call a motel,” reviewer Kyle Windebank wrote. “Terrible place. Police there every day. Other residents all druggies. Would not stay again,” Richard Williams wrote. “If you would like to visit the worst hotel on the planet, here you are,” Michael Johnson wrote. This is the StayInn Motel in Coburg, 11km north of the Melbourne CBD. In July last year, it was the site of a shooting when an argument over money spiralled out of control. A new documentary from the team at VICE saw filmmakers spend four months at the motel exploring the reasons behind the negative reviews and the characters who call it “home” — in the truest sense of the word. Though the StayInn still functions as a commercial motel, it also functions as crisis accommodation, offering rooms to those who need it most. To watch the documentary, click here. The Stay Inn will also air on SBS VICELAND later in November. To read the full article click here.
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11th October 2018 SHADOW FEDERAL MINISTER FOR HOUSING PROMOTES INCLUSIONARY ZONING
by Western Homelessness Networker
Senator the Hon Doug Cameron, Shadow Minister for Housing, outlined yesterday Labor's housing policy for the forthcoming Federal election. Senator Cameron was speaking at a consulation on women, housing and homelessness, organised by Ged Kearney MP, Member for Cooper. Senator Cameron strongly endorsed the mandating of inclusionary zoning in new private developments, citing inclusionary zoning rates as high as 50% in London. Senator Cameron also identified that the Labor Government will be focussing on the creation of housing options for older women and for young people leaving care. He also promoted an end to negative gearing and capital gains tax, a uniform vacancy tax, improved planning arrangements, support for the bond aggregator, with the additional of payments to address the gap between the development of community housing and the rent that someone in receipt of Centrelink payments can pay. Senator Cameron also identified that, if elected, the Labor Government would re-establish the Housing Supply Council and a National homelessness peak body.
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11th October 2018 50 LIVES 50 HOMES HOUSING FIRST PROJECT
by Australian Policy Online
The 50 Lives 50 Homes project (hereafter referred to as 50 Lives) is a Housing First and collective impact response to ending homelessness in Perth, and the first of its kind in Western Australia. The project commenced in 2015 and takes a collaborative approach to house and provide support for Perth’s most vulnerable people experiencing homelessness. This second evaluation report describes the progress to date of the 50 Lives project in relation to housing and supporting vulnerable rough sleepers. Click here for a link to the article and report
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8th August 2018 HOMELESSNESS WEEK STALL IN NORTHERN HOSPITAL
by Northern Homelessness Networker
The DPV Health Homelessness Team, with support from Whittlesea Community Connections and Have Home Safe Preston, have run an information stall at Northern Hall all week.
The stall will be open until 4pm on Friday 9 August.
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1st December 2017 SUPPORT AND SAFETY HUBS STATEWIDE CONCEPT PAPER
by NIFVs
Support and Safety Hubs Statewide Concept Paper
The Statewide Concept for Support and Safety Hubs, was released recently by the Victorian Government. The Concept outlines design features of the Hubs, including access pathways and key functions.
The next stage will be the development of the practice framework, operational model and management and government structures. These will be informed by statewide and local co-design. A local Hub establishment group will be developed in the coming month to establish a launch site in the North-East Melbourne area. more
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