Sydney homeless experience violence and physical assaults (14 May 2012)
THE first health survey of homeless people in Western Sydney has shown they are subject to shocking levels of assaults and violence, and high rates of serious illnesses, including cancer. More than 40 per cent of the 148 homeless people surveyed had been admitted to hospital at least once last year at an estimated cost to the state of more than half a million dollars. The survey was a joint initiative of Wentworth Community Housing, the Mercy Foundation and Common Ground, and it used the Vulnerability Index to measure the presence of eight key indicators that put a chronically homeless person at significant risk of dying. Read more here
Pacific Link Housing and Wyong Shire Council partner for affordable housing (1 May 2012)
Pacific Link Housing and Wyong Shire Council have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to co-operate in the planning and delivery of affordable housing in the area. The agreement signed last week will see Pacific Link and Wyong Shire Council working together on joint opportunities as they arise, a process they could lead to formal contracts on specific developments later on. The MOU is part of a larger Council’s housing strategy and a great opportunity for local community housing providers to fill the growing need for affordable and social housing. You can read Media Release here
The Federation is looking for Trainers and Assessors! (30 April 2012)
- Are you passionate about the Social Housing sector?
- Are you an experienced trainer looking for new opportunities?
- Are you looking for an additional source of income?
NSW Federation of Housing Associations is currently recruiting for a Panel of Trainers and Assessors. We would like to hear from candidates who are:
* TAE certified trainers who has the knowledge and experience to deliver part or all of the training packages in Social Housing either face to face and/or online; or
* Experienced workers from the Social Housing sector with a training background or are keen on becoming a certified trainer. Further information
The PriceWarterhouseCoopers Transparency Award 2011 goes to Bridge Community Housing Limited! (19 April 2012)
The Federation congratulates Bridge Community Housing on winning a major award from PriceWaterhouseCoopers. Bridge Housing’s high standard of reporting and public accountability was recognised with a prestigious PwC Transparency Award at the award ceremony in Sydney last night. Bridge Housing won Best First Time Entrant for their Annual Report 2011 and was among top ten finalists. The award is a great recognition for the hard work and effort by the Bridge Housing staff and board. The P (PWC) Transparency Awards were introduced to Australia in 2007 to recognise the quality and transparency of reporting in the not-for-profit sector. Read articles from Australian Financial Review and the Centre for Social Impact.
The Sector Snapshot (17 April 2012)
The Registrar of Community Housing has produced a new publication in the suite of resources on the sector and regulation: the Sector Snapshot. The Sector Snapshot provides a short half-yearly profile of the registered community housing sector, together with summary data on sector performance for Classes 1, 2 and 3. The summary data on sector performance covers key indicators such as number of housing units owned and under management, rent revenue, rent arrears, turnaround times on housing units when reletting, and the balance sheet for the sector as at June 2011. You can read and download the Sector Snapshot February 2012 here
A call for leadership in improving housing affordability in NSW (4 April 2012)
The McKell Institute, a new public policy institute, has published a report calling for reform to the planning system and the tax and investment policies to enable better access to home ownership and improve housing affordability. ‘Homes For All’ calls for a strong political leadership and an informed debate in the community to end the housing crisis. The report can be accessed here.
Extended Date for 2011/12 Budget Measure to Better Target NFP Tax Concessions (2 April 2012)
The Australian Government announced today that it will extend the start date for the 2011/12 Budget measure to better target NFP tax concessions from 1 July 2011 to 1 July 2012. The rationale for the extension is the need to consult further with the not-for-profit sector. The extension will also reduce the uncertainty for those in the sector who have commenced commercial activities since the 2011/12 Budget that may be caught by the measure.
The extended start date of 1 July 2012 will only apply to new unrelated commercial activities that commenced after 7:30 pm (AEST) on 10 May 2011. Existing unrelated commercial activities that commenced prior to that date will continue to be covered by transitional arrangements as announced in the 2011-12 Budget. Further information about this measure and the Government’s NFP reform agenda can be found at www.treasury.gov.au.
Winners of the inaugural National Homelessness Service Achievement Awards announced!
(22 March 2012)
The Federation of Housing Associations congratulates two of its members, Wentworth Community Housing and the Southern Youth and Family Services Association, on their recognition for work in preventing and addressing homelessness. The two organisations have both won National Homelessness Achievement Awards, announced by the Commonwealth Minister for Housing and Homelessness, Brendan O'Connor. The awards are an important opportunity to showcase the quality, innovation and dedication of homelessness services. They also recognise the very important, yet sometimes less direct contribution that many Australian organisations make to addressing homelessness—such as philanthropic contributions, research, preventative and early intervention services, and service partnerships.
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