Council To Homeless Persons

Every year, we publish a Free Festive Meals Guide listing free meal events being held right across Victoria over the festive period. If you’re living without a home, doing it tough, or just want a little company over the next few weeks, check it out for some free events where you can enjoy great food and end-of-year cheer: https://lnkd.in/eNKWCRNB If you or someone you know is hosting a free meal event and would like to be included in the guide, contact: kartikal@chp.org.au, and we'll add you to it.

CHP's 2023/24 Annual Report is now available, covering all the highlights of our activities and achievements across 2023-24. Additionally, this year's Report includes two fantastic feature articles: • Joal Presincula, winner of the 2023 Beth Thomson Lifetime Achievement Award, reflects on her advocacy journey; and • Winner of the 2023 Jenny Smith Scholarship, Charlotte G, shares essential Housing First insights from European jurisdictions, learnt during her study tour. Have a read!: https://lnkd.in/gYUjHcpR

A new Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) study has found that over a 10 year period, 12,525 people died within a year of seeking homelessness help. The median age of these deaths was just 49. It's important to remember also that this number does not capture all deaths connected to homelessness - just those occurring within the first year of someone seeking homelessness support. A Guardian Australia investigation earlier this year found people experiencing homelessness in Australia had an average life expectancy of just 44. It's an important reminder that Victorians' lives depend on the provision of adequate social housing and wraparound supports. “We have a responsibility as a society to value lives more highly than this," said CHP's Chief Executive Office Deborah Di Natale. “The Victorian Government must take decisive action to break this devastating cycle. As a starting point, all deaths of people experiencing homelessness should have to be referred to the coroner. The Attorney-General has the power to make this change with the stroke of a pen.” #endhomelessness #socialhousing #housingendshomelessness Read more: https://lnkd.in/gds-cMZC

Want to take a leadership role developing the policy positions and advocacy strategies to end homelessness in Victoria? Then come work for us as CHP's new Manager, Policy and Advocacy. This is a full-time role, with potential for part-time for the right candidate. Applications close on 13 December. Find out more: https://lnkd.in/gszBtsrp

This week marks the start of the UN Women's 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, a time for us reflect again on the connection between family violence and homelessness – and take action. Family violence is still the number one reason people seek homelessness assistance. In Victoria, 26,763 women, young people and children identified family violence as main reason for them seeking assistance from specialist homelessness services. People leaving family violence are now waiting almost 20 months for public housing, up from 17 months just a year ago. This isn’t acceptable. Safe, secure housing isn’t a luxury. It’s a human right and a crucial step in ending gender-based violence. We’re calling on policy-makers to make housing solutions for victim-survivors a priority. There’s #NoExcuse for inaction. #16Days #EndViolence

1 million people. That's the number of Victorians at risk of homelessness according to Impact Economics' new report "Call Unanswered". That's more Victorians living on the edge. And more pressure on our under-resourced homelessness services who already struggling to cope with demand. That's why Homelessness Australia's "No One Turned Away" campaign is calling for Federal and State Governments to increase homelessness support. Find out more and join the campaign here: https://lnkd.in/gpyMk9cG And read the full Impact Economics report here: https://lnkd.in/gueC5Rer #endhomelessness #nooneturnedaway

Today, Homelessness Australia is launching a new campaign, "No-one Turned Away" to raise awareness of the enormous pressures on homelessness services, and the consequences for people desperately seeking our help.   The campaign calls on Federal and State governments to help people facing homelessness by: 🤝 Providing the support people need to avoid or quickly escape homelessness; 🏠 Providing rapid access to safe affordable homes; and 💰 Increasing income support so people can afford their rent. The campaign launches on the same day a new Impact Economics report finds almost 1 million Victorians are at risk of homelessness, and a lack of resources is forcing almost one-third of homelessness services in Victoria to sometimes close their doors to people desperately seeking help. Find out more and join the "No One Turned Away" campaign at: https://lnkd.in/gX47DJKf! #endhomelessness #nooneturnedaway

The number of Victorians at risk of homelessness has increased 67% to almost 1 million people, according to a new Impact Economics report. That's the biggest increase anywhere in Australia.    And the number of Victorian households experiencing rental stress has jumped 23.1% since the 2021 Census, with Melbourne experiencing a 27.2% rise.     The report, released today by Homelessness Australia, also reveals that a lack of resources is forcing homelessness services to close their doors to people desperately seeking help - almost one in three services (29%) were forced to shut their doors during the period surveyed by the report.    Council to Homeless Persons CEO Deborah Di Natale said: "Under-resourced services simply can't go on like this, with people falling through ever-widening cracks as the worst rental crisis in living memory worsens. We have heard from services directly that it is breaking their hearts to turn people away. We need funding for homelessness services to be increased, including increased investment in prevention, and expansion of Housing First programs, so staff can respond to everyone seeking help." Read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/gueC5Rer #endhomelessness #nooneturnedaway

Once again this year, CHP will be compiling a comprehensive list of free meal events being held around Victoria over the festive period. If you or any organisations you know will be hosting an event this year, and you’d like to be listed in our guide, we’d love to hear from you! Please email kartikal@chp.org.au by Wednesday 27 November, with the following details:   Name of organisation:  Name of event (if applicable):  Time of event:  Address of event:  Booking / RSVP link and deadline (if applicable):  Event flyer or event page (if applicable): Any details or instructions around COVID restrictions and safety:   

We're thrilled to announce we have a winner of the 2024 Jenny Smith Housing First Scholarship! [Drumroll please...] Congratulations to Zach Biggin from Launch Housing, who is this year's recipient! Zach will use the scholarship to travel to Canada, visiting a number of services involved in the landmark At Home/Chez Soi Housing First demonstration project, conducted in 5 Canadian cities as a randomized controlled trial between 2009 and 2013. He aims to examine and report back on the sustainability and fidelity of these programs ten years on. In particular, Zach will investigate the operation and impact of Assertive Community Treatment teams, as well as visit Indigenous-led and co-designed Housing First projects. Find out more here: https://lnkd.in/gE543zMp