Topic Tuesday// Housing Insecurity & Homelessness// Tues 26th July 2022 7-8:30PM AEST

Hi everyone,

We'll be getting this discussion started very soon! Tagging those who have supported the post for a reminder & others who may like to join us 😊 @NatureLover @chibam @Patchworks @Saint_boy @Shaz51 @Zoe7 @Appleblossom @Captain24 @Jacques @Judi9877 @Leeanne @Meowmy @TAB @Bunniekins @tonys

Hi @TAB 😊

Welcome to everyone joining us or reading along tonight. We would first like to acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the various lands across Australia we are all joining this discussion from. We pay deep respect to the Elders of those Countries, past and present, and we further extend that respect to any Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people with us tonight, reading along, or reading back.

Ahead of Homelessness Week (from 1-7 August, more on that here), we wanted to create a space to come together as a community and talk about homelessness and housing insecurity. Homelessness can look very different for different people- it could include sleeping in a car or couch surfing for example.

Broadly, what we’re talking about when we say homelessness is a situation where there are no suitable accommodation alternatives and the current living arrangement; has a short or non-extendable tenure and/or is in a dwelling that is inadequate or does not allow for control of and/or access to space for social relations. You can find an expanded definition of homelessness here.

Tonight we are facilitating this discussion with the Forums community as mental health Peer Workers – we are not professionals working in the housing and homelessness space.

We acknowledge the range of experiences and knowledge of housing insecurity and homelessness brought be everyone sharing this space tonight.

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If you are feeling distress at any time during this live discussion, there are support options available to you. You can start a new discussion on the forums and talk to other members, contact the SANE Support Centre on 1800 18 7263, or find crisis support options here. And if you are new to Forums or unsure how to get involved in the discussion, you can check out our How To Guide or message myself or @Former-Member

We will be providing a comprehensive list of resources, supports, and referral options for the community at the end of tonight’s event.

To start, I would like to invite everyone to introduce themselves, and, if you’d like to, share a little about your experience with housing, including housing insecurity & homelessness, and if anything, what you might be hoping to gain from tonight’s discussion.

In so doing, just a gentle reminder of our anonymity guideline, in accordance with which, we ask that members refrain from including details that could give away your identity (such as specific locations)

@TAB

Hey everyone, I'm Girasole one of the peer support workers here tonight 😊 I have experience of housing insecurity, and I'm really looking forward to everything the community has to share and say on this topic tonight 🌻

Hi, I have been renting for around 40 years now including share houses/boarding.
Ive been thrown out in middle of night more than once , which reflects more on my choice of accommodation not anything I did . Except to be there. Rent going through the roof, no one wants to fix it

landlords getting tax free ride etc basically

Welcome @Shaz51 & @Patchworks 😊

Great to have you here @TAB Welcome 😊

Those are some awful experiences I'm sorry you've had to go through- unfortunately a lot of renters have experienced some poor housing conditions and treatment. I hear you!

Housing has been recognised and documented as a basic human right in the context of the right of every human being to an adequate standard of living. Along with that is safe & secure housing.

What does safe and secure housing mean for you? What does this look like?