DOCSLIB.ORG

Northern Sydney Housing & Homelessness Services Action Plan 2018-2021

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Northern Sydney Housing & Homelessness Services Action Plan 2018-2021 Northern Sydney Housing & Homelessness Services Action Plan 2018-2021 Cover photo sources: Photo 1: Bridge Housing tenants and staff, 2018 Photo 2: SGCH tenants and staff, 2018 Photo 3: Women’s Housing Company tenants, 2018 Photo 4: Link Housing tenants, 2018 1 Introduction From December 2018, community housing providers take a lead role in coordinating the social housing service system in Northern Sydney as the NSW Department of Family and Community Services (FACS) commences the withdrawal of housing services under the Social Housing Management Transfer program. In the Northern Sydney District, all 4,500 public housing tenancies, excluding a small number of Aboriginal Housing Office properties, will transfer to Link Housing, St George Community Housing (SGCH) and Bridge Housing, in partnership with the Women’s Housing Company (WHC). This is in addition to the 1,500 existing social housing tenancies currently managed by Link Housing and a small number of tenancies managed by the Women’s Housing Company in Northern Sydney. The transfer details of the three Northern Sydney package areas are outlined below: Community housing Local government areas Property numbers Transition date provider (rounded) Link Housing Ryde, Hornsby and Ku-ring- 1,900 3 December 2018 gai SGCH North Sydney, Hunters Hill, 1,400 1 April 2019 Lane Cove and Willoughby Bridge Housing in Northern Beaches and 1,200 5 August 2019 partnership with the Mosman Women’s Housing Company Each community housing provider will have the responsibility for delivering the full range of social housing services and products as well as leading and coordinating the social housing service system. Link Housing, SGCH and Bridge Housing in partnership with the Women’s Housing Company, are working collaboratively to lead the coordination of the social housing service system. Collectively we have developed the Social Housing Service System Coordination Plan (the plan). This plan sets out a shared approach to governance and leadership and key actions we will pursue to ensure coordination across the social housing system takes place. Coordination across the housing and homelessness sectors We understand that the service system can be difficult to navigate for people who are experiencing, or are at risk of homelessness. We also know that the coordination between housing and homelessness sectors needs to be strong if we are to prevent people churning through the housing and homelessness services and avoid those who are experiencing homelessness from becoming entrenched. A key area identified for attention through our consultation with service providers, Government agencies and peak bodies, was the need for greater coordination across homelessness service providers and community housing providers. In March 2019, we convened the Northern Sydney Housing and Homelessness Services Meeting. The Northern Sydney Housing and Homelessness Committee is responsible for driving collaboration, service improvement and improved housing outcomes for people who are experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness living in social housing. The Committee aims to provide a forum to bring key decision makers together to work on practical strategies that improve service coordination and drive innovation in service delivery between providers of housing and homelessness services. The Committee is chaired by Bridge Housing as the community housing lead and Mission Australia as the specialist homelessness services representative. It comprises representatives from the specialist homelessness sector, specialist temporary accommodation providers, the NSW Department of Family and Community Services and community housing providers. Northern Sydney Housing & Homelessness Services Action Plan 2018-2021 3 The Northern Sydney Housing and Homelessness Committee will drive service coordination and innovation by: • Communicating and sharing information effectively about policy, programs and reforms that impact service delivery • Working together to ensure clarity about roles and responsibilities to drive local collaboration and service provision that delivers better outcomes • Developing effective local structures, tools and initiatives to deliver better outcomes • Resolving strategic issues that are identified by front line staff • Escalating systemic issues to the appropriate structures in the NSW Department of Family and Community Services, where appropriate. To make this meeting productive and genuinely lead to better outcomes, we wanted to develop an action plan to to guide the work of our committee and to drive coordination through our services at the local level. We understand there are a number of local structures already in place that aim to improve service delivery for people experiencing homelessness. These include the following: • Northern Sydney Homelessness Interagency (convened by North Shore Local Area Command) • Hornsby Homelessness Interagency • Northern Sydney Housing and Mental Health Meeting, local Mental Health Interagency Meetings and Housing Support Placement Meetings • Safety Action Plan meetings • Interagencies focused on priority groups including young people, older people and people with disabilities, child and family, employment or issues such as domestic violence. Our aim is not to duplicate these structures. We want to drive effective service responses across the housing and homelessness sectors because we believe there is a significant opportunity for us to reduce duplication, maximise our limited resources and utilise our respective areas of expertise to deliver better outcomes for people at risk of or experiencing homelessness in Northern Sydney. This is a living plan. We will review our action plan annually and where necessary refine our work to flexibly respond to emerging opportunities, local homelessness issues and changes in the service system. Our thanks to the following organisations that have helped develop and deliver the plan: • Bridge Housing • Mission Australia • Burdekin Association • NSW Department of Family and Community • Catholic Care Services • Dignity House • Phoenix House • Homelessness NSW • SGCH • Women’s Housing Company • Taldumande Youth Services Inc • Catholic Care • The Northern Centre • Link Housing • Women’s Community Shelters • Manly Warringah Women’s Resource Centre Northern Sydney Housing & Homelessness Services Action Plan 2018-2021 4 2 Directions and priority actions This section of the plan is structured around four key priority actions to improve service coordination and delivery to prevent and address homelessness. 1. Improving understanding of and access to housing assistance 2. Coordinating our outreach to rough sleepers 3. Case-coordination to prevent and address homelessness 4. Developing tools and structures to improve our partnership working and service responses Priority actions Lead CHP/Partners Timing Action 1 – Improving understanding of and access to housing assistance We want to ensure that staff are aware of the housing assistance options available for people at risk or, or experiencing, homelessness. We want to improve our responses and drive innovation in our service delivery to move away from high cost temporary responses towards stable and secure housing. a. Develop a cross provider fact sheet on the provision of SGCH Year 1 housing assistance for the Northern Sydney region, to ensure that staff and clients are aware of how housing assistance and transfer applications are managed and the housing available b. Develop a schedule and infrastructure to enable Bridge Housing Year 1 homelessness services to outreach to community housing Mission Australia provider offices, including computer and meeting spaces, Catholic Care to support effective case management for people applying for housing assistance c. Streamline and reduce duplication for people seeking WHC Year 2 housing assistance applications through the use of online forms and computer access in all community housing provider offices d. Undertake joint advocacy in relation to the applicability of WHC Year 2 Private Rental Products, particularly Start Safely, across the WCS region to inform FACS planning and resourcing MWWRC e. Review the provision of Temporary Accommodation to WHC Year 3 ensure consistent processes across housing providers and Catholic Care opportunities for innovation that reduce duplication and WCS improve the product outcomes for clients and the service system. Revise guidelines if necessary. Northern Centre Dignity Roles and Responsibilities of partners Specialist Homelessness Services lead the coordination of support for people accessing crisis homelessness services. They assist their clients to prepare their applications for housing assistance, including collating necessary supporting documentation such as proof of identity. Housing providers assist clients to complete housing applications, assess applications, manage the waiting list for social housing and provide housing assistance products, including assisting with tenancy facilitation services to access housing in the private market. In partnership, we can ensure applicants have the right documentation to assist them to complete their applications quickly and process these in a timely manner. By working together, we can ensure that homeless people are aware of the current options available, are provided with realistic timeframes for assistance and are assisted to make housing choices that are realistic. Key stakeholders to implement this action Housing providers, homelessness services, specialist temporary
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Housingworks August WEB.Pdf
    The Journal of the Australasian Housing Institute – linking housing workers in Australia and New Zealand Volume 15 • Number 3 • August 2018 www.housinginstitute.org Printpost approved: PP255003/06839 ISSN 1448-3130 Volume 15: Number 3 August 2018 contents Welcome to the August Edition 4 Andrew Davis, AHI President; Wendy Hayhurst, CEO Community Housing Industry Association NSW (CHIA) Dear HousingWORKS 6 Readers’ letter section Vox Pop 7 Could affordable housing be the single most important issue facing us in the future? News, Views and Movements 8 From across the Australasian housing industry Meet a New Tenant 14 Aunty Jenny A Career in Housing 15 Tony Gilmour Ending Homelessness in Aotearoa: Will Budget 2018 Do the Trick? 17 Marc Slade & Scott Figenshow, Community Housing Aotearoa Australia’s Sustainable Development Goals Report Fails Housing 19 Greg Budworth, Compass Housing Services Tax Cuts Insignificant in the Face of Housing Crisis 21 Greg Budworth, Compass Housing Services 2018 AFFORDABLE HOUSING CONFERENCE ■ Everybody Needs a Home: 22 A Clear Message from the 2018 Affordable Housing Conference Wendy Hayhurst, CHIA NSW ■ Supporting the Development of Sustainable Tenancies Practice 30 Sue Cripps, SC Consulting Group ■ A Crisis for Essential Service Workers 32 Judith Kiejda, NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association ■ Aboriginal Caucus: A Sector Underpinned by Self-Determination and Confidence 34 Paula Coghill, CHIA NSW ■ How Tax Credits Can Stop Housing Heartbreak 36 Stephen Anthony, Industry Super ■ Low-Income Housing Tax Credit: An
    [Show full text]
  • Working Towards Ending Youth Homelessness
    Working Towards Ending Youth Homelessness Youth Accommodation Association Annual Report 2009 1 Contents Page Introduction 3 About YAA 3 YAA Vision & Purpose 4 YAA Board of Management 5 YAA Staff & Organisational Structure 6 YAA Members 2008 - 2009 7 Presidents Report 8 Chief Executive Officers Report 9 - 11 Operations Manager Report 11 Our Work 2008 - 2009 12 - 13 Youth Homelessness Matters Conference 13 Youth Homelessness Matters 14 YAA Services for young people 15 - 16 YAA Health Division 17 Financial Report 18 - 21 30 Years of YAA 22 - 28 Acknowledgements 29 2 Introduction About YAA Thank you for considering the work of YAA by participating in our AGM and/or by As the vision statement states “Working towards ending homelessness in NSW reading our annual report for 2008/2009 and Australia”, YAA is the peak NGO for youth homelessness in NSW. Established in 1979, as a peak body YAA currently has 100 members, with a representative Board YAA over the last 12 months has continued to operate as a dynamic and leading of Management comprised of 14 metropolitan and regional representatives. Each organisation. Through the successful completion of projects such as the YHM 09: of those Board members provides a link into local and regional networks. YAA has Youth Homelessness Matters youth homelessness conference, the response to a broad range of consultation, sector development, research and policy strategies, the Federal Government green paper on homelessness and the ongoing Youth including web- based and face-to-face networks, a bi-annual publication called “the Homelessness Matters Campaign which is now a national event.
    [Show full text]
  • Submission to the Parliament of Australia House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs Inquiry Into Homelessness in Australia
    Inquiry into homelessness in Australia Submission 132 Submission to the Parliament of Australia House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs Inquiry into homelessness in Australia Homelessness NSW is a peak not for profit organisation that works with its members to prevent and reduce homelessness across NSW. Our members include small, locally based community organisations, multiservice agencies with a regional reach and large State-wide service providers who work to address and prevent homelessness. Key services that we provide include policy development and advocacy in working to end homelessness, public education about the changing faces of homeless people and those at risk, information about the diverse mix of initiatives operating in NSW and elsewhere and advice and support for member organisations and others about organisational change and improvement. Inquiry into homelessness in Australia Submission 132 Table of contents Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 2 Recommendations .................................................................................................................................. 3 Overview of homelessness and the Specialist Homelessness Services system in NSW ........................ 7 What is needed from the Federal Government to address homelessness .......................................... 10 The national homelessness strategy ......................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • GOVERNING HOMELESSNESS: the Discursive and Institutional Construction of Homelessness in Australia
    GOVERNING HOMELESSNESS: The Discursive and Institutional Construction of Homelessness in Australia Thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences University of Technology, Sydney 2010 Jane Bullen Certificate of Authorship and Originality I certify that the work in this thesis has not previously been submitted for a degree nor has it been submitted as part of requirements for a degree except as fully acknowledged within the text. I also certify that the thesis has been written by me. Any help that I have received in my research work and the preparation of the thesis itself has been acknowledged. In addition, I certify that all information sources and literature used are indicated in the thesis. Jane Bullen May 2010 i Acknowledgement I would like to express my gratitude to my thesis supervisors (in chronological order): Eva Cox, Dr Peter Caldwell, Dr Catherine Robinson and Dr Virginia Watson whose advice, support, comment and encouragement have made it possible for me to undertake this research journey. My thesis started with a series of raw questions that arose from my work experiences related to homelessness policy and services, and the assistance and critique of my supervisors has enabled me to formulate my initial curiosity into this research project. Many thanks go to all those that I have worked with in homelessness services: management, staff and people facing homelessness. It was as a result of our collaborative experiences and the obstacles we found in trying to respond to the devastating problems associated with homelessness that I originally decided to investigate why it seemed that ‘the causes of homelessness had changed’.
    [Show full text]
  • Older Women's Risk of Homelessness: Background Paper
    Older Women’s Risk of Homelessness: Background Paper Exploring a growing problem April 2019 Older Women’s Risk of Homelessness: Background Paper | 1 © Australian Human Rights Commission 2019. The Australian Human Rights Commission encourages the dissemination and exchange of information presented in this publication and endorses the use of the Australian Governments Open Access and Licensing Framework (AusGOAL). All material presented in this publication is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence, with the exception of: photographs and images; the Commission’s logo, any branding or trademarks; where otherwise indicated. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode In essence, you are free to copy, communicate and adapt the publication, as long as you attribute the Australian Human Rights Commission and abide by the other licence terms. Please give attribution to: © Australian Human Rights Commission 2019. Older Women’s Risk of Homelessness: Background Paper 2019 ISBN: 978-1-925917-01-7 Acknowledgements The Commission thanks and acknowledges Jeanette Large and Caroline Larcher of Women’s Property Initiative for their review and advice in the preparation of this paper. Older Women’s Risk of Homelessness: Background Paper was authored by the Hon. Dr Kay Patterson AO, Kathryn Proft and Joanna Maxwell. This publication can be found in electronic format on the Australian Human Rights Commission’s website at www.humanrights.gov.au/about/publications For further information about the Australian Human Rights Commission or copyright in this publication, please contact: Australian Human Rights Commission GPO Box 5218 SYDNEY NSW 2001 Telephone: (02) 9284 9600 Email: [email protected] Cover image: iStock Internal images: Outline of Australia on page 6 designed by PresentationGo.com 2 Contents Foreword ..........................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Over 180 Organisations Urge Treasurer Frydenberg Not to Cut $56
    Media release – Melbourne, February Over 180 organisations urge Treasurer Frydenberg not to cut $56 million from homelessness services Homelessness services across the country, including domestic and family violence crisis accommodation services, are set to have over $56 million cut from their budgets by June 2021 unless the Federal Government agrees to fully fund services. Homelessness Australia Chair Jenny Smith says “In the last financial year, three in every four people using homelessness services were women and children, many of whom were fleeing family violence. “Cutting $56.7 million from homelessness services means there will be more than 500 fewer frontline workers. That will result in more women and children who are fleeing violence and who need help being turned away, putting them at risk of returning to violence or ending up on the street. “Last year, over 95,000 people missed out on getting support because the resources just weren’t there. Of the 260 people services had to tragically turn away each day, two-thirds of them were women and girls. Over 180 CEOs from front line homelessness services and other sector organisations have signed a joint letter to Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, calling on him to reinstate the scheduled budget cuts before the Federal Budget in May. Homelessness Australia Chair Jenny Smith says cutting funding for services just as demand soars is short sighted and heartless. “Homelessness services are already bracing for a huge rise in demand when the JobSeeker payment is drastically reduced at the end of March. Cutting service capacity right when more people will need support, is put simply, cruel,” Smith says.
    [Show full text]
  • Staying Home: a Youth Survey Report on Young People's Experience Of
    Staying home A Youth Survey report on young people’s experience of homelessness We would like to acknowledge the Mission Australia A note on COVID-19. This research was conducted staff who contributed to this report by providing before the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. helpful insights, clarity and examples of current Mission Australia would like to recognise the challenges faced by young people during this and past programs that support young people, time, especially those who may be experiencing especially Aileen Lacey, Caroline Hanna, Jeanette homelessness. It is important to note that the Milevski, Jesse Taylor, Jodie Abrahamson, Jurek pandemic and its effects are likely to be long lasting Stopczynski, Linda Richardson, Ludmila Klianev, and may result in increased levels of disadvantage Mario Peters, Mark Jentz, Nicole Scarman, and economic hardship for many young people in Phil Flint, Rachelle Elphick, Robyn Fernihough, Australia, as well an increased need for services. Robyn Johnson and Shiva Panchalingam. We acknowledge the traditional custodians of lands A special thanks to the organisations that throughout Australia and we pay our respects to the provided valuable input and support, especially Elders past, present and future for they hold the YFoundations and Homelessness NSW. Their memories, culture and dreams of the Aboriginal and insight serves to remind us that behind the data, Torres Strait Islander people. We recognise and respect their cultural heritage, beliefs and continual relationship figures and words are young people, with their own with the land and we recognise the importance of the families, experiences, culture and backgrounds. young people who are the future leaders.
    [Show full text]
  • Annual Report
    Annual Report 2013/2014 Domestic Violence NSW Service Management Limited ABN 26165400635 2013/2014 ANNUAL REPORT Domestic Violence NSW Service Management Contents Message from the Board ............................................................................................. 2 Retired Chair’s Report ................................................................................................. 3 General Manager’s Report .......................................................................................... 5 What is DVSM? ........................................................................................................... 7 The Way We Work ...................................................................................................... 8 Our Board ................................................................................................................. 10 DVSM Services ......................................................................................................... 12 2013-14 Services Snapshot ................................................................................... 12 Bathurst Women’s & Children’s Refuge .................................................................. 12 Bourke Women & Children’s Safe House ............................................................... 13 Delvena Women & Children’s Refuge ..................................................................... 13 Dolores Single Women’s Refuge ............................................................................ 14 Elsie
    [Show full text]
  • Inquiry Into Homelessness in Australia: Final Report
    PARLIAMENT OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA Final report Inquiry into homelessness in Australia House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs July 2021 CANBERRA © Commonwealth of Australia ISBN 978-1-76092-257-3 (Printed Version) ISBN 978-1-76092-258-0 (HTML Version) This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution- NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Australia License. The details of this licence are available on the Creative Commons website: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/au/. Contents Foreword .......................................................................................................................................... vii Membership of the Committee ....................................................................................................... xi Terms of reference .......................................................................................................................... xiii List of abbreviations ........................................................................................................................ xv List of recommendations ............................................................................................................... xix The Report 1 Introduction .............................................................................................................. 1 Referral and conduct of the inquiry.................................................................................... 1 Previous inquiries and reports ...........................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Annual Report
    Annual Report 2017-2018 Contents About ACWA ....................................................................................... 4 Chair Report ........................................................................................ 6 CEO Report ......................................................................................... 10 Policy and Membership Report ..................................................... 14 Learning and Development Report .............................................. 28 Treasurer Report ................................................................................ 34 Financial Reports ............................................................................... 38 ACWA Board ....................................................................................... 60 ACWA Staff .......................................................................................... 64 ACWA Members ................................................................................ 67 Acknowledgements .......................................................................... 73 2 ACWA Annual Report 2017-2018 2017-2018 ACWA Annual Report 3 Reports About ACWA The Association of Children’s Welfare Agencies (ACWA) is the non-government peak body for NSW and the ACT representing the voice of community organisations working with vulnerable children, young people and their families. We work with our members, partners, government, non-government and other peak bodies to bring about effective reforms that will deliver better outcomes
    [Show full text]
  • Annual Report 2
    2015-16 ANNUAL REPORT 2 Homelessness NSW Annual Report 2015-2016 3 2015/16 Annual Report Table of contents CEO’s Report 6 From the Chair 7 From the Treasurer 8 Board of Management 9 Policy Council 10 Staff 11 2015/16 highlights 12 Policy and Research 13 NSW Homelessness Industry & Workforce Development Strategy 23 Sydney Women’s Homelessness Alliance (SWHA) 31 Homelessness NSW’s members 34 Auditor’s statement 38 4 Who we are Homelessness NSW is a peak not for profit organisation that operates as a peak agency for its 170 member organisations to prevent and reduce homelessness. Our members include small, locally based community organisations, multiservice agencies with a regional reach and large State-wide service providers. Katherine McKernan CEO, Minister Hazzard and Anna Bligh, CEO of YWCA NSW 5 Our Vision: A NSW where no one is homeless or at risk of homelessness. Our purpose What we do To advocate and provide leadership on We develop and assess policies that impact on homelessness issues across NSW and to support homelessness and its risk. effective service delivery to those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. We advocate to Governments, business and the broader community to improve policy and program Our strategic goals for 2012-16 initiatives that affect homelessness - A stronger focus on the prevention of We provide extensive information and education homelessness about the causes of homelessness and the diverse program and service delivery approaches that are - An increased organisational capacity and taken to tackle it;
    [Show full text]
  • Women's Refuges Under Going Home Staying Home, September, 2014
    Women’s Refuges under Going Home Staying Home, September, 2014 – Jozefa Sobski for WEL NSW Background Women’s refuges were part of a system of support for women and/or their children fleeing domestic violence. There may have been as many as 90 women’s refuges and related women’s specific services across NSW. An estimated 700 Housing properties were allocated to them as crisis and transitional accommodation. The women’s refuges arose out of community need and were embedded in their communities using a network of services and support. The Going Home Staying Home reforms have destroyed this system rather than building on its strengths and improving its capacity and capability. They were not just services for homeless women and/or their children. The first women’s refuge was established in March, 1974 in Westmoreland Street, Glebe. Elsie Women’s Refuge was a response to the needs identified by women at a forum: Women Against a Violent Society held on 10th March that year in Sydney. Since that time women’s refuges have grown in number and the service and support provided by them and their geographical reach has significantly expanded from crisis accommodation and support to counselling, needs and risk assessment, referral and longer term housing assistance. Models of service have varied from one organisation to another in different locations responding to local needs and priorities. No doubt there have been capacity and quality differences in services depending on resources, governance, ethos, experience and local conditions. There is accommodation support listed on the web for women with and without children, for pregnant women, for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, for women escaping domestic violence, for women with drug and alcohol issues, for NESB and CALD women as well as women with a mental illness or physical disabilities.
    [Show full text]