the ache for home - vinnies.org.au · norm moore national secretary david bresnik national...

N A T I O N A L O V E R V I E W 2 0 1 4

THE ACHE FOR HOME

02 — ST V INCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY • NAT IONAL OVERVIEW

National Council Office PO BOX 243 Deakin West, ACT 2600 Phone: 02 6202 1200 Fax: 02 6285 0159 Email: [email protected]

Editorial Committee Dr John Falzon and Ramesh Weereratne

Editor Colleen O’Sullivan

Design Damon Carr Design and Print Office Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne

Printing Doran Printing, Melbourne

Environmental Profile SVDP National Overview 2014 is proudly printed in Australia on 100% recycled paper and is certified carbon neutral by the DCC&EE under the National Carbon Offset Standard (NCOS). The paper also supports Landcare Australia. Made in Australia by an ISO 14001 certified mill. FSC certified. No chlorine bleaching occurs in the recycling process.

This logo represents the hand of Christ that blesses the cup, the hand of love that offers the cup, and the hand of suffering that receives the cup.

The Society is a lay Catholic organisation that aspires to live the Gospel message by serving Christ in the poor with love, respect, justice, hope and joy, and by working to shape a more just and compassionate society.

The St Vincent de Paul Society in Australia wishes to acknowledge that we are on Aboriginal land. We pay respects to all traditional custodians.

Warning: This publication may contain the names and images of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people now deceased.

The title of the National Overview for 2014 is taken from the work of famous American poet, Maya Angelou, who passed away on 28 May, 2014. Maya Angelou was also a memoirist, actress and an important figure in the American Civil Rights Movement. The full quote ‘The ache for home lives in all of us. The safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned’ was published her 1991 autobiography ‘All God’s Children Need Traveling Shoes’.

T H E ACH E FO R H OME — 03

17 Overcoming Grief Former resident of Edel Quinn,

Warren benefited from the holistic approach offered by the specialist homeless service in Wagga Wagga, NSW.

18 Emotional Reunion Sunay recounts her life story

- from children’s homes in England to moving to Perth as a young mum and more recently on becoming a grandmother. Without the support of Vincentcare, Sunay says she would not be around today to share her story.

19 Good Samaritans Samaritan Services in the

Australia Capital Territory specifically targets people living with a chronic mental illness who are in need of supported accommodation and outreach to prevent them from cycling back through homelessness.

20 Nourishment In the last financial year, the

Loui’s Van program in Tasmania assisted over 16,000 individual times, 1,000 times more than the previous financial year.

21 Recovery An unprovoked attack left Isaac

with a severe physical disability. With the help of the St Vincent de Paul Society he was able to secure permanent housing and begin the long journey to recovery.

22 On the Road Every stage of life has different

wants and needs, different challenges, hopes and dreams. For 24-year-old Royce, a short stay in the Bakhita Centre in the Northern Territory, hard work and the kindness of strangers helped him buy a plane ticket home.

23 Changed Circumstances Angelina tells her story of

homelessness and what life was like before she came into contact with the St Vincent de Paul Society.

24 Education An education can transform

every aspect of a person’s life, from giving knowledge to gaining stability, employment and self-esteem after hardship as participants in the Clemente program run by the St Vincent de Paul Society in Queensland discovered.

25 Housing Affordability As a consequence of high rents,

few properties available, and low incomes, each night in Australia over 105,000 people experience homelessness.

26 Building Resilience When the business he had

been working at was sold, Matt, unexpectedly lost his job. He slept rough for a while until Vincentian House in Adelaide helped him regain his confidence.

27 Gender Effect For a range of reasons related

to gender stereotypes, women tend to experience homelessness differently to men.

28-29 Overseas Development Residents of Vincent House in

Fiji depend on the generosity of others who demonstrate their love and care of sick people and people who are homeless by providing for their basic needs.

30-31 Financial and Property The St Vincent de Paul Society’s

Financial and Property Resources.

4 National President’s Report The St Vincent de Paul Society

has never tired of telling governments housing is a human right. If we cannot guarantee this right to children then we are seriously in need of re-examining our priorities.

5 Homelessness Crisis Illustrative graphics depict the

latest information we have to hand about homelessness.

6 National Statistics An overview of the St Vincent de

Paul Society in Australia.

7 National Council Members Members of the National Council

include the National President, the Presidents of State Councils, the Youth and Young Adults Representatives and office bearers.

8 - 9 Chief Executive Officer’s Report Homelessness is about being

denied the human right to housing. But it also about being denied the right to safety, security, acceptance and love.

10-14 Advocacy and Research The St Vincent de Paul Society

is broadly engaged, advocating with members of parliament, as well as with other organisations and in every possible public arena.

15 Policy Timeline A timeline of homelessness and

housing policy in Australia since Pre-Federation.

16 Soup Vans In Victoria volunteers with the St

Vincent de Paul Society’s soup vans see firsthand the effects of disadvantage and poverty.

C O N T E N T S


National President’s Report

T U R N E D AWAY

There are over 105, 000 people experiencing homelessness in prosperous Australia each night. The number is frightening. Even more frightening, however, are the real life stories behind this number; stories like the following one that was reported by the ABC:

When 31-year-old Sarah* became pregnant last year, she was already homeless.

After her daughter was born she was given temporary accommodation, but a week later she was told by the New South Wales housing department she had to find another place to live.

She ended up having to sleep in her car, with her one-month-old baby wrapped in her jacket.

“That’s when we got sick, she got sick, I got sick because she had all these bug bites and she was getting the fevers, getting the flu and it was the same as me, so it was really tough,” Sarah said.

Sarah spent the next 10 months sleeping on the streets, in her car or staying with friends and was told she could be on the waiting list for a department home for as long as two years.

“Sometimes you feel like you want to do something stupid, I mean like...commit suicide,” she said.

“It’s a lot of things that comes in your mind when you’re in that situation, you feel scared. It’s like what will happen to you and your daughter?”

*Name changed for privacy reasons.

It’s hard to believe that in a prosperous country like ours we are still hearing these stories. As the St Vincent de Paul Society has never tired of telling governments, housing is a human right. If we can’t even guarantee this right to

children then we’re seriously in need of re-examining our priorities.

A prosperous nation like ours should not be experiencing such scandalous levels of homelessness. Even worse, with such levels of homelessness, no one should ever have to be turned away from a homelessness service. In the meantime we need to be there at the coalface of marginalisation, not as paternalistic dispensers of charity, but as real sisters and brothers to the people that have been pushed to the edges of society.

It has been said in many places that a society should be judged on how it treats its most vulnerable members.

For me, I will always remember these words being uttered by our former Governor-General, Sir William Deane, a man who continues to bear prophetic witness to this Gospel value.

Our work with Christ’s Poor should not stop with simply supplying the immediate solution to an immediate need. We are challenged to go much further. We are challenged to enable people to take control of their own lives. We do not accept the idea that people are to blame for their own marginalisation. We do, however, believe that people are able to overcome the odds that have been stacked up against them if the right resources are made available and, most importantly, if we

are able to change the conditions in society that make things impossible for them.

We also need to keep thinking beyond our shores. We need to think of the people, including many children, who seek asylum in our country after suffering incredible traumas in their own countries. We need to remember that the St Vincent de Paul Society is a global network of love and that we should join in the global effort to prevent the conditions that cause poverty and homelessness on a massive scale across the world, especially as Majority World countries continue to carry the burden of allowing countries such as ours to enjoy unprecedented wealth.

No one should be turned away. In the words of our founder, the activist-academic, Blessed Frederic Ozanam:

“It is time to seek the abolition of poverty.” n

Anthony ThorntonChief Executive Officer


L AT E S T I N F O R M AT I O N A B O U T H O M E L E S S N E S S

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics and Homelessness Australia.

105,237homeless Australians in 2011 census

4%

In 2013-2014 the number of Australians receiving support

from homelessness services rose by four per cent.

In Australia, on any given night

Despite accounting for 2.5% of the general population;25% of homeless

Australians are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander.

The largest proportion of homeless Australians are 25-34 accounting for 18% of homeless Australians, with children under 12 accounting for 17%.

ho

meless

25-3

4yo

<12yo

One third of Australians seeking homelessness services did so as a

result of experiencing family or domestic violence.

33%

Approximately 10% of clients seeking assistance from a specialist homelessness agency have a long term health condition or disability.


N AT I O N A L S TAT I S T I C S

Conferences 1,164Members 20,181Shops 623Volunteers 43,249Employees 2,570

National Statistics

Western AustraliaConferences 78Members 1,082Shops 43Volunteers 2,690Employees 148

VictoriaConferences 301Members 3,896Shops 34Volunteers 12,773Employees 255

TasmaniaConferences 34Members 235Shops 34Volunteers 1,181Employees 145

South AustraliaConferences 64Members 817Shops 34Volunteers 2,884Employees 67

QueenslandConferences 213Members 3,312Shops 130Volunteers 6,615Employees 341

Northern TerritoryConferences 7Members 45Shops 6Volunteers 266Employees 39

New South WalesConferences 414Members 10,119Shops 250Volunteers 15,707Employees 1,429

Territory Council of Canberra-Goulburn Conferences 53Members 675Shops 24Volunteers 1,133Employees 146


Dr John Falzon Chief Executive Officer

Donna Scheerlinck PA to President and CEO

Lachlan Harley Administrative Support Officer

Kimberly Watson National Overseas Administrator

Rik Sutherland National Research Officer

Vincent Nguyen Cuu National Website Manager

John ForrestQLD President

Brian Moore QLD President

(until April 2014)

Ray ReynoldsNSW President

Gerry McCormackNT President

Brian SpencerSA President

Vin HindmarshTAS President

Sarah CruteYouth & Young Adults

Representative(until July 2014)

Kathleen FerreroYouth & Young Adults

Representative

Frank BrassilTerritory Council of Canberra

Goulburn President

Fr Troy BobbinSpiritual Advisor

Michael LiddyVIC President

Bob BurnsWA President

Jeff Threw WA President(until June 2014)

Anthony ThorntonNational President

Norm Moore National Secretary

David Bresnik National Treasurer

(until July 2014)

Melissa LjubicNational Treasurer

Claire VictoryVice President

Tony Muir Vice President

Graham WestVice President

Tony Tome Vice President and VIC

President (until March 2014)

Colleen O’Sullivan National Website Editor and Media Officer

Michael Moran Archivist (Volunteer)

Dr Tikka Wilson National Web Advisor (Volunteer)

N AT I O N A L C O U N C I L M E M B E R S

N AT I O N A L C O U N C I L S TA F F


The ache for home lives in all of us. The safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.

Maya Angelou

Who amongst us does not know this ache for home? It is the most human of experiences. Many of us have known this feeling when we have been away from home for too long a time. But knowing that we have a home to return to is what keeps us going, what makes us strong.

But what of the people who have nowhere to call home? What of those who have nowhere that they can call their safe haven, their place of belonging; not just a shelter from the elements but a place of warmth and acceptance?

Homelessness is about being denied the human right to housing. But it also about being denied the right to safety, security, acceptance and love.

A just society is one in which people enjoy the human right to employment, social security, education (from pre-school right through to university and TAFE), healthcare, housing and all the things that make us feel human, including culture and friendship.

As the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) acknowledges, you don’t build a strong economy by increasing the level of inequality. You don’t create a strong country on the backs of the already poor.

There’s nothing human about humiliating people because they are outside the labour market or on its low-paid fringes. There’s nothing smart about making it unaffordable for people to see a doctor or for their kids to go to university.

There’s nothing fair about having bucket-loads of wealth at the disposal of some while others have not even a place to call home.

There will always be some in the community who think that the people experiencing homelessness or unemployment are the ones who must change; that they must be subjected to some form of “tough love”.

But when we look at ourselves as a nation and we see not only how far we have come but how many we have left behind, it is clear that it is we who must change.

We must change by making sure that the woman who, with her children, is escaping domestic violence, is properly supported and housed instead of being forced to sleep in a car, for housing should be a human right for all and not a matter of luck for some.

We must change by tearing down the

walls that exclude people, and instead build bridges not only to secure and affordable housing but to education, employment, hope.

We must, as a society, urgently protect people from being cast off and cast out; devalued as human beings, called illegal, made illegal.

We all have personal vulnerabilities. To be human is to be vulnerable. Many of us are also economically vulnerable, and some of us in the current political and economic situation are very vulnerable; vulnerable to the threat of unemployment, or to losing our benefits, vulnerable to the threat of fewer casual shifts or the loss of penalty rates, vulnerable to losing the place we call home, no matter how humble it may be.

These economic vulnerabilities become personal vulnerabilities. It is hard, for example, to feel like you have dignity when you can’t afford to eat or when you have no place to sleep.

T H E AC H E F O R H O M E

Chief Executive Officer’s Report

Volunteer serving at a soup van in Melbourne.


2014 IN REVIEW

The founder of the St Vincent de Paul Society, Frederic Ozanam, a 19th century French activist-academic, once wrote that: charity may heal the wounds but it does not stop the blows.

And so our task is to transform our personal stories of injustice into a powerful, collective struggle for a new society; a society in which people are not blamed because economic structures lock them out or, in some cases, lock them up; one in which people are not told that they would not be poor if only they chose to be a little more productive.

This is our beautiful struggle, we who are many, we who make up the massive movement for progressive social change. We have only one enemy. It is called inequality. And no matter how long it takes, we will win against this enemy. Humanity will win against humiliation.

It is through this sacred duty of solidarity with all who ache for home that we will find the strength to not only heal the wounds but to stop the blows. Because our solidarity is stronger than our sadness and even though our struggle is enormous, so too is our hope. n

Dr John FalzonChief Executive Officer

We all have personal vulnerabilities. To be human is to be vulnerable.

5 December Roundtable discussion on community housing hosted by Minister Andrews in Melbourne. St Vincent de Paul Society CEO, Dr John Falzon, was in attendance.

11 December An issues paper titled Roles and Responsibilities in Housing and Homelessness was released by the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet (PMC). PMC is overseeing the Reform of the Federation White Paper, which will examine the tax transfer system between the states and federal government and how funding for important social services, such as housing and homelessness is allocated.

21 December In a Cabinet reshuffle the former Immigration Minister, Scott Morrison was announced as the new Minister for Social Services, which incorporates housing and homelessness.

22 December It was announced that three national peak bodies for housing and homelessness, Community Housing Federation of Australia (CHFA), Homelessness Australia and National Shelter, will have their federal funding cut from June 2015. This move shocked the community sector.

At the time of printing, the peak homelessness and housing bodies continue to lobby for their funding to be reinstated and for a four-year NPAH to be signed prior to June 2015.

March A Senate Inquiry into Affordable Housing closed its period for accepting submissions. The Committee is due to report in April 2015.

June The one-year extension of the National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness (NPAH) was announced by the Federal Government and subsequently signed by the States and Territories. The NPAH will expire in June 2015.

The St Vincent de Paul Society has urged governments to commit to a longer-term agreement for the NPAH.

July A Senate Inquiry into Domestic Violence focusing on the gendered nature of crime, and the relationship with housing stress and availability, finished accepting submissions. The Committee is due to report in June 2015.

August During Homeless Person’s Week the then Minister for Social Services, Kevin Andrews, announced the Federal Government’s planned review of homelessness services had been amalgamated into the Reform of the Federation review.

Advocacy and Research


T H E S T R U G G L E F O R A N E W S O C I E T Y

In 2014 the core of our advocacy message has been quite simple and unadorned: the poor should not be the ones to pay to bring the budget back to surplus. Whilst we saw our efforts rewarded inasmuch as the massive public outpouring of support for people experiencing the effects of inequality saw most of the 2014 budget measures resisted, we cannot afford to rest on our laurels. We have before us the very serious challenge to change the political discourse and the general policy trajectory as it applies to people experiencing poverty, inequality and discrimination, from the First Peoples to the most recent arrivals seeking asylum, and everyone in-between who is on the receiving end of structural exclusion.

In order to fund the kind of just and compassionate society that we aspire to we urgently need to embark on a comprehensive review of taxation. This, rather than the irrational agenda of cutting social expenditure, thereby making the poor suffer more through increased levels of inequality, is the more sustainable approach to economic and social development.

This means a comprehensive national jobs plan accompanied by a social security system that actually provides people with social security while they are without paid work.

For us, social security means:

1. Income adequacy, not poverty.

2. Housing, not homelessness.

3. Dignity and respect, not humiliation and demonisation

4. Self-determination, not paternalism and social control.

5. Access to education, childcare and jobs, not abandonment to the whims of the market.

We completely accept and support the principle of employment participation rather than parking people on income support. Employment participation will not, however, be increased by punishing people. Behavioural approaches won’t solve structural problems.

The members of the St Vincent de Paul Society witness the face of inequality and poverty each day. Our approach is therefore to see the interconnectedness of the diverse causes and symptoms of inequality.

It is no surprise then that we should be broadly engaged on so many fronts, advocating with a wide range of members of the government, the opposition and the cross-benchers as well as with other organisations and every possible public arena.

This work has involved just under 200 media interviews on issues such as:

• Employment participation • Minimum wage• Working poor• National Commission of Audit• Refugees• NDIS• Cuts to social expenditure• Welfare reform• Aboriginal justice• Poverty and inequality• National Partnership Agreement

on Homelessness• Australian Charities and Not-for-

profits Commission• Social and affordable housing• Austerity • Budget 2014• Youth unemployment• Work for the dole• Compulsory Income Management• Fuel excise• Cost of living impacts on low-

income households• Punitive treatment of unemployed• Racism• Women and homelessness• The role of government• Financial stress

Members of the Lalor Park Conference with Member Engagement Coordinator for the St Vincent de Paul Society in NSW, Kate Scholl (third from the left).


• TAFE as a pathway out of poverty• Medicare co-payment• Human rights

SPEECHES, PAPERS, PRESENTATIONS

The history of colonisation, “In the Absence of Treaty” Book Launch, Australian National University, 6 February 2014

Solidarity is stronger than sadness, ASU Delegates Conference, Sydney, 18 February 2014

Left out in the lucky country, Keynote Speech, Catholic Social Services Victoria AGM, Fitzroy, 12 March 2014

Addressing homelessness in the lucky country, Keynote Speech, Young Labor National Conference, Australian National University, Canberra 12 April 2014

Faithful to the people, Keynote Address to the One Society, One Voice National Gathering, Ormiston, 20 May 2014

The struggle for justice, Keynote Address to the Congregational Gathering of the Daughters of Charity, Baulkham Hills, 28 May 2014

Fighting inequality, Address to Unions ACT Council, Canberra, 4 June 2014

What does poverty look like in 2014 in Australia? Address to Baptist Care Australia Conference, Canberra, 5 June 2014

Baptist Care Services and the local church Panel Presentation, Baptist Care Australia Conference, Canberra, 6 June 2014

The pursuit of justice in refugee and asylum seeker policy, Panel Presentation, ACOSS Conference, Brisbane, 11 June 2014

The struggle for a fair society, Keynote Speech, International Cleaners Day Rally, Parliament House, Canberra, 16 June 2014

The impact of the Federal Budget on young people, Where to now for young people in Australia? Canberra Institute of Technology, 18 June 2014

Solidarity and social change, Parliament House, South Australia, 19 June 2014

Advocacy and democracy, Narrabundah College, 23 June 2014

Fighting inequality, sharing risk and building capacity – the role of government in fair societies, L20 Forum, Melbourne, 24 June 2014

The impact of Federal Budget measures on people with complex needs, National Complex Needs Alliance Meeting, Parliament House, Canberra, 27 June 2014

Our sense of the social, United Voice 2014 Delegates Convention, Brisbane 1 July 2014

We will win, Bust the Budget Rally, Parliament House, Canberra, 6 July 2014

Out of the ruins, Keynote Address, Jobs Australia National Conference, Melbourne, 27 August 2014

The future of welfare, Panel Presentation, Jobs Australia National Conference, Melbourne, 27 August 2014

The language of the unheard, Achieving Peace with Justice Forum, Sydney, 29 August 2014

The voices of the marginalised, Australasian Catholic Press Association Conference, Canberra 3 September 2014

The role of government in addressing homelessness, Panel Presentation, National Homelessness Conference, Gold Coast, 12 September 2014

We have only one enemy, Protecting a Fair Go Community Forum, Canberra, 22 September 2014

St Vincent de Paul’s history working with migrants and refugees, Fourth National Conference on the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Refugees, Sydney, 03 October 2014

How can we become the lucky country again? Anti-Poverty Week Forum, Melbourne, 15 October 2014

Poverty and inequality: A sociological analysis, Narrabundah College, Canberra, 20 October 2014

Called to justice – Engaging in and shaping civil society, Catholic Social Services Australia Leaders Forum, 21 October 2014

Humanity will win against humiliation, NUW Anti-Poverty Week Rally, Melbourne, 22 October 2014

Vincentian advocacy in the 21st century, Vincentian Leadership Workshop, Melbourne, 27 October 2014

Inequality, Keynote Speech, South Coast Labour Council Annual Dinner, Wollongong, 30 October 2014

Ageing and inequality, Panel Presentation, Carers Australia National Conference, Gold Coast, 18 November 2014

The fight for justice has not stopped, Eureka Stockade 160th Anniversary, Melbourne, 4 December 2014

PUBLICATIONS

“You don’t have to be a communist to stand up for the poor”, Eureka Street, Vol 24, No 5, 26 March 2014 http://www.eurekastreet.com.au/article.aspx?aeid=39171

“Why we say “no” to austerity”, The Record, Autumn 2014

“History of the intervention”, The Record, Autumn 2014

“Poverty and social expenditure in focus”, The Record, Autumn 2014

“Joe Hockey’s austerity designed to hit the poor hardest”, The Australian, 16 April 2014 http://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion/joe-hockeys-austerity-designed-to-hit-the-poor-hardest/story-e6frg6zo-1226885499450#

“Solidarity is stronger than sadness”, The Voice, April 2014

“Cruelled by the Budget,” Eureka Street, 15 May 2014 http://eurekastreet.com.au/article.aspx?aeid=40419



“Solidarity”, The Record, Winter 2014

“The 2014-2015 Budget: Our response”, The Record, Winter 2014

“Ripping the guts out of fairness and forcing people into poverty”, Crikey, 27 May 2014 http://blogs.crikey.com.au/croakey/2014/05/27/the-budget-ripping-the-guts-out-of-fairness-and-forcing-people-into-poverty/

“Time to stand and fight”, Pearls and Irritations, 27 May 2014 http://johnmenadue.com/blog/?p=1701

“Grinding the face of the poor”, Eureka Street, 28 May 2014 http://www.eurekastreet.com.au/article.aspx?aeid=41475

“Why the excluded are still waiting”, Eureka Street, 30 June 2014 http://www.eurekastreet.com.au/article.aspx?aeid=41631

“The big lie”, The Record, Spring 2014 http://www.vinnies.org.au/icms_docs/196484_The_Record_Spring_2014_-_Embracing_diversity.pdf

“Humanitarian policy – it matters to us!”, The Record, Spring 2014

“Gender and the crime of domestic violence”, The Record, Spring 2014

“A new humanity”, Chapter in Laverty, M. and L. Callaghan (eds) (2014) Exploring the Connections: Catholic Social Teaching and the Social Determinants of Health, Ballarat; Connor Court Publishing.

“What is austerity?”, St Vincent de Paul Website, October 2014

“Grinding the face of the poor”, The Record, Winter 2014 http://www.vinnies.org.au/icms_docs/190865_The_Record_Winter_2015_-_The_equity_issue.pdf

“The personal is political”, Council to Homeless Persons Annual Report 2013/2014

“Young people can’t live on fresh air and sunshine”, Eureka Street,

2 October 2014, http://www.eurekastreet.com.au/article.aspx?aeid=42079

“The Global Financial Crisis and austerity”, The Record, Summer 2014-15

“Aiding whom”, Social Policy Connections, 1 December 2014

INQUIRIES

Submission to Refugee Council of Australia Annual Consultation on Refugees, Migration and Offshore Processing

Letter to Minister Morrison on treatment of asylum seekers

Submission to the National Commission of Audit

Submission to the Inquiry into Schedule 2 of the Social Services and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2013

Submission to the Inquiry into the Migration Amendment (Regaining Control Over Australia’s Protection Obligations) Bill 2013

Submission to Select Committee into the Abbott Government’s Commission of Audit

2014-2015 Pre-Budget Submission

Letter to Minister Andrews on social expenditure cuts

Submission to the Inquiry into Technical and Further Education in Australia

Submission to the Inquiry into Schools Funding

Submission to the Inquiry into Housing Affordability

Submission to the Review of Mental Health Services and Programs

Submission on the Draft Amendments to the Racial Discrimination Act 1975

Submission to the Inquiry into the Australian Charities and Not-For-Profits Commission (Repeal) (No. 1) Bill 2014

Submission to the National Inquiry into Children in Immigration Detention 2014

Senate Inquiry on Constitutional Recognition of Indigenous Peoples

Submission to Senate Select Committee on Health

Submission to the Select Committee into the Abbott Government’s Budget Cuts

Submission on the Extent of Income Inequality in Australia

Submission on Options Paper for Replacement Arrangements following Abolition of ACNC Appearance before Inquiry into the 2014 Budget Measures Bills Nos. 1 and 2.

Appearance before Inquiry into the Social Security Legislation Amendment (Stronger Penalties for Serious Failures) Bill 2014

Submission to the Inquiry into the Social Security Legislation Amendment (Stronger Penalties for Serious Failures) Bill 2014

Submission to the Inquiry into the 2014 Budget Measures Bills Nos. 1 and 2.

Submission to the Inquiry into Domestic Violence in Australia

Submission to the Inquiry into A New System for Better Employment and Social Outcomes Report

Input to Annual Refugee Council of Australia Intake Consultations

Presentation to Select Committee into the Abbott Government’s Budget Cuts Hearing, Canberra 17 October 2014

Presentation to Extent of Income Inequality in Australia Senate Inquiry Hearing, Canberra 17 October 2014

Submission to the Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee on Social Security Legislation Amendment (Strengthening the Job Seeker Compliance Framework) Bill 2014


RESEARCH PROJECTS

Two Australias: a report on poverty in the land of plenty

Promoting inclusion and combating deprivation: recent changes in social disadvantage in Australia. (UNSW Social Policy Research Centre Research Collaboration)

Residents’ Voices, Place Communities and Disadvantage, UWS, Loyola University Chicago

OAKS ESTATE

program, and a similar program elsewhere in Canberra.

The change in Oaks Estate since the Society moved in has been phenomenal. Oaks Estate is now described by residents as safe, happy and most importantly, as a community. The Society works regularly with around 50 residents, who attend cooking classes and excursions organised by the Society, and have access to education and employment services via the internet provided in the community room. The community enjoy weekly meals together, a thriving shared vegetable garden, and a reading group. Individuals can access case management and referrals to other programs.

Relationships are better too. The St Vincent de Paul Society program has helped open communication pathways: instead of solving problems with violence, residents are more likely to talk to each other about the issue now. The emotional ‘hollowness’ in ex-prisoners is slowly wearing away, as people realise that they are now valued, and that they add value, within the community. Drug use and drug-related crime has also decreased.

One resident believes that the program run by the Society has a huge rehabilitative power for those coming out of prison. He says that leaving jail

Since at least 2000, the Oaks Estate public housing units, and their surrounds just south of Canberra, were rife with crime. Assaults and burglary were very common, and the area was a dumping ground for stolen cars. Drug use was high. One resident of Oaks Estate had witnessed someone being killed in a recreation area. In response to the crime rates, the police were performing constant drive-bys of Oaks Estate, and had even established a permanent presence, day and night, in a police van parked on the road beside Oaks Estate.

About three years ago, as part of a program funded by the ACT Government to support mental health, the St Vincent de Paul Society entered a head lease arrangement with Housing ACT for an initial eight units, which has now grown to 32 units within Oaks Estate. Two of the units were set up for communal leisure and development activities, and Society employees are onsite through the day Monday to Friday, and on call at other times, providing a range of support services. The program accepts many people exiting institutions including prison and adult mental health facilities. The ACT Health funding of $500,000 per annum runs the Oaks Estate

and coming into such a supported environment gives people a real change to properly re-integrate back into society, as opposed to leaving prison homeless, with no mental health or employment support, and no community to go to. The Society’s Case Manager at Oaks Estate agrees and has seen patterns of institutionalisation broken by the program. She recalls one resident who had been in and out of prison his whole life, who went through the program. There, he received housing, anger management education, and stabilisation of his medication, along with the benefits of having, possibly for the first time, a real community of his own. Since leaving the program, he has bought his own house in the country, is in a stable relationship, and is a contributing member of society.

In addition, the cost to the broader community has decreased. The Society employee says that over the last three years, assaults have significantly dropped off, and residents agree with one resident saying she could not remember a break-in since the Society moved in and started bringing people together. The police no longer do drive-bys, and their permanent van is now gone from outside Oaks Estate.

Report on Poverty and Inequality (with ACOSS and UNSW)

MEDIA RELEASES

We are not at war with asylum seekers, 22 January 2014

Vinnies says no to austerity, 18 February 2014

Vinnies asks government to listen to the NFP sector, 19 March 2014



Help us cut homelessness, not funding, 2 April 2014

Cutbacks must not come at the expense of the poor, 16 April 2014

Audit Report a recipe for inequality, 1 May 2014

National Volunteer Week: A big thank you to our volunteers, 7 May 2014

Vinnies Budget Response: Tough but cruel, 14 May 2014

Vinnies recognises the importance of families, 15 May 2014

Vinnies supports National Reconciliation Week 2014, 28 May 2014

Restoring hope to refugees, 16 June 2014

Offshore detention and secrecy a continual source of shame, 18 June 2014

Celebrating NAIDOC Week 2014: Serving country, 7 July 2014

Petitioning for a fairer Budget, 9 July 2014

Homeless Persons’ Week 2014: We can’t afford to ignore it, 4 August 2014

A Jobs Plan to retain people’s dignity, 7 August 2014

Protecting children is everyone’s business, 8 September 2014

Mental Health Week 2014: Calling for a new approach to mental health, 6 October 2014

Vinnies bears witness to the mental distress of asylum seekers, 9 October 2014

Anti-Poverty Week 2014: Help us fight poverty and hardship, 13 October 2014

St Vincent de Paul Society: ‘Urgent revision of Refugee Bill required’, 20 November 2014

Response to the reintroduction of Temporary Protection Visas, 5 December 2014

PARTICIPATION IN

NGO Leaders for Educational Opportunity Open Letter to Minister Pyne

Social Determinants of Health Alliance

Campaign on the rights of asylum seekers

Campaign for education funding reform

National Social Inclusion and Complex Needs Conference Declaration on Working Together to Achieve Better Outcomes for People and Communities

Campaign on Emergency Relief and Financial Counselling Funding

Open letter to Attorney General on proposed changes to racial vilification laws

Catholic Alliance for People Seeking Asylum

Joint Sector Statement on the Federal Budget

Joint Letter to Minister for Housing and Treasurer on Review of Housing

ACOSS Budget Advocacy Day

Social Determinants of Health Alliance

ACOSS Principles for Social Security Reform

ACOSS Response to Forrest Review

Joint letter to Minister Andrews calling for NPAH funding certainty

ACOSS Board of Directors

ACOSS Executive

Department of Human Services Innovation and Technology Working Group

Ambassador for National Families Week 2014 n


POLICY TIMELINE

2008 - The National Rental Affordability Scheme (NRAS) was established.

2009 - A new National Affordable Housing Agreement (NAHA) and National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness (NPAH) replaced a number of older housing and homelessness agreements. The 2009 Social Housing Initiative (SHI) aimed to stimulate the economy after the Global Financial Crisis and provide affordable housing.

HOUSING AFFORDABILITY

2008 - The Housing Affordability Fund is set up to assist State, Territory and local governments to reduce housing-related infrastructure and planning costs. Building Better Regional Cities programme commenced to increase affordable housing in regional centres. Both programs ran for five years.

2011 - Australian Bureau of Statistics data found 105,237 people experienced homelessness on Census night.

2013 - A Services Connect initiative is established in Victoria. The aim being to build tailored services around people to support their individual needs.

Source: Reform of the Federation White Paper: Roles and Responsibilities in Housing and Homelessness and the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Late 1800s - Homelessness and housing services were operated primarily by philanthropic organisations up until Federation in 1901.

1912 - The first public housing initiative, Dacey Gardens, was established in NSW.

1918-19 - The Federal Government provided WWI veterans with low- interest housing loans.

1927-28 - The Commonwealth Housing Act was introduced.

1930s - 1940s - Housing authorities were established by the States to provide low-cost rentals.

1943 - The Commonwealth Housing Commission (CHC) was established.

1945 - The first Commonwealth-State Housing Agreement (CSHA) was negotiated.

POST-WAR YEARS

1956 - A new Commonwealth-State Housing Agreement (CSHA) was devised which better reflected the Federal Government’s encouragement of home purchase over provision of public housing.

1958 - The Federal Government introduced a Supplementary Allowance—later named Commonwealth Rent Assistance (CRA).

1967 - Following the referendum specific grants for ‘Aboriginal advancement’ were made to the states and an Office of Aboriginal Affairs was established.

NATIONAL FUNDS DELIVERED

1974 - The Homeless Persons Assistance Act 1974 came into effect, with payments from the Federal Government to approved not for-profit organisations for service provision.

1983 - A First Home Owners Assistance Scheme was introduced.

1985 - The Supported Accommodation Assistance Programme (SAAP) was jointly funded by the Federal, State and Territory governments, managed by States and Territories, and delivered mainly by non-government organisations.

1990 - The Community Housing and Infrastructure Programme (CHIP) began. It was overseen by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission.

1999 - A National Homelessness Strategy was funded by the Federal Government.

2000-01 - The First Home Owner Grant was reintroduced.

2006 - Australian Bureau of Statistics data found 90,000 experienced homelessness on Census night.

WHITE PAPER ON HOMELESSNESS

2007 - First Home Saver Accounts were introduced by the Federal Government in 2007.

2008 - The 2008 White Paper, The Road Home: A National Approach to Reducing Homelessness, set goals to halve the overall rate of homelessness and to offer accommodation to all rough sleepers who seek it. A newly established Prime Minister’s Council on Homelessness oversaw the White Paper.


Soup Vans

Homelessness is a growing problem and the care of people who are homeless is a primary concern to the St Vincent de Paul Society.The Society operates a number of services specialising in assisting people who turn to us in their hour of need. Across Australia 105,000 people face homelessness every night. The reality is:

• 60 percent of homeless people are under the age of 35

• 44 percent are women

• 17 percent are children under the age of 12.

People who are experiencing homelessness are mums and dads, grandparents, brothers, sisters and children. They are people just like you or I.

One man who resides in the commission houses in Fitzroy, Melbourne waits by the window every night for the St Vincent de Paul Society in Victoria’s ‘Vinnies Soup Van’ to arrive and then hurries down to meet them.

He is not in need of food but he is in need of friendship and social connection, saying that it makes his day to come out to meet with the soup van volunteers, ‘Vannies’, as it is the only time in the day he connects with anyone.

Soup van volunteers see firsthand:

• People who ride their bikes following the soup van runs, simply to interact with someone, to feel warmth and care from people.

• Families who sleep in cars and allow their children to share their latest jokes with the Vannies.

• People who rely on the food our soup vans provide and could not manage without it.

• People sleeping in the toilet blocks and city park benches with donated blankets waiting for the food we serve them because it is their only meal for the day.

• Half of the homeless people are women; some are pregnant; most have experienced family violence and as a result are now experiencing homelessness. Tragically, some of these women find it safer sleeping rough on the streets than in the place they were residing where they experienced the trauma of domestic violence.

These are just some of the faces of homelessness witnessed by the Society’s soup van volunteers. Sadly families and children are now making up the largest group of people who are homeless.

The Society in Victoria has six soup van services that provide assistance in diverse areas but ultimately the stories are very similar.

The service remains one of the most popular homeless services the Society operates in Victoria. And it would not be possible without devoted volunteers.

The Society’s volunteers are always careful to ensure that the people we assist are not intruded upon. The service is also supported by schools and community groups and provides an avenue for the reality of homelessness to be seen.

Almost every night there are one or two schools, some travelling for many hours from regional country towns, to have this experience and make their contribution. In fact, the people we assist enjoy the friendly fresh faces of the students and are always ready to share a story with them, proving the experience is beneficial for both the students and the people we serve. n

H O M E L E S S N E S S C A N H A P P E N T O A N YO N E

Dedicated volunteers or ‘vannies’ as they are known, prepare to stock a soup van for the St Vincent de Paul Society in Victoria.


Overcoming Grief

Losing someone special can often leave us feeling lost and bewildered. For Warren, the loss of his partner, son and father within a short period of time saw his whole world come crashing down. Warren found himself unable to cope and soon he fell back into homelessness, a situation he thought he had left far behind.

Warren found himself sleeping on the streets and moving around New South Wales from one crisis centre to another for an occasional warm bed and meal. Desperate to get his life back on track, Warren moved back to his roots in Wagga Wagga. Back in familiar surroundings, Warren felt the strength to seek help for his issues, begin counselling and get in touch with the local Edel Quinn Homeless Services.

Edel Quinn has been providing specialised homeless services to men in the Wagga Wagga region for over 50 years. The service recently underwent extensive renovations allowing it to provide a holistic approach to homelessness including accommodation, individualised case management, counselling, specialised education and training facilities and importantly, outreach support to people living in the community. Edel Quinn has also expanded its services to support single women as well as men experiencing homelessness.

In line with the NSW Government’s Going Home Staying Home reforms, the St Vincent de Paul Society provides a client-centered approach focusing on trauma informed care to better understand why people are experiencing homelessness.

With the intensive support of Edel Quinn case workers, Warren has now

moved into his new home in Wagga Wagga. After his move Edel Quinn arranged a new fridge and washing machine through their White Goods Program as well as furniture and other house hold items required to set up a home. Case workers continue to provide outreach support to Warren in his new home to ensure that he is able to maintain his tenancy.

Warren has become a valued member of the community and has started

volunteering with his local Vinnies shop collecting and delivering donated items.

With the secure base of a home behind him, Warren is now focused on returning to the workforce and undertaking further training. Warren is determined to keep his life on track and when speaking about the support he received says, “When people work together, great change can happen.” n

W H E N P E O P L E W O R K T O G E T H E R G R E AT C H A N G E C A N H A P P E N

Friendly staff at Humanitarian Settlement Services based in Wagga Wagga, NSW. From left, support officer Traci Johnson, volunteer coordinator Lauren Salathiel, support officer Danielle Maclean and Riverina manager Deirdre Moulden.

Warren felt the strength to seek help for his issues, begin counselling and get in touch with the local Edel Quinn Homeless Services.


Emotional Reunion

My name is Sunay, I am 50 years old and I have been supported by Vincentcare for the last six years. My story is long, 50 years long. I was born in Woolwich, in England in 1964. One of 11 children,

I grew up in family where there was physical and mental abuse. At the age of 14 I was removed from my family and spent the next two years moving from children’s home to children’s home. I think there was four different ones. I must have been unwell then, but I never saw a doctor, I talked to people who weren’t there, and I was self harming, cutting myself and taking overdoses.

When I was 16 years old I was discharged from the system. There was no after care, I was on my own. I was homeless and without family. I was on the streets just trying to survive really. There were no services or support that I knew of, I met people and got a few nights on a couch here and there.

When I was 19 things started to look up, I met Bill, I got a job and I had a home. We started our family but I found it really hard to care for them. Bill was working away and I was really struggling with my mental health. My kids gave me something to live for so I was safe, but it was really hard.

Bill thought that we should move to Australia, so at the age of 23 we packed up the children and moved to Perth to start our new life. We ended up in Tom Price and I joined the Army. I was there for six years and it was such a happy time. Looking back I think the order and structure was really good for me.

Bill and I weren’t doing so well and I moved back to Perth, I got a house in Kalamunda and started to study. I got a diploma in Community services and was accepted into Murdoch University

to study psychology. This is when my mental health really deteriorated and I had a total breakdown. My marriage ended, I was admitted to hospital and my 15-year-old daughter became carer to her younger brother and sister. I spent the next five years moving between psychiatric hospitals and homelessness. I was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, depression and borderline personality disorder at the age of 40 years.

My psychologist, Ann, told me about Vinnies. She helped me set up a meeting to see if I would be eligible to stay in their accommodation. I was, and in 2007 I moved into the Bayswater house with five other girls. My house coordinator, Ersillia has been wonderful, she has cared about me and for me, and she has kept me safe.

I still have a mental illness; I will always have a mental illness. I still have electroconvulsive therapy every

month but it is a maintenance regime and keeps me well enough to enjoy my life. I became a grandmother recently and I have a very good relationship with all my children. I volunteer at the Vincentcare once a week in the kitchen, and earlier this year my support worker, Gerry and Ersillia helped me to plan a trip back to England. I met with my 10 brothers and sisters and although sometimes it was difficult, I achieved something I could only have dreamt of six years ago. I can truly say that without the help of Vinnies, I wouldn’t be around to share my story.

Vincentcare provides accommodation to 76 people living with severe and enduring mental illness – many of whom also have experiences of homelessness.The service provides support across three different levels of accommodation giving the service flexibility to encourage people to maintain their independence and develop their life skills. n

S U N AY’S S T O RY I N S P I R E S


When all of the psychiatric institutions were closed down in the 1970s due to a government change in direction away from institutional care to community support, many of their residents quickly became homeless. Forty years onwards persons living with a chronic mental illness still have a significantly higher likelihood of becoming homeless than the rest of the population. In the report Specialist Homelessness Services 2012-2013, published by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, it was indicated that in Australia 53 per cent of all homeless persons identified mental health issues as a reason for seeking support. With 44 in 10,000 people having an identified mental health issue, ACT holds the highest ratio in Australia.

Assisted and funded by the ACT Health Directorate, the St Vincent de Paul Society Territory Council of Canberra Goulburn developed, and now operates, a program called Samaritan Services in the ACT. The program specifically targets people living with a chronic mental illness who are in need of supported accommodation and outreach to prevent them from cycling back through homelessness. Most of the people supported will have recently left institutional care such as a psychiatric ward or correctional centre. The vast majority have experienced homelessness for most of their lives.

Samaritan Services creates ‘environments of recovery’. It consists of accommodation blocks where the community receives support, and

is encouraged to not only look after their own health but also keep an eye on each other. The results of the program have been highly impressive, with levels of hospitalisation of residents reducing to virtually nil while violence, aggression and criminal behaviour have significantly dropped. Participants have demonstrated they can sustain their tenancies for years.

The key features that make the program work include:

• A community room for drop-in support;

• Engagement of the ‘entire’ local community, not just those people

that the St Vincent de Paul Society is funded to support;

• Regular groups and social activities;

• Recognition that mental Illness is lifelong, even if issues stabilise and;

• Society members and volunteers in the local community are considered as crucial a part of the ‘support’ as employees.

Samaritan Services currently supports over 70 people across two sites in the ACT. Based on its success the Society is currently engaging local government to expand the program to a third site. n

P E D L A R S O F H O P E

Good Samaritans

Nourishment

Loui’s Van Program is a Special Work of St Vincent de Paul Society Southern Region in Tasmania and has been in operation since 1992.

The service began with one van two nights a week with a team of 20 volunteers. Today, Loui’s Van Program operates three vans, six nights a week and has around 350 volunteers registered.

In the last financial year, the Loui’s Van Program assisted over 16,000 individual times, 1,000 times more than the previous financial year. Those who access the services provided by Loui’s Van range from children to older people and reflect a broad cross section of the community. Many are experiencing homelessness and in many cases the food that is provided from Loui’s Van is their only source of nourishment for the day.

At our recent Vinnies CEO Sleepout in Hobart one of the guest speakers Brian* spoke of the years he lived on the streets in Hobart from a teenager till his early twenties. Brian opened up about this troubled time in his life and the daily pressures he experienced from his bedding being stolen or getting wet to having nothing to eat. Loui’s Van was able to give Brian food each night and warm blankets if needed. n

*Name has been changed to protect privacy.

P R OV I D I N G A B R I E F R E S P I T E F R O M H O M E L E S S N E S S

AN EXTRACT FROM A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A LOUI’S VAN VOLUNTEER:“At 7.30pm we have pulled up on the wharf in Hobart. There is approximately a crowd of 20 people waiting for us. They have come to get some warm food, bread and have a chat to the volunteers. The team leader talks to people whilst

distributing the bread. Some people ask for one loaf and some rolls. They know we will be back tomorrow and only take what they will need for the night. The team then packs up and we head off to our next stop.”

One of three vans that operate as part of the Loui’s Van Program in Tasmania.

Participants in the Vinnies CEO Sleepout held in Hobart in 2014.



ISAAC’S STORY

My name is Isaac and I’m 32 years of age. Until 2012, I worked six days a week and had a stable home. However, a vicious unprovoked attack left me for dead, and after a week in a coma I have lived with severe physical disability. I was initially granted Newstart, but that was not enough to pay my rent. I moved into a shed, and did maintenance work in exchange for board. However, the property owner wanted more work than I could do, and I was kicked out. Unable to find secure accommodation, I put my things into storage, and tried couch-surfing with friends. Although I paid them money for food and expenses, it couldn’t last long, and I ended up on the street.

In a very short space of time, and through no fault of my own, I had gone from having a job and a home to sleeping on cardboard boxes and washing my face in a creek or at a public tap. Sleeping rough was really hard, and exacerbated my injuries. Things were particularly hard when all my belongings were stolen in winter, including my swag and warm clothes.

After a few months on the street it’s easy to fall into a rut. Sometimes I

Recovery

V I C T I M O F A N U N P R OVO K E D AT TAC K G E T S B AC K O N H I S F E E T

would pool resources with a friend I met on the street and we would rent a motel room for the weekend and treat ourselves to a big feed and a few drinks. I began to notice that people who live on the streets find comfort in whatever way they can. For some it’s endlessly smoking cigarettes, for others it’s drinking.

The caseworker advised that my application was approved and I was offered transitional housing with St Vincent de Paul after the Christmas/New Year break. In the meantime I had applied for, and been granted, a Disability Support Pension. The caseworkers helped me arrange my bond loan application with the

Department of Housing and I was able to move into my new studio unit.

It may seem like a small thing, but one of the best things about having my unit is that I now have a place to put my bookcase as I love to read. I would like to get back to work one day, but it’s not looking likely at the moment as I still have a lot of medical issues following the assault.

The St Vincent de Paul Society supported me through a very difficult time by providing me a place to have a shower and clean up, access to clothing and food, and someone to talk to and support me, and now my very own place to call home while I get back on my feet. n


On the Road

V I O L I N P L AY E R G R AT E F U L F O R T H E K I N D N E S S O F S T R A N G E R S

Royce is a likeable, wiry 24-year-old from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. His demeanour is at once open yet guarded. He sits on the lunch benches at the Bakhita Centre constantly looking around but is relaxed in his discussion. Like many people in the Northern Territory, although he has no home, he doesn’t feel homeless. He describes himself as a vagabond and

being young, he fears stagnation,

not learning anything and feeling

‘caged’. He says he is at his happiest when he is free to do as he

pleases.

Royce has been travelling for four years through Europe, Russia and Asia and has been in homeless shelters twice before (in China and Denmark) before staying at Darwin’s Bakhita Centre. Royce has never stayed more than two months in any place but this current irregular lifestyle belies the many years he spent in the US Army. After going through Infantry and paratrooper training he was sent to Germany for Ranger training before being medically discharged with a leg injury. He has no family, his father not being around and his mother dying young so he decided to travel and has been doing so ever since.

Royce has been earning money to sustain his food, travel and accommodation by playing his violin. Unfortunately he arrived in Alice Springs late at night and chose not to find accommodation; instead finding what he thought was a secluded part of the dry Todd River to sleep. It was here that other itinerants stole and smashed his violin. He travelled to Darwin with $20 in his pocket and lived in a park before receiving assistance through the St Vincent de Paul Society because as a foreigner, he isn’t able to access Centrelink. Fortuitously, via a lost dog, he met a lady involved in the Mindil Beach Markets who introduced him to some circus performers who

put the hat around to buy him a new violin. Once receiving his

new instrument he earned $2,000 for three days

work at a local pub which enabled him to buy his ticket back to

Germany. Royce is leaving tonight for Germany and will be travelling to visit the northern lights where he will ask his girlfriend to marry him. He says he has lived with everything and lived with nothing. He is happy and nothing else matters. n

Every stage of life has different wants and needs, different challenges, hopes and dreams.


ANGELINA’S STORY

wanted emergency money in case of breakdown or other repairs. The response was ‘just wave down a Grey Nomad, they will help you’.

When I arrived back on the Sunshine Coast I continued to appeal to Centrelink to release me from income management as it was badly hindering my life. I was informed I would remain on it for 13 weeks. I no choice but to live in a tent in a caravan park which cost $275 per week. This was a terrible situation, and not sustainable. It was very hot with the temperature around 37 degrees. I couldn’t believe my life had become this.

Employers looked twice when I said I lived in a caravan park. I couldn’t get a rental property when agents saw I was income managed, so it was a Catch-22. Being income managed made it appear that I couldn’t look after myself and

I am a hard worker and always earned and paid taxes. Occasionally I have had to rely on a Centrelink payment when work has been inconsistent.

It all began when I went from my home in Queensland to Darwin, to visit my son and his pregnant and very ill wife. I informed Centrelink of the temporary change of address and that I would only stay for a few weeks. Because I was in Darwin for five and not four weeks, Centrelink put me onto the income management scheme. What happened next was the worst nightmare of my life!

The day before I was returning to Queensland I went to Centrelink and asked for money to be put in my bank account to cover petrol. It took two hours and I was only given half what I needed. I told them I was driving to Queensland alone and

must be so irresponsible that the government had to do it for me. After daily stressful arguments with the income management department, and the turn that my life had taken now, my doctor prescribed me anti-depressants. I had begun thinking about suicide as I felt so low, and my car was about to become my home. I was jobless and homeless.

I have since received assistance from the St Vincent de Paul Society’s Queensland homelessness support service, and now I have my own little self-contained unit. n

Changed Circumstances

L I F E O U T S I D E T H E L A B O U R M A R K E T

An education can transform every aspect of a person’s life, from giving knowledge to gaining stability, employment and self-esteem after hardship.The St Vincent de Paul Society in Queensland, in collaboration with the Australian Catholic University, Griffith University, Sisters of Mercy, Micah, Common Ground and Centacare offers Clemente programs to help transform students’ lives.

The Clemente program offers those who have experienced extended periods of homelessness or disadvantage a chance to study and gain a university qualification in a safe and supported way. At the end of the two year study period (four subjects over four semesters) students obtain a university Certificate which can, if chosen, be used towards further study.

In Brisbane students’ participation in the course has doubled over the financial year period with 13 students successfully working through the Sociology and 2D Art subjects. The students proudly presented their artworks at the Vinnies CEO Sleepout where three pieces of artwork were sold and many students shared their stories of hardship.

One of the students commented that a particularly traumatic event had led to a lifetime of struggle until she started attending the program. She had been surprised that she could complete assignments and participate with class discussions, and felt excited about life and the opportunities available to her after completing her studies. The group has shown how a supportive and nurturing environment can transform lives as the students obtain passing grades and move into the next phase of their lives. n

U N I V E R S I T Y C O U R S E A D D R E S S E S D I S A DVA N TAG E

Education

WHAT IS THE CLEMENTE PROGRAM?

The Clemente program, or Catalyst-Clemente program as it is also know, provides accredited university courses in humanities subjects such as literature and Australian history.

The original concept of the Clemente Program was developed in the US by educator, Earl Shorris, in 1995 and the program came to Australia 2003. It is based on the theory that education plays a vital step towards overcoming poverty and other serious challenges.

Students currently enrolled and enjoying the Clemente Program in Brisbane.

The St Vincent de Paul Society together with the Australian Catholic University has a long association of providing the Clemente program in Sydney, Canberra and Brisbane. The education program is also run in conjunction with several other not-for-profits and university providers in several states in Australia.



Lack of secure and affordable housing is one of the main issues that members of the St Vincent de Paul Society see in our work, and that the people we assist tell us about.

It is clear from people’s stories that unaffordable housing can very quickly become insecure, and escalate into homelessness. There is simply not enough public housing and crisis accommodation available to meet the demand. At present, the Federal and State Governments have committed to a further year of funding for the National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness (NPAH) until June 2015. The St Vincent de Paul Society has called on the Federal Government to commit to a long term funding agreement on housing with the States and Territories.

Housing Affordability

H O U S I N G I S A H U M A N R I G H T

GAVIN’S STORY

Gavin, aged 64, lives alone in Bathurst. He had been a truck driver, until he had a heart attack and could no longer drive, even on a casual basis.

He said “I’ve become everything I was scared of”.

Gavin is now on a Disability Support Pension, and has been paying very high rent as the only house he was able to find had three bedrooms. After housing and power costs are deducted, Gavin lives on just $175 a week. However, $40 per week of this goes on his medications. He has also taken the guidance of financial counselling, yet the underlying problem is insufficient income rather than mismanagement, and he is losing the struggle to pay his bills. Gavin is struggling, and has had to come to the St Vincent de Paul Society several times for help to buy food.

Gavin has recently decided to move out to a shack on a small bush block 35 minutes out of town. He says that he doesn’t want to move, but because his income is not meeting his expenses, he feels under huge stress. His blood pressure levels are up; in his words his situation “is wrecking me”. Relocating

will take the cost of rent out of his budget, and allow him survive. However, his shack having no power or water connected; he will have to use lanterns and a battery radio, and work out ways to heat water and keep food cool. He is willing to live there even though it is not designed or insulated to be a home, and every time it rains the roof leaks, so that he is obliged to put out buckets to catch the drips. The move takes him further away from his beloved daughter and grandchildren, but he feels it is the only way he can survive.

CLAIRE AND MATTHEW’S STORY

In their hometown in regional Victoria, Claire and Matthew lived at a caravan park. When Claire had to be flown to Melbourne to undergo an emergency caesarean section, Matthew asked the manager of the caravan park if they could leave their belongings in their van until they returned. He had no idea how long this would be. The caravan park manager demanded they pay four weeks rent in advance to secure their van. Matthew had no money and could not meet this demand and as a result, their van was emptied of all their belongings. They are now homeless. n


Matt came into a Vinnies Centre desperately looking for assistance. Matt’s life had not been easy but it was solid. He held the same job at a local business for over eight years. He was living in rented accommodation and he was in a stable relationship.

When the business he had been working at was sold, Matt unexpectedly lost his job. His partner left him, taking with her their two young children, shattering his spirit. He was also evicted from his home after falling behind in his rental payments.

To survive Matt had been living in a local creek bed for the past four months as he had no family or close friends to call upon for help. He was also unable to find accommodation

which allowed him to keep his much beloved dog with him. Every day Matt would pack up his tent and few belonging, dig a hole and bury them beneath a bush so they would not be stolen when he walked into town looking for work. Struggling with ill health as a result of his poor living conditions, Matt’s situation was quickly spiralling out of control.

After entering a Vinnies Centre, Matt’s world quickly changed. His accommodation issues were addressed through the Vincentian Centre in Adelaide, where he was provided with healthy, regular meals, shower facilities and a safe place to live. Vinnies staff also found a temporary boarding kennel for his dog. A range of other Vinnies services were quickly put into place to begin work on his future employment options.

PAT H WAYS T O E M P L OYM E N T A F T E R H O M E L E S S N E S S

Building Resilience

Overtime, Matt became more confident about his circumstances and began to seek out employment opportunities drawing on a range of work skills gained through the LEAP Program in Adelaide. The LEAP (Learning, Education and Pathways) program provides new opportunities and assistance for people facing difficulties finding success through traditional pathways to employment, training and education.

To date, Matt has been able to achieve employment near to where he has found permanent housing. His beloved dog is again living with him and most importantly he is rebuilding his relationship as a father and partner.

With his resilience strengthened, Matt is now able to consider longer term employment pathways including training to upgrade his qualifications. n


Gender Effect

H O U S I N G, D O M E S T I C V I O L E N C E A N D G E N D E R

The insecurity of many Australian’s housing is highly concerning, as is the gendered effect of our housing crisis.For a range of reasons related to gender stereotypes – including the gender pay gap, women’s disproportionate participation in unpaid domestic work, and high levels of family violence against women – women tend to experience homelessness differently to men. For example, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare’s 2013-14 Specialist Homelessness Services Report released in December 2014 found of the 254,000 people who accessed services, one third (an estimated 84,774) were adults and children who received assistance as the result of experiencing family and domestic violence.

The St Vincent de Paul Society welcomes the National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and Their Children as a step in the right direction, as is the National Domestic Violence Order. However, we believe that we will not see real change until we as a society address the causes of domestic violence: stereotypes and attitudes about gender, which value women differently, and as subordinate to men, and which deeply permeate our society. We call on government to commit to a national plan on gender inequality, building on the weight of evidence, and previous work by various government bodies.

The following stories reveal the human face of the housing crisis in Australia today.

THEA’S STORY

I have three boys, and had worked full-time for over 18 years. The last six years unfortunately took a turn for the worse; my ex-husband, the father of my two youngest, caused our life to be a world of violence, dramas and humiliation. It was physically and mentally draining. I lost my home. With no family or confidants to talk to or help

financially, the volunteers at Vinnies have always offered to do what they can.

I was back at work for past 12 months, but unfortunately my contract finished, our car needs a new transmission ($2,500), and my washing machine and vacuum cleaner blew up.

I pay $285.00 a week for rent, trying to make ends meet on Newstart: $450 a week. My rent got behind, gas and electricity account became too much, water and food on top. It not only causes stress, worry and anxiety but also shatters self-esteem and causes humiliation.

VERONICA’S STORY

Veronica, a single mother aged 36, lives with her five children (aged between 8 and 18) in Canberra. Veronica was receiving Parenting Payment, but when her youngest child turned eight she was put on Newstart and Family Tax Benefit A, resulting in a lesser payment.

Rent in the unit is $515 per week, and Veronica has been living there for three years. She keeps the house very tidy and clean. However, Veronica has always had trouble keeping up with the rent payments, particularly when other bills are due. Now, the landlord has said they will be evicted.

Luckily, Veronica has found cheaper

private accommodation in another suburb, at $450 per week.

JOANNA’S STORY

Joanna has a private school education. She was happily married and lived in one of Melbourne’s ‘leafy’ eastern suburbs. Joanna had a son and daughter, and with her husband owned and operated two businesses.

Sadly, through no fault of their own, everything came crashing down around them. The marriage fell apart and the house and businesses were sold to pay off debts. Joanna began suffering from severe depression and anxiety. With no family support, Joanna and her young son moved into government transitional housing for 12 months, and her daughter stayed with Joanna’s ex-partner. Joanna and her son eventually moved into a flat in a public housing estate.

Joanna met someone new, but, tragically, her new partner was killed by a vehicle running a red light. This sent her into a state of further deep depression from which she is now slowly recovering.

Joanna and her son are desperate to move out of their current accommodation because of fears for their safety. n


S T V I N C E N T D E PAU L S O C I E T Y I N F I J I O F F E R S S H E LT E R AT V I N C E N T H O U S E

Overseas Development

The St Vincent de Paul Society National Council of Australia has a long standing relationship with the St Vincent de Paul Society in Fiji. Members of the Society in Australia currently help 806 Fijian students as part of the Assist a Student program and the Society has also provided disaster relief funds to the Pacific nation in the past. The Society in Fiji has kindly provided the following article about their homelessness service, Vincent House.

VINCENT HOUSE

Established in 1987 for a night shelter for those people who called the streets home, Vincent House today caters for 27 permanent residents of different ethnicities, genders, age groups and medical problems, including mental illness.

Vincent House residents depend on the generosity of others, who demonstrate their love and care of sick people, and people who are homeless, by providing for their basic needs. Vincent House is the only home known to the residents who have, over the years, had nowhere to live and whose families have rejected and neglected them due to their disabilities. Mental illness is one of the main reasons that several of the residents have been rejected by their families and are not wanted in their homes. The others have no place to

live, while some have been disabled due to amputations and other illnesses or were born disabled. The only family they know are their fellow residents and the staff of the Homes.

SOURCE OF FUNDING

The Society operates a second hand shop for used clothes and belongings, together with some property rentals, for an income to provide for the poor all over Fiji and Rotuma. Income from the shop also caters for the bills, food and groceries, medical expenses for the residents, and wages for the staff of Vincent House.

The shop provides for the poor in their own homes who cannot afford their basic food and grocery items, while others are assisted with their medication and bills. Our less fortunate brothers and sisters who still

call the streets their home also use the shop for their daily change of clothing, medicine and meals.

It is unfortunate that Vincent House does not receive any assistance from the government. The only support from the Government is through Social Welfare Family Assistance Scheme with a $30 Allowance and $30 Food Voucher for a month, and only 11 of the residents receive this.

Currently Vincent House is assisted by National Council and donors who donate food and other means. The Society in Fiji will keep applying to the government for a grant, which it has done every year. The staff and supporters of Vincent House are hopeful that some allocation is made in the 2015 Budget, until then, it could be a major struggle. n

Vincent House in Fiji.

The street front view of Vincent House in Fiji.

The ladies dormitory at Vincent House.


OV E R S E A S D E V E L O PM E N T R E P O R T

CURRENT AUSTRALIAN TWINS BY COUNTRY

Bangladesh 41

Cambodia 24

Chuuk Islands (formerly East Caroline) 1

Fiji 24

India 1409

Indonesia 276

Kiribati 1

Myanmar 72

Pakistan 9

Philippines 265

PNG (Q1-Q3, 2014) 18

Solomon Islands 1

Sri Lanka 5

Thailand 134

Vanuatu 9

Total Twinning Partnerships: 2289

Total AUD in Twinning Contributions (for 2014):

$731,040.00 ($80.00 per twin,

per quarter)

PROJECTS (for 2014)

Cambodia $1,136.00

India $5,157.00

Thailand $7,000.00

Total AUD in Projects: $13,293.00

DISASTER RELIEF

Country Amount Sent

Philippines $22,739.00

Solomon Islands $400.00

Total AUD in Disaster Relief: $23,139.00

ASSIST A STUDENT (students sponsored in 2014)

Cambodia 310

Fiji 726

Myanmar 280

Indonesia 1117

Sri Lanka 611

Philippines 486

PNG 485

Thailand 415

Total Students Sponsored: 4430


People-in-Need ServicesProvision by conference members on a one-to-one basis of:

• food, clothing, household goods, furniture

• accommodation and rental assistance

• assistance with utilities and transport expenses

• medical, dental and allied needs• school clothing and equipment• legal and related assistance• representations to Centrelink

and other government entities• companionship and friendly

assistance on personal and family matters.

Mental Health ServicesAssistance to people living with mental health problems to obtain:

• professional services• volunteer friendships for social

activities• training and productive work in

supported employment facilities.

Vinnies Retail CentresVinnies properties owned by The Society, enabling:

• people in need of help to make contact with the Society

• the provision of people-in-need services

• the receiving and processing of donated goods

• the sale of donated goods surplus to the provision of people-in-need services.

Funds raised by the sale of goods are applied by conferences and councils to the delivery of services for the poor and disadvantaged.

Aged CareAccommodation and services for aged people in need of low to high-care in Society-owned and leased premises:

• independent living units with access to care services

• home care services.

Homeless ServicesFacilities owned and leased by the Society, providing for homeless women, men and families:

• accommodation, meals, clothing• medical and dental services• legal assistance for victims of

domestic violence• services for people with alcohol and

drug addiction problems• training and learning services to

encourage and assist homeless people to return to independent living with security and dignity.

Funds raised through these facilities are applied to delivery of the services.

S O C I E T Y F I N A N C I A L A N D P R O P E R T Y R E S O U R C E S


Audited Financial StatementsThe St Vincent de Paul Society has eight state and territory legal entities. Each is incorporated under the relevant Associations Act and produces its audited annual accounts in accordance with the relevant statutory requirements.

This page presents key aspects of their aggregated accounts.

$318,902,613INCOME 2013-14

$328,032,654EXPENSES 2013-14

For a detailed break up of income and expenditure please see State and Territory Annual reports available online at www.vinnies.org.au

N A T I O N A L C O U N C I L O F A U S T R A L I A , P O B O X 2 4 3 , D E A K I N W E S T , A C T 2 6 0 0 . W W W . V I N N I E S . O R G . A U

the ache for home - vinnies.org.au · norm moore national secretary david bresnik national...

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