housing

February 2022 Edition

QUEENSLAND FLOODS

The resilience and community spirit of Queenslanders is yet again evident as torrential rain and flooding wreaks havoc. Thousands of people are in evacuation centres, thousands of homes are lost. Hundreds of suburbs remain on emergency alert. We know our sector was already under strain dealing with the impact of the pandemic. As some hope was in sight, these events are heartbreaking. We’re here to assist in any way we can.
Please contact us at admin@qyhc.org.au.

Take care,
QYHC team
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Emergency Hardship Assistance Grants are available

Emergency Hardship Grants of up to $180 per person and $900 for a family of five or more are now available. These grants help to cover the costs of essential items such as food and clothing, for people who have been impacted by this disaster. Applications can be made through the Community Recovery online portal by clicking here.

Also, the federal government has activated the Disaster Recovery Payment of $1000 per eligible adult and $400 per eligible child to support people impacted by Queensland’s flooding event. This payment is a one-off, non-means tested payment for those who have experienced a significant loss as a result of the floods. It can be claimed via myGov or by calling Services Australia on 180 22 66. Find more information about the support that is available here.

An Important Message from
QUEENSLAND HEALTH:

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By coming into contact with floodwater, you increase the risk of wound infections, dermatitis, conjunctivitis or ear, nose and throat infections.

When outside, you should:

  • Wear waterproof shoes or boots
  • Cover cuts and sores and treat with antiseptic
  • Wear gloves in the garden and on farms
  • Wear a mask if you're using high-pressure
  • hoses around soil
  • Shower or bath after you work outside
  • Stay inside in heavy rain or wind
  • Don’t drink groundwater
If your wound starts showing signs of infection, such as pus or increased swelling or redness, speak to your doctor immediately.

2 Platform 1225s in 2022!

Due to ongoing COVID impacts, a program bursting at the seams alongside other considerations, QYHC has decided to present Platform 1225 in two parts:

Part A - Online
20th April - Youth Homelessness Matters Day
Featuring Professor Kerry Arabena
Reimagining Indigenous Housing, Health and Wealth: The Necessary Ecological Response to Unlock the Potential in the Indigenous Estate.

Part B - Rydges South Bank
24th October 2022
Featuring MC Comedian Corey White, Dovetail, Making Tracks - a panel of young people with a lived experience, Dr Lindy Annakin, Dr Alistair Ping and many others.
Presenters and programs for each forum will be finalised over the next few weeks. Those registered for Platform 1225 will have access to both forums at no added cost. Those interested in registering can do so now - the cost will remain the same as the one day Forum. There is no added cost for the YHMD online feature.

The reason for this decision is the feedback from the sector, particularly the regions about the impact of COVID on organisations, young people and staff. Given so many unknowns at present coupled with further trauma on our organisations an online forum in April is likely to be more accessible.

We trust by October more organisations will be able to network and come together in person.
PLATFORM 1225 invite March 2022

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Platform 1225 - Youth Homelessness Matter’s Day - ONLINE Tickets | TryBooking Australia
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14th Anniversary of the National Apology to the Stolen Generations

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The 13th of February 2022 marked the 14th anniversary of the National Apology to the Stolen Generations by then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. In 2008, Prime Minister Rudd made the formal apology on behalf of the Federal Government to the Stolen Generations - the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children who were forcibly removed from their families and communities by successive colonial and Australian governments. This apology was a historically significant step forward in truth-telling and acknowledging the detrimental impact of our nation’s shared history.

However, there are many First Nations Australians who are still healing from the intergenerational trauma of past government policies that resulted in the forcible removal of children.

First Nations Australians continue to be disadvantaged at every level, from health and education to life expectancy.
Statistics show that Stolen Generations survivors are more likely to not own a home, have financial issues, have experienced violence, suffer from a disability, and to have a criminal record.

Additionally, rates of child removal in Australia have continued to rise over the last decade, with First Nations children ten times more likely to be removed. This number is projected to increase to 54% by 2031. This is going in the wrong direction, and what is worse is that very little being done about it.

Actions speak louder than words and there are so many more actions that needs to be taken. There needs to be an increase in services for ageing survivors, a national strategy to address the intergenerational impacts of child removal, an increased effort to reduce the number of First Nations children that are being removed and greater support systems for those that are. Only when action is taken will change be seen.

School Returns but Covid
Looms in the Background

The start of February saw the return to face-to-face learning for young people across Queensland. This was at first, accompanied by a continual daily increase in the number of positive COVID-19 cases in the 5-17 years age group. However, schools were able to handle the situation and there have been no closures. The end of the month has seen a steady decline in the number of positive cases amongst school aged children and young people. Specialist Youth Housing services are reporting that Covid-19 is having less of an impact on service delivery after the crazy time that was had at the start of 2022. The Queensland government has announced the easing of many restrictions, including mask wearing requirements, to start at the beginning of March. There is the hope of returning to new normal way of living in which COVID-19 is in the background. This is of course until we are faced with a new variant and the potential wave as the winter months and flu season approaches.
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Concessional Access
Rapid Antigen Testing

The Australian government is introducing a temporary Rapid Antigen Test Concessional Access program that will run until 30 April 2022. Under this program, people who hold a valid Commonwealth concession card are eligible to receive up to 10 rapid antigen tests, over 3 months. These will be at no cost and can be collected from a participating community pharmacy.

For a factsheet about this program, click here.

Calling Budding Artists

The next round of the Queensland Government’s Individuals Fund is now open. This fund provides support of up to $7000 for Queensland artists and cultural workers looking to undertake new projects or participate in professional development opportunities. As we continue to navigate COVID-19, it is essential to invest in our local talent to ensure that artists can adapt their skills to an ever-changing environment.

The Individuals Fund is open until 4 March for projects commencing 30 May 2022. For more information about how to apply, click here.
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Nominations Are Now Open

More than $1.2 million in grants to be awarded. Three finalists will be selected for each Westfield Centre to go through to the community vote. The successful hero for each of the 42 Westfield Centres is awarded a $20,000 grant for the organisation they represent, and each finalist receives a $5,000 grant for their organisation.

Now in its fifth year, the program has already celebrated more than 489 individuals and their organisations.

Westfield Local Heroes alumni include community volunteers and leaders, welfare service providers, first responders, essential workers, health and medical experts, educators, innovators, environmentalists, businesspeople, social entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs.

It’s easy to recognise your hero and put them in the spotlight to potentially earn a $20,000 grant to help continue their work.

Visit the website here or for New Zealand, here.
Tell us who your hero is and how they create positive impact for your community or environment.

Nominations close Monday 21st March 2022, 4pm AEST.
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2022 National NAIDOC
Awards Nominations

The National NAIDOC Awards recognise the extraordinary contributions that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make to our community. If you know someone who has empowered Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to engage in their community or has demonstrated high quality in their chosen field, now is the time to nominate them.

The closing date for nominations is 11 April 2022. For more information about the award categories and to access a nomination form, click here.
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Attention Creative Young People

Youth Week 2022 is coming up from the 2-10th April and Visible Ink is looking for Young People who are aged 12-25 years to perform paid gigs at various Youth Events around Brisbane.

Visible Ink aims to provide opportunities to showcase your amazing talents in BCC Libraries, Skate Parks, Community Events, City Cats and Visible Ink throughout Youth Week.

To register your interest, send an email to drew.stephens@brisbane.qld.gov.au with your name, age, contact details, info about what you do and links to your music/dance/performances.
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Free AOD Counselling & Support

Noffs Alcohol and other Drug (AOD) Counselling and Support for 12 to 25 year olds is open for referrals. This service assists young people who are struggling with day-to-day life and utilising drugs and alcohol to cope. The service is available across south-east Queensland from the Gold Coast to the Sunshine Coast.

For more information or to make a referral, call 1800 753 300 or email qldreferrals@noffs.org.au.
LOGO_CLA Community Living Association

Community Living Association
is hiring!

Community Living Association is recruiting Overnight Support Workers in the Beros service. There are multiple positions available across 3 sites, including Wavell Heights, Petrie and Sippy Downs. These roles are suitable for students in the social work/human services field. This is a rolling recruitment for casual positions paid at SCHADS level 3.

Send applications to tlawrie@communityliving.org.au

Human Rights in Housing and Homelessness

QCOSS has started 2022 by launching a range of new resources that are designed to enhance your knowledge and application of human rights.

An interactive self-paced resource to improve your understanding of the Human Rights Act and how it applies to public entities delivering social services is now available. This workbook is packed with examples relating to the delivery of housing and homelessness services and can be utilised with staff in many ways. To access this workbook, click here.

By popular demand, a case study library that draws on real examples from service providers has now been launched. This case study library showcases many examples of good decision making, where human rights proper consideration has positively influenced the outcome. To view this library, click here.
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A video resource that explains giving proper consideration to human rights when making decisions has been released. To watch this video, click here.
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Queensland Women’s Week

The annual Queensland Women’s Week (QWW) will be held on 5th to 13th March, promoting awareness of the accomplishments of and challenges faced by women. This year's theme is Keep Making Noise, which acknowledges that women have raised their voices to demand equality and respect and calls on women and girls to continue to tell their stories to build momentum as we all strive for change, and celebrate the achievements of women. During the week, individuals and organisations across the state host events and activities, offering something for everyone. To register an event or find events that are being held, click here.
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Financial Assistance Through Victims Assist

Victim Assist has recently developed a checklist for people to answer a few short questions to find out if they should apply for financial assistance. If you have been a victim of violence in Queensland you may be able to apply for financial assistance. Support may also be able to help if a close family member - or a person you were financially dependent on - has died as a result of an act of violence.

To learn more about the process and to access the checklist, click here.
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Relationships and Sexual Health Training Opportunities Available

True Relationships and Reproductive Health provide resources and information for the wider community and delivers relationships and sexuality education in a variety of community settings, in addition to school groups. This can include sessions for young people, parents and carers, and for people with disability. Professional development can also be delivered for services that work with these groups.

To find out more about the training opportunities that True has available face-to-face and online, click here.
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Queensland Schools are
Sharing the Dignity

The Queensland government are investing $2.5 million over 3 years in a collaboration with the Share the Dignity charity to provide 120 school across the state with a Dignity Vending Machine. The machines will be given out over 2 rounds, with the current round open for EOIs and a second round to open later in the year. The partnership also provides all Queensland schools with access to the Period Talk education program - teaching students in Year 5-8 about menstruation and the impact of periods. This initiative acknowledges the right that everyone deserves to live with dignity and will provide support to vulnerable students, especially those that have unstable accommodation.

Boosts to Road Safety Programs

Many organisations across the state have been awarded funding to deliver learner driver mentor programs. More specifically, funding has been given to services to support young people in regional areas and young people from ATSI and CALD backgrounds to learn how to drive. These programs provide Queensland’s most vulnerable and disadvantaged young people with help to fulfil the logbook of supervised on road driving they need to obtain their licence. It has been shown that these programs reduce unlicensed driving while increasing opportunities to gain employment and social inclusion.
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Q Shelter Learning Exchange

You are invited to register for QShelter’s learning exchange. This series will be held online on the first Tuesday of every month – the next one being on 1 March 2022. These sessions provide a space for housing and homelessness and other support services to discuss challenges, exchange ideas and find out about resources.

To register for this event, click here.
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Emerging Minds Webinar

Child and Family Community Australia is inviting practitioners to attend a free webinar - Perinatal support strategies for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parents experiencing complex trauma.

This webinar draws on the experiences and knowledge of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander practitioners to explore how services can work through the perinatal period to support the social and emotional wellbeing of infants and their families.

The webinar will be held on the 9th March 2022 from 12:00 to 1:00pm. To register, click here.
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Youth Crime in Rockhampton

An innovative collaboration between police and youth justice workers is having a major impact on youth crime in Rockhampton. These teams are providing support and early intervention by reconnecting vulnerable young people with services such as education, health and housing. As youth crime predominantly happens outside of business hours, it has been vital having teams that can respond at any time that a young person is on the verge of engaging in offending behaviours. Rockhampton is one of eight locations across the state that a co-responder team has been established.
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New $8 Million Program to Support Youth Mental Health

An innovative service to improve young people’s access to mental health support is being trialled as Queensland Health partners with the Children’s Hospital Foundation and Orygen to deliver a digital on-demand mental health service.

A two-year pilot program that utilises Orygen’s existing and highly successful Queensland Moderated Online Social Therapy (Q-MOST) platform to enhance mental health support services available to young people has commenced, with participating services ready to offer the program from April 2022. Metro South, Children’s Health Queensland, North West, Wide Bay, Central Queensland, West Moreton and Darling Downs will all be involved to ensure the pilot reaches a broad stretch of the community. The demand for youth mental health care has never been higher and with the combined use of technology and clinical services young people will be able to get assistance at all stages of their mental health care.
oneplace

Find Services in oneplace

oneplace is an online directory for Queensland parents, families and professionals that lists community services throughout Queensland. There are more than 58,000 services that provide assistance with a range of issues including parenting, domestic and family violence, legal issues, mental health and counselling, housing, financial and food assistance. It is free and easy to use. Access the directory here.

Homeless Inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction Project (HIDRR)

The Queensland Reconstruction Authority’s Queensland Resilience and Risk Reduction Fund has commenced a project entitled: ‘A person-centred capability approach to disaster management with people experiencing homelessness’. It is anticipated that this project will lead to the development of a homelessness specific framework and toolkit to assist services and persons they support to be better prepared in any future disaster event.

The current stage of the project aims to: understand the preparedness, capabilities and support needs of people experiencing homelessness and the services that support them (including people experiencing homelessness with disability); co-develop the Person-Centred Emergency Preparedness Framework and
Toolkit for building resilience with people experiencing homelessness and implement and evaluate the P-CEP Framework and Toolkit by homeless services with the people they support.

This project targets the eight Local Government Areas (LGAs) within Queensland, with the highest rates of homelessness and highest levels of homelessness service provision.

Over the coming months the project will be sending out surveys to homelessness services with the intent to capture the feedback of service providers and their clients. Any assistance you can provide this project will ensure the tool released will be the most effective, so please keep an eye out for this in your inbox.
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Gambling Community Benefit Fund: Super Round Delayed!

The opening Gambling Community Benefit Fund’s first $100,000 super round has been delayed to allow groups that have been impacted by COVID-19 an opportunity to submit their applications. This round will now open on 21 February and will close at midnight on 31 March 2022.

For more information about how to apply for this grant, click here.

National Housing Conference

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NHC Melbourne 2022 program includes an overview of the five conference plenary sessions as well as the first 12 concurrent sessions. The theme for next year’s NHC is Resilience, Connection, Transformation.

For more information, click here

Register here and view the program here
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Survey

Queensland Youth Housing Coalition are a member of the Make Renting Fair in Queensland Alliance. We would love to hear what you think are the most important elements of the tenancy experience. This will assist us on where to concentrate our advocacy in the next stage of the review.

The survey will only take a few minutes of your time, but will assist greatly in focusing our efforts on behalf of all Queensland renters.

To complete the survey, click here. For more on Make Renting Fair Queensland campaign, click here.

Calling For Case Examples

Changes to the Queensland Criminal Code:
New legislation requires every adult in Queensland to report information relating to child sexual offences committed by an adult in relation to a child under 16 years of age to the Queensland Police Service. Failure to do so is punishable by 3 years in prison. The Queensland Criminal Code (Child Sexual Offences Reform) and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2020 received assent in Parliament on the 14 September 2020 and commenced in Queensland on the 5 July 2021.

Following information and practice forums across the Youth, Women’s and Sexual Assault sectors a Working Group has been formed to further assist organisations in implementing this legislation.

If anyone has feedback or case examples to share, please contact the working group via Lorraine on 0448 073 463 or lorraine@qyhc.org.au. Read more about the Laws targeting sexual offences against children here
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