Housing for the Aged Action Group

Fiona and Shane talk to Dee, an older woman living outside a major city in Victoria who is in housing stress.  She is ineligible for public housing but does not have enough savings to purchase a home, and is falling through the gaps of a system that has very few affordable housing options.  Many older women find themselves in this situation and we are referring to this group as "the missing middle", although Dee does not use that term.  She tells us about her housing situation, and what she would like the government to do about it.Dee was part of our Ten Year Affordable Housing Strategy consultation.  You can read our submission here: https://www.oldertenants.org.au/sites/default/files/haag_submission_to_10_year_housing_strategy_final.pdf

With the Vic government continuing its review of the Retirement Villages Act, Fiona and Shane talk to Katherine Temple from the Consumer Action Law Centre about retirement villages - what are the problems in the industry, and what needs to change? 

Katelyn Butterss from the Victorian Public Tenants Association talks to Shane and Fiona about the Vic government's so-called 'big housing spend' and proposed ten-year housing strategy - the good, the bad, and the just plain missing in the state's housing policy. The consultation discussed in this episode is now closed, but you can read more about it and follow future progress here. If you need advice or assistance from the VPTA, you can call 1800 015 510 or email enquiries@vpta.org.au. And you can find out more about HAAG at our website, oldertenants.org.au. 

Fiona welcomes Pam Young back to the show, and chats to Kobi Maglen on this International Women's Day special.  We hear about the disparity in retirement incomes for older women, which leaves them in poverty and at risk of homelessness in their later years.  We chat about Pam's experiences in growing up in public housing in the 1950's.  And we hear a recording from the late Molly Hadfield, a feminist activist and one of our earliest members, talking about what it means to have safe and well connected housing. 

Fiona and Shane talk to David Kelly from RMIT's Centre for Urban Research  about what the Victorian Government's so-called "Big Housing Build" means for the future of public housing.

Shane and Fiona interview Alistair Webster about the Building Better Homes coalition, and their campaign to change the Building Code so that all new homes are built to be accessible for everyone.  We talk about universal housing design, why its important and what you can do to lobby building ministers from across Australia.Check out Building Better Homes @BetterHomesAussign on to the petition: www.change.org.au/BetterHomes  

Fiona and Shane talk to Rebecca Cook about our peer education program,  and how important it is to have people with an experience of housing stress and homelessness talking to older people about their experiences.  Peer education has been part of HAAG's tradition for years, and when older people share their personal stories it helps reduce stigma about homelessness.  We are expanding our program, funded through the Melbourne Women's Fund.Shane gives an update on legislative reform, and Fiona talks about a new campaign to improve building standards for housing.

The Older Women and Homelessness forum was held in NSW in November 2020. Hosted by Jo Haylen MP (Seniors), with guests Trish Doyle (Shadow Minister for Women and the Prevention of Domestic Violence), and Ryan Park (Health, Housing and Homelessness), this recording features Kobi Maglen presenting on behalf of Ageing on the Edge - HAAG's older persons homelessness prevention project, and we also hear from The Hon. Dr Kay Patterson AO, Age Discrimination Commissioner. Meagan Lawson (COTA NSW), Beverly Baker (OWN NSW) and Katherine McKernan (Homelessness NSW)The full presentation is available here: https://fb.me/e/1Q26lkHij The Renters and Housing Union is holding an Eviction Defence Workshop Sat 16 January in Footscray.  Details are here: https://www.facebook.com/events/3468397603215385 

Shane and Fiona talk to Leonie Bessant about the collection of stories from older people in housing stress from across the country.  The stories have been collected over the last three years, and published in the National Alliance of Seniors For Housing newsletter.  The stories have been published in a book and is available here:https://www.oldertenants.org.au/publications/seniors-for-housing-stories-older-people-experiencing-homelessness-and-housing-stressShane and Fiona also reflect on the year that was 2020