In response to the latest COVID restrictions, HAAG has signed this joint letter with the Renters and Housing Union in support of assistance for older renters, casual workers and homeless people.
Get off our shoulders and walk beside us - Older LGBTI people and housing
26 May 2021
Fiona speaks to Andrew Rogers, member of HAAG's Committee and our LGBTI community reference group. He talks about what interested him in getting involved in housing advocacy, his experience as a trainer for LGBTI inclusion in aged care, and his own personal experience of housing stress and mental health.
In our pre-budget submission we call on the Federal Government to increase the availability of safe, affordable and appropriate housing for older people at risk of and/or experiencing homelessness, invest in service systems to support older people before they reach crisis, invest in support for older people with a lived experience to have a voice in aged care, and invest in support for existing Assistance with Care and Housing (ACH) providers to transition to the care finder model, through the Primary Health Networks.
Our First Face-to-face general meeting! This meeting will still be going ahead. In line with new COVID restrictions, we'll be wearing masks and limiting the meeting to 30 people. You can also join in on Zoom.
Budging the Budget
12 May 2021
Fiona talks to Dini Liyanarachchi, HAAG's new NSW-based worker about political advocacy and our national campaign for housing justice. They chat about the Federal Budget, what it means for public housing (not much) and older people (a little more than not much)
The options set out in this paper show a serious lack of understanding of the issues raised by residents and other stakeholder about retirement village residencies. Retirement villages are too often unfair and exploitative. The Options Paper proceeds as if the problems were only that residents mistakenly perceived villages to be unfair and exploitative, or as if more information would resolve resident concerns. This is not the case. Again and again, the options paper proposes more information rather than increased protections for residents. This is a persistent failure of the options paper, and if the government proceeds on this basis the reform process will fail current and future retirement village residents.
Vesna became homelessness after her private rental property became far too expensive on her income and it was no longer a viable option as a single person. Private rental was far too unaffordable even with the part-time employment she had at the time. She had little choice but to leave her tenancy and live between the homes of friends and relatives on a temporary basis.
This is a story of one of our Home at Last clients, Alma Diri. Alma, 74, first approached Home At Last about 9 years ago. Following her divorce from her partner, Alma lived with her daughter for some time. However, she had to leave her daughter’s place and look for alternative accommodation to continue living independently.
The current Retirement Villages Act Review is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to overhaul the regulatory framework for retirement villages in Victoria. We have the chance to future-proof this legislation, and lead the nation in terms of retirement village regulation, which will enhance resident confidence in the sector.
We see the Options Paper as a non-definitive list of ways we can improve retirement village regulation in Victoria. We have set out our shared vision and recommendations for the review in this joint submission with the Consumer Action Law Centre, Council on the The Ageing Victoria, and Residents of Retirement Villages Victoria.
HAAG has been advocating for universal housing design principles to be included in building standards for many years. On 30 April, we were excited to learn that the building ministers listened, and made the landmark decision to improve housing accessibility for decades to come.
"There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort."