Homelessness Week 2nd-8th August 2020

Homelessness Week 2nd-8th August 2020

The 2020 theme for Homelessness Week is Everybody Needs a Home.   

On 3rd August, Homelessness Australia and Everybody’s Home will launch The Social Housing Pledge (pictured).

COTA Queensland, the Seniors Peak Body in Queensland, released their vision for housing (see below).

“A vision for housing in Queensland

Our vision is that all Queenslanders have access to adequate, appropriate housing that they can afford and that supports their wellbeing.

We are recommending a number of actions to improve liveability and suitability of housing and to help people make the right choices for their future, including changes to help people make the modifications they need to stay in their homes and communities of choice.

Importantly, we are asking the Queensland Government to Implement a strategy for ending homelessness that:

  • enables a housing first approach with coordinated access to supports,
  • includes a specialist older persons’ focus with particular recognition of the circumstances of older women at risk, and
  • invests appropriately to meet social and affordable housing supply needs.

This requires immediate and significant investment in increased appropriately designed social and affordable housing stock.

If your organisation is advocating on the issue of homelessness in Queensland and would like to partner with us and with other likeminded organisations to spread the message, please let me know.”

Some resources you might find useful:

Older women are a significant and growing group of people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

The Lady Musgrave Trust has launched their updated Handy Guides for Homeless Women, and are asking for help to share the Guide widely. The Guide provides information about vital services.

The specialised Handy Guide for Older Women is available to order in hard copy and is also available online. The Guide looks broadly at the issues facing older women and what help is available, from health and wellbeing, training and employment and a range of housing alternatives. The Guide especially focuses on education, helping women understand the options that may be available to them, and planning to help women take charge and develop their own goals, strategies and actions.

 

Thanks to Homelessness Australia, Everybody’s Home, COTA Queensland and the Lady Musgrave Trust for the above information.