housing

Housing Roundtable

QYHC was pleased to participate in the Premier’s 2nd Housing Roundtable at which further ideas for housing reform were shared and several important announcements made. Most notably AHURI has been engaged to develop a robust model to predict future supply and demand for housing in Queensland.

Continue reading here.

AN ACTION-PACKED APRIL!

Youth Homelessness Matters Day (19 April 2023) is the annual national awareness day for youth homelessness in Australia. It’s a day of celebration, learning, understanding and advocacy.

From the 2021 ABS data on homelessness we know that 9,593 Queensland young people are homeless or living in insecure housing. We also know that this is a significant undercount. Queensland Youth Housing Coalition (QYHC) and Queensland Specialist Youth Homelessness Services shared our YHMD 2023 poster and important statistics such as these with our MPs noting our key message that All Young People MUST BE Safely Housed.
On YHMD Julia and Lorraine were delighted to meet with Hon. Leeanne Enoch MP, Member for Algester, Minister for Communities and Housing, Minister for Digital Economy and Minister for the Arts and, Hon. Meaghan Scanlon MP, Member for Gaven, Minister for the Environment and the Great Barrier Reef and Minister for Science and Youth Affairs to present them with our 2023 Youth Homelessness Matters Day poster.
The YHMD petition calling on the Federal government to develop a standalone National Child and Youth Homelessness and Housing Strategy is still live. For too long, the specific and complex needs of children and young people who are homeless or at risk have been assumed to be the same as those of adults and subsequently not explicitly addressed in government policy and plans to address homelessness. As the Labor Government commits to developing a National Housing and Homelessness Plan, we are calling for a commitment to develop a strategy specifically for children and young people.
Please sign here.

Youth Week

Queensland delivered a bumper Youth Week this year. This annual celebration of young people aged 12 to 25 years was held from 11–17 April with 112 events across Queensland ranging from stand-up comedy, arts, and digital design, to workshops, youth festivals, planting, and a slew of sporting events, including laser tag and fishing. 2023 celebrated the important contribution young people make to our communities with gusto.

Read here for information on Queensland’s investment in young people. Young people are encouraged to speak out via the opportunities listed here.

Anglicare rental affordability report 27th April

0 rentals (0%) were affordable for a person on Youth Allowance.

This year’s snapshot was the worst result for renters earning the minimum wage, with just 345 rentals (0.8%) considered affordable, down from 720 (1.6%) last year. The report found there were no rentals in the country considered affordable for a single person on the government's youth allowance payment, which pays between $332.90 and $720.40 a fortnight in most cases.
Read the report here.

Round 2 Rental Reforms

Over the past month, Make Renting Fair Queensland has focused its campaign on advocating for limits to rental increases. The State Government’s March decision to limit rent to once per annum was welcomed. MRFQ wants this to include limiting dollar increases to the rate of CPI to curb exorbitant rent rises, commonplace in recent times.
On 18th April, MRFQ welcomed the State Government's Stage 2 Rental Reforms. As part of Stage 2, you can have your say on:
  • Making it easier for renters to install safety, security and accessibility modifications
  • Improving negotiations around personalisation changes to a property like hanging pictures or planting a garden
  • Privacy and access issues
  • Improving the rental bonds process; and
  • Providing renters with fee-free methods to pay rent, as well as ensuring rent payments, utility and reletting fees and charges are fair and reasonable.
Click here to have your say! Sign up to support the MRFQ campaign here and share with your friends! #MakeRentingFairQLD Read the Stage 2 Rental Law Reform Options Paper here.
ACOSS has partnered with UNSW Sydney to undertake a research and impact collaboration to sharpen the national focus on poverty in Australia.
The alleviation of poverty is key to eradicating homelessness and meeting social and economic milestones for whole of community wellbeing. The Poverty and Inequality in Australia 2023 and the ACOSS Cost of Living Reports are important reads.
Read them below:

Housing and YHMD in the News

Homelessness and housing affordability is impacting the nation. With soaring house prices, dire rental accessibility, and a shortage of homes, it’s a national crisis. With social and affordable housing demand skyrocketing, specialist youth homelessness services are backlogged. Young people are locked out of almost all housing options. April saw significant coverage of youth homelessness, due in part to YHMD.
IMAGE_aerial houses

MOVING INTO MAY

May is Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Month in Queensland, an awareness raising initiative to inform the community of domestic and family violence and coercive control, and the support services available.

The theme for 2023 is ‘It’s in our control to end coercive control’.
It's your right to feel safe help card is a great resource for young people. Campaign resources can be found here and informative resources here. Many community events will be held throughout the month. View the calendar here.

Other resources for DFV Prevention

Spark a Connection on the Gold Coast - Register here

OPPORTUNITIES FOR STAFF

‘Laying Down the Law’
Online Training

Youth Advocacy Centre’s ‘Laying Down the Law’ online version of their highly sought after youth worker training program has launched!!!
Fantastic training for those in the youth support sector that can be completed from your home or office.
You can read more here.

Responding to Young People’s
AOD Use

In other exciting news Dovetail recently released a new practice video which targets Specialist Youth Housing workers and OoHC Resi workers!
Watch the video here.
LOGO_Queensland Human Rights Commission

Human Rights Training

The Queensland Human Rights Commission is providing training sessions including:
  • Introduction to the Human Rights Act
  • Introduction to the Anti-discrimination Act
  • Human Rights Act for Community Advocates
May and June training sessions for 2023 are here.

Youth Work Community of Practice

This is a unique opportunity for youth workers to join a state-wide online Community of Practice (CoP) to explore practice frameworks that help improve ethical and effective youth work. There are six pre-planned sessions throughout the year. Interested in joining? Find out more here.
LOGO_lighthouse resources

Lighthouse Training

Youth Mental Health First Aid - Participants will receive an introduction to mental health, mental health problems and mental health first aid. Participants must complete self-paced online module first; second module being delivered via zoom on 5 May 2023 – register here.

Trauma-responsive care LGBTIQ+ young people and their families

Alongside young people and specialists across education and health, Open Doors Youth Service has developed a series of professional development opportunities. This interactive training utilises current research to provide an introduction to trauma-responsive care and LGBTIQAP+ Sistergirl and Brotherboy affirming practice.

Training date: Wednesday 28 June 2023.
Register here.

New Publication

This Australian Institute of Family Studies resource sheet is designed to provide practitioners and service providers with the contact details and links to helplines, telephone and online counselling services for children, young people, and adults. View here.

GRANTS/AWARDS

2023 QCPW Award Nominations Now Open

Nominations are now open for the 2023 Queensland Child Protection Week Awards. You can nominate professionals, volunteers and initiatives that have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to child protection. Nominations close on 19 May 2023 – find out more here.

2023 QCPW Grant Applications Now Open

Regional Grants of $5,000 are available for each of the six regional areas of Queensland. Funding submissions must reflect collaboration with a minimum of five other agencies within the region – apply here.

Grants of up to $1000 are available to non-government organisations, community organisations and networks to hold events – apply here.

Not for profit groups can apply for a one off grant payment of $5,000 to promote child protection messages within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities – apply here.
All grants close on Friday 12 May 2023.

INFORMATION FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

Seeking Talented Youth Actors

Mind Blanks is a mental health promotion charity seeking young talented actors to become part of their acting ensemble in Brisbane and surrounding areas.

If you know any local young talented creative artists who would love a chance to make a real difference in the community, Mind Blank has a wonderful opportunity to provide:
  • paid casual employment to support a creative career
  • social education and youth development experience
Find out more here.

Helping Hands TV

Helping Hands TV have recently launched a series accessible on 9Now. Vignettes are presented on the Benefits of Community connection, Young People and Anxiety, Paying It Forward and many others.

Young People and Anxiety talks about young people and the growing sense of anxiety, looking at factors contributing to a higher sense of anxiety among young people, peer pressure and the impact of technology on developing minds. Find out more here.

Support your mental health

Smiling Mind is Australia’s #1 mindfulness app supporting every mind to thrive. It provides daily mindfulness and meditation guides at your fingertips. Their evidence-based tools support people to learn the skills to maintain their mental health in fun and interactive ways. Find out more here.

AOD Program for LGBTIQ+
Young People

The Alcohol and Other Drug Program at Open Doors Youth Service provides psychosocial interventions to LGBTIQ+ young people between the ages of 12 to 24 who are experiencing problematic alcohol and other drug use, or who are impacted by the alcohol or drug use of others. Refer here.

Leadership Program for
First Nations Youth

Nominations are open for the Queensland Government's Indigenous Youth Leadership Program, offering young Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples aged 18 to 25 years the opportunity to come together to develop leadership skills and build capacity to drive change in local communities. The seven-day residential program will be held in Brisbane 16-22 September. Find out more and apply here.
Nominations close 5pm Friday, 30th June.

The Sleep Ninja App

Sleep Ninja is a free adolescent focused app which helps young people improve their sleep. Over 6 weeks, the six training sessions go through the importance and role of sleep, raise own awareness of habits that are contributing to poor sleep hygiene and teaches behavioural and cognitive strategies to change unhelpful sleep patterns. Find out more here.

JOIN THE CAMPAIGN!

logo-everyoneshome
Everybody’s Home is a national campaign to address the housing crisis. It focuses on working together to call on Australian governments to bring balance back to the system, so that everybody has a place to call home.

QYHC’s vision is All Young People Safely Housed. QYHC is a proud supporter of the Everybody’s Home campaign as young people are locked out of almost all housing options. We need to address this crisis urgently. Find out more here.

Call to Halve Child Poverty by 2030

IMAGES_Kids
Poverty affects far too many Australian children and families, diminishing their life opportunities now and into the future. As one of the wealthiest countries in the world, it’s just not right that 1 in 6 of our children grow up in poverty.

The campaign calls upon all politicians to commit to halve child poverty by 2030. QYHC is cognisant that childhood poverty is strongly connected to homelessness as a young person and in later life. Addressing poverty is essential. Find out more here.
IMAGE_Raise the rate for good
The campaign to Raise the Rate for Good is key to reducing poverty and inequality in Australia. QYHC is an avid advocate for raising the rate. Poverty in childhood is a key indicator of long term homelessness for young people. Eradicating poverty is key to addressing many social ills faced by members of our society. A level of income support for young people that that ensures they can actively socially and economically participate is essential.

QYHC is a proud supporter of the Raise the Rate for Good campaign to raise Australia’s social security safety net to keep people out of poverty. This requires an income of at least $70 a day. QYHC would prefer the rate to be doubled as it was during COVID. $70 per day is the least we can do.

You can act by signing up to the campaign to raise the rate to above the poverty line. Find out more here.

SAVE THE DATE

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