Community engagement, advocacy and ending homelessness

1. Community engagement, advocacy and ending homelessness 5th Yarra HACC and Homelessness Forum 22 November 2012

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. Case study #5 – Suzie’s story

13. Your questions