Wednesday, March 12, 2025

Category: In The Media

The History of Stereotyping Homelessness in Australia

Social Work Helper have published an article, “The History of Stereotyping Homelessness in Australia”

The article says, “The history of homelessness in Australia stems back to our nation’s colonization by our British counterparts which moved Indigenous Australians out of their physical living structures. As Australia became more industrialized nearing the 1970’s, the contrast between homelessness and the rest of society become starker as the mainstream society had higher living expectations and standards which solidified what the disadvantage looked like.”

Read the original article.

Tightening the divide between populism and public housing

The aftermath of the latest federal election result has evidently revealed one thing about our society, being the worldwide trend toward “populism” and its drifting distance away from progressive ideals and policy. (For example, see Brexit, the 2016 American Presidential election, and recent French and German elections.)

Prior to the election, there was potential for the expansion of 250,000 affordable properties that would have radically reshaped our housing landscape.

Boards, peak bodies and housing policy wonks are now rapidly convening, planning and adjusting to a future without any real significant increase in funding for affordable housing, and an election where a call for action on housing policy did not resonate with voters.

Read the original article at thefifthestate.com.au

Re-imagining Affordable & Sustainable Housing in Geelong

More affordable housing options are coming to light that promote collective living and sustainable designs.

Collective housing enables a group of residents to design their own sustainable compact home at cost.

One of the speakers at Geelong Sustainability’s Clever Living seminar on ‘Innovative options for affordable housing’ is Tim Riley, founder of Property Collectives.

Mr Riley said building with a collective allows people to take control of their housing options and create higher quality living spaces at cost.

More affordable housing means homeowners aren’t weighed down by massive monthly mortgage repayments, which frees up their finances to help pay for other household expenses that are often neglected including property maintenance and gutter cleaning in Geelong.

Read the original news article here.

Anembo Affordable Homes showcases the house you can build in three hours

A Queensland company is seeing a surge in demand for its flatpack houses that are erected in less time than it takes most people to put together an IKEA bunk bed.

The houses have become increasingly popular across parts of South East Queensland because of their relative affordability and the fact that erecting them is simple and fast, according to Steve Murray of Anembo Affordable Homes.

A two bedroom 60 sqm expandable home called The Valentine was just $58,200, he said, with the firm picking up orders for the new year in places like Russell Island where land was currently selling cheap at about $19,000.

Click here to read more.

Source: News.com.au

Generation Share: why more older Australians are living in share houses

An increasing number of older Australians are living in share housing. A relatively new group to emerge on the share-housing scene, they are choosing to share for financial reasons, but finding unexpected social benefits.

Share housing has traditionally been associated with student housing and media depictions of the share house as dysfunctional, chaotic, “He Died with a Falafel in His Hand” scenarios. But a growing number of older people are sharing housing.

This trend is part of the growth in share housing across an increasingly broad demographic as professionals aged in their 30s, 40s and onwards continue to share house or return to share housing into later life. Generation Rent is fast becoming “Generation Share”.

Discover the full article on The Conversation.

Geelong’s rapid growth could spell housing affordability woes, say experts

Booming house prices in Geelong have raised concerns about the city’s ability to maintain such rapid growth and stay affordable.

Greater Geelong recorded the strongest house price growth in Victoria over the June quarter, according to the Domain Group House Price Report released on Thursday.

The area, which included suburbs from Lara (about 20 kilometres north of Geelong city) to Leopold (10 kilometres to the south) saw the median house price jump 3.7 per cent for the quarter to $530,000.

House prices have increased 15.2 per cent over the past year, much higher than Melbourne’s 0.5 per cent annual growth.

While the area remains much cheaper than Melbourne, some Geelong suburbs, including the city centre and Newtown, were creeping closer to Melbourne prices with medians above $720,000.

Deakin University Geelong planning expert Professor Louise Johnson said buying a home was becoming harder for some long-time residents.

Read the full article in Domain.

ACT Greens urge Labor to release housing strategy

The ACT Greens have called on their Labor colleagues to release the long-awaited housing strategy urgently, and detail how the government plans to provide more community housing in Canberra.

Greens planning spokeswoman Caroline Le Couteur called on Housing Minister Yvette Berry to release the strategy, after an Australian Institute of Health and Welfare showed Canberra continues to have the second-lowest proportion of community housing in the country.

It also comes as the proportion of public housing in the ACT has also fallen from 12.4 per cent to 7.1 per cent over a couple of decades, a trend reflected around the nation as Commonwealth funding has fallen and state housing agencies have been left without significant new investment for more public housing.

The city’s planning, development and housing sector has been waiting for the new strategy for several months, since stakeholders formally put forward their ideas in a summit late last year.

While the government pledged the new strategy during the 2016 election campaign, the strategy, if it is complete, has not been released.

Read the full article in the Canberra Times.

 

How can we prevent financial abuse of the elderly?

Throughout Australia older people are losing their savings, property and homes through financial abuse, usually at the hands of persons close to them such as an adult child or grandchild.

A sense of entitlement, ‘Inheritance impatience’ or opportunism can encourage people to ‘help themselves’ to an older person’s assets.

Elder abuse is not a new problem. It has been occurring in Australia and elsewhere for generations – but its only now that serious steps are being taken to address it.

While the extent of elder abuse in Australia is unknown, conservative estimates suggest at least 9% of older Australians suffer from financial abuse. However, we know that because of the hidden nature of the problem, the majority of cases go unreported.

Sadly, a majority of elder financial abuse occurs within families, and is defined as the illegal or improper use of a person’s finances or property by another person with whom they have a relationship implying trust.

Read the original article on The Conversation website.

Acclaim for Haven; Home, Safe program Sidney Myer Haven

A Bendigo-based housing and support initiative has received its fourth accolade in two years.

What can the Sidney Myer Haven program teach us about tackling homelessness?

MICHELLE Marschall’s eyes widened as she reflected on her first few months at the Sidney Myer Haven centre.

“Intense” was the word the 25-year-old used to describe the program, which couples affordable housing with education.

“It’s confronting to have to open up and take on board that they’re there to help you, not hurt you,” Michelle said.

But life has changed for the better since she decided to commit to the two-year initiative, based in Flora Hill.

She and her four-year-old son live in a place where they feel safe and supported.

They have made friends with the other residents.

And Michelle is working towards the goal she identified when she first moved into the centre – becoming a nurse.

Read the full article in the Bendigo Advertiser.

Heritage Listing Wrecks Affordable Housing Plan

MAYOR Bob Manning has denounced a mystery letter writer whose appeal to the Queensland Heritage Council scuttled plans to build a new affordable housing complex in Parramatta Park.

A single request from an unnamed resident has resulted in the Grove St pensioner cottages being placed on the heritage register.

Access Community Housing’s plan to replace the small 1950s-built cottages with about modern homes can no longer go ahead, despite Cairns Regional Council’s offer to retain two of the huts, move them to one side and refurbish them.

“Whoever the person was who lodged that submission, well done,” Cr Manning said.

“You’ve stopped what would have been a nice job creator for some of the smaller building contractors in Cairns, the ones who are doing it tough. Well done.

“That’s 30 couples who are going to be denied modern housing, close to the hospital, close to the public transport route, close to the CBD in a secure area.”

Read the full article in the Cairns Post.