Community engagement, advocacy and

ending homelessness

5th Yarra HACC and Homelessness Forum

22 November 2012

The big questions

- What has community engagement and advocacy got to do with ending homelessness?

- What do we mean by advocacy?- What do we mean by community

engagement?- A few examples- Your questions

Why are we talking about this stuff?

- Services already end homelessness for people on a day to day basis – but we are failing to bring down total numbers

- What barriers are there to good outcomes?- Lack of access to housing- Lack of appropriate support (length/type)- Lack of funding/resources- Poorly integrated services and service systems- Poorly designed service models- Other policy/systems/process issues

Who can change these things?- Federal/State Government – Ministerial level- Federal/State Government – Departmental policy

makers- Federal/State Government – HSOs/Frontline staff- Local Government- Philanthropy/Corporates – Funds, in-kind, pro

bono, vols- Other community sector organisations – Partnerships- Researchers – Evidence, service development- Other community members inc. schools,

churches, service organisations, local communities – volunteers, donations

What do we mean by advocacy?- Advocacy, as HomeGround has come to

understand it, covers three key areas:- Service delivery advocacy (all staff)- Strategic advocacy (senior staff)- Public advocacy (media, publications, events)

- Advocacy in this context means working to secure a better outcome through an improved/changed response, process, policy or resourcing decision

How do we drive change?- Political pressure inc. community attitudes,

media coverage, evidence, influencers and changing politics

- Persuasive arguments inc. data, stories and cost- Personal representations from, or on behalf of,

clients- Engagement with community members with the

capacity to contribute if motivated/supported to do so

- Challenging misconceptions/stereotypes and building public awareness and support for the people we work with and the changes we are advocating

What do we mean by community engagement?

- Not relying on government to solve all our problems

- Realising that we can’t end homelessness without broader community support for our work – and the goal

- Recognising and realising the potential support – of all kinds – that exists in the community

- Acknowledging the vital role people who use services have in communicating the human side of problems and solutions

- Making homelessness and housing political priorities

Case study #1 – Elizabeth Street Common Ground

- Involvement of private construction firm Grocon and subcontractors, representing a $10 million contribution

- Core partnership between State/Fed, HG and YCH- Broader partnership inc. RDNS, MCC, Rotary, CAE,

Last Cuppa, medical/allied health, Green Collect and others

- Proactive public communication of the harm of long-term homelessness and why the model was needed

Case study #2 – AOF/PRBP- Accommodation Options for Families and the

Private Rental Brokerage Program came out of the Victorian Rooming House Taskforce and the Call this a home? Campaign

- Both were to be discontinued as of 30 June 2012- In addition to direct advocacy by service

providers, there was significant media coverage and a strong public response that contributed to a reversal of this decision

- Both programs were continued for 12 months and are again in doubt as of 30 June 2013

Case study #3 – Alphington PS- Earlier this year, via a school-based philanthropy

program, a group of grade 5 students chose HomeGround as the cause they wanted to support

- With the help of Bendigo Bank and in-kind donations from local businesses, they put together around 50 backpacks for the children of families who come to our services in housing crisis – with contents aimed at boys and girls of varying ages

- These backpacks were greatly appreciated by the children who received them via our IAP service in Collingwood

Case study #4 – Private Rental Management Program/Housing Options Program

- Private landlords have made their properties available to HomeGround via headlease for tenants via our services

- Some of these offers have followed media stories- We have also invested a lot of time and energy in

building strong relationships with real estate agents and other commercial accommodation providers to increase access to appropriate short and long term housing options

- The result is an increase in affordable properties accessible to people who need them

Case study #5 – Suzie’s story

Your questions