News
24th July 2015 MINISTER MORRISON ACKNOWLEDGES HOUSING STRESS
by Pro Bono
Housing failures are at the centre of most social service challenges in Australia, the Federal Social Service Minister Scott Morrison warned in a speech in Melbourne on Wednesday.
The Minister said a lack of housing stock and affordability is a sign that federation "is failing us", in a speech on Positive Welfare and Compassionate Conservatism to the Institute of Public Affairs in Melbourne.
“You will find housing failures at the centre of most social service challenges. It is either a cause or consequence,” he said.
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24th July 2015 CHILDREN'S RESOURCE PROGRAM BROKERAGE REFUNDED
by Children's Resource Coordinators
The Children's Resource Coordinators have advised that the Brokerage Program has been refunded under the NPAH.
Attached is the new application form. Please ensure that any applications are made using this form, and get rid of any old forms that you may have lying around. The application form can also be downloaded from the Children's Resource Program website on the ‘brokerage’ tab.
Please make contact with Luisa (luisa@merri.org.au) or Halime (halime@merri.org.au) before filling in the application form to ensure that the application meets the criteria.
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26th June 2015 ABORIGINES ADVANCEMENT LEAGUE- PRESENTATION
by Aborigines Advancement League
The Aborigines Advancement League recently did a presentation on their organisation for the Department of Health and Human Services and the Community Sector in the Northern Metropolitan Region.
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26th June 2015 DECOLONISING SOLIDARITY: DILEMMAS AND DIRECTIONS FOR SUPPORTERS OF INDIGENOUS STRUGGLES
by Clare Land
Decolonizing Solidarity is a newly released book that provides a "thorough examination of the problems that can arise when activists from colonial backgrounds seek to be politically supportive of indigenous struggles. Blending key theoretical and practical questions, Clare Land argues that the impulses that drive middle-class settler activists to support indigenous peoples
will not lead to successful alliances and meaningful social change without being transformed
through a process of public political action and critical self-reflection." See attached flyer for more information.
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26th June 2015 ABORIGINAL COMMUNITY ELDERS SERVICES
by A.C.E.S
ACES recently presented an overview of their and the services they provide at a DHHS Community Sector Forum . ACES operates 3 complex aged care programs from one site. They offer residential care services, low level care hostel and high level care nursing home accommodation
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26th June 2015 VICTORIAN ABORIGINAL COMMUNITY SERVICES ASSOCIATION -PRESENTATION
by VACSAL
The Victorian Aboriginal Community Services Association Ltd (VACSAL) is a community based organisation established in 1984 as a Peak agency that supports a range of services and provides advice to Government on a range of policy issues impacting on Aboriginal People. Recently VACSALpresented an overview of their organisation and the services provided at a Community Sector forum
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26th June 2015 VICTORIAN ABORIGINAL CHILD CARE AGENCY- PRESENTATION
by VACCA
The Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency (VACCA) is the lead Aboriginal child and family welfare organisation in Victoria, protecting and promoting the rights of Aboriginal children and young people. We provide programs and services to reinforce Aboriginal culture and encourage best parenting practices, and advise government in relation to child abuse and neglect in the Aboriginal community. VACCA recently presented an overview of their organisation and services provided at a Community Sector Forum
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24th June 2015 TACKLING HOUSING UNAFFORDABILITY: A 10-POINT NATIONAL PLAN
by The Conversation
The Conversation reports on a 10 point plan, developed by seven academics, working on housing issues, to address the housing crisis in Australia. They identify that public awareness and concern about the current housing market is significant but that it occurs at a time when the Federal Government has no Minister for Housing "and just last month Government senators dismissed calls for renewed Commonwealth housing policy leadership recommended by the Senate’s extensive (2013-2015) Affordable Housing Inquiry."
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5th June 2015 ABORIGINAL FAMILY VIOLENCE HELP CARDS
by Northern Integrated Family Violence Service Coordination Team
The Aboriginal Family Violence Help Cards have recently been updated through consultation with Aboriginal services in the northern metropolitan region.
The cards provide information about family violence support services that are available for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and men.
Help Cards have also been translated into 14 community languages and are now available to order.
To order cards, please fill out this form and forward it to info@whin.org.au
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5th June 2015 ONLINE INTERVENTION ORDER APPLICATIONS NOW AVAILABLE IN YARRA
by Womens Health in the North
The Neighbourhood Justice Centre (NJC) in Collingwood has turned the existing paper application for Family Violence Intervention Orders (FVIOs) into an easy-to-use, secure, online version. All Yarra residents over the age of 18 can use the online application system.
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5th June 2015 THE CHEAPEST WAY TO END HOMELESSNESS IS RIDICULOUSLY SIMPLE, ACCORDING TO THE LARGEST-EVER US STUDY
by Buisness Insider Media
The Economic Roundtable in the United States has released its findings on the largest study on homelessness in American history.
The focus was on Santa Clara County, California, home to the extreme wealth of Silicon Valley and the highest percentage of homelessness in the entire United States.
The methodology is enough to make a social scientist swoon: researchers analysed information about everyone in Santa Clara County who had been homeless between 2007 to 2012 — a full 104,206 people.
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5th June 2015 WOMENS HEATH IN THE NORTH SUBMISSION TO VICTORIAN ROYAL COMMISSION INTO FAMILY VIOLENCE
by Womens Health in the North(WHIN)
Womens Health in the North(WHIN) submission identifies key issues and challenges related to family violence, as identified by WHIN and its regional partners, the submission highlights effective or promising solutions to those issues, and makes suggestions for action required to support and further develop the solutions. WHIN consulted with more than 60 regional partners in the development of the submission to ensure the incorporation of input that reflects the experiences of organisations involved in the NIFVS partnership and the NMR Preventing Violence against Women Committee. The recommendations reflect many suggestions made by partners in our work in the northern metropolitan region(NMR).
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28th May 2015 PRECARIOUS HOUSING CAREERS: THE QUIET REVOLUTION IN AUSTRALIAN HOUSING
by Brotherhood of St Laurence Research and Policy Centre
Brotherhood of St Laurence Lunchtime Seminar
by Professor Gavin Wood A quiet revolution in home ownership and housing finance is ushering in a new era for the Australian housing system. The old era was characterised by a relatively risk free housing pathway – departure from the family home was followed by a short period renting during which a deposit is saved, before a home is purchased with the aid of a mortgage. Typically a household’s mortgage was paid off while working so that in retirement couples and singles could live comfortably on the age pension because housing costs were zero. For the small numbers of disadvantaged Australians that could not attain ownership, public housing offered a secure refuge. This secure pathway has been eroded and most low income households in the early stages of their housing careers are now facing an uncertain housing future. This seminar will document how we have reached this point, and the wider ramifications for the Australian welfare state. It will conclude by exploring policy initiatives that could address emerging issues in the contemporary Australian Housing System. Gavin Wood is Emeritus Professor of Housing and Urban Studies at RMIT University and Guest Professor, Faculty of Architecture and Built Environment, TU Delft. Netherlands. He also holds and Adjunct Professor position in the School of Economics, Finance and Property Studies, Curtin University, Western Australia. He previously held positions in the economics departments of Murdoch University (Western Australia), the University of Glasgow and University of Aberdeen (Scotland).
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22nd May 2015 'THE LINE' RELAUNCHED
by Children's Resource Workers
The Line is a primary prevention behaviour change campaign for young people aged 12 to 20 years. The Line encourages healthy and respectful relationships by challenging and changing attitudes and behaviours that support violence.
Click here: http://www.theline.org.au/
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23rd April 2015 LIGHTHOUSE FOUNDATION VIDEO ON OUT OF HOME CARE SYSTEM AND MOVES TOWARDS THERAPEUTIC CARE
by Lighthouse Institute
The Lighthouse foundation in partnership with with Creativa videos recently launched an animated video that explores the shocking reality as well as the cost of youth homelessness in Australia, the way young people have been cared for over the year in the out of home care system, and the move towards therapeutic care which will provide young people hope for a better future. Please take the time to watch and share this poignant and thought provoking video.
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23rd April 2015 EMERGENCY RELIEF PROGRAM FOR THE ABORIGINAL COMMUNITY IN THE NORTH
by VACCA
VACCA is one of the successful services to be providing Department of Social Services funded Emergency Relief in your area.
Our Emergency Relief program provides a culturally respectful service to help the Aboriginal Community to address immediate basic needs in times of financial crisis. Emergency relief is a safety net for people experiencing financial distress or hardship and who have limited means or resources to help them alleviate their financial crisis.
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23rd April 2015 YOUTH HOMELESSNESS MATTERS DAY - MEDIA IN WYNDHAM
by Star Observer
Please find attached an article from the Star Observer reporting on youth homelessness in Wyndham and the work of the H3 alliance to lobby for a crisis intervention faclity for single people and families who are homeless in Wyndham.
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13th April 2015 $572M OVER TWO YEARS TO ENACT ROYAL COMMISSION RECOMMENDATIONS
by Premier of Victoria
This $572 million statewide funding boost over two years in the 2016/17 Victorian Budget responds to Royal Commission recommendations that must be done now – including more housing and crisis refuges, more counsellors, more prevention programs and more support for children who are victims of family violence. This package begins to deliver 65 of the Royal Commission’s most urgent recommendations and is the first step in the long-term process to fix our broken system and change attitudes towards women. The Labor Government’s family violence package, which puts victims at the heart of our reforms, includes:
• $152.5 million to begin a housing blitz to shelter more victims so they don’t have to choose between homelessness and returning to an abusive relationship. Work will commence on building and redeveloping family violence refuges, expanding crisis accommodation, and rapidly funding up to 130 new social housing homes. Victims will also be kept safe at home through innovative options such as help accessing the private rental market. See the attached press rellease for further information.
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