Housing for the Aged Action Group

Shane and Fiona revisit the highlights of the year, starting with the East Gippsland bushfires, the start of the pandemic, the hard lock down of public housing towers and finishing with reminiscing about the housing activism of the 1980s with Jeff Fiedler. 

Shane and Fiona speak to Claire Hurren about her report that compares the experiences of tenants living in public and community housing.  What difference does having a Community Housing Provider as a landlord make? How do tenants understand and exercise their rights?  You can read the full report here: https://www.oldertenants.org.au/publications/public-and-community-housing-comparing-the-rights-and-experiences-older-tenants The release of this research coincided with a big State Government announcement of building new social housing - most of which is community, not public, housing - and we discuss the implications of government policy to move away from public housing.  

Shane and Fiona discuss recent news on the lack of investment in public housing in Victoria, the flawed Commonwealth Rent Assistance Scheme and NAIDOC week

Shane and Fiona play the second part of a panel discussion on older LGBTI housing issues, from the Out of the Closet, Out of Options event for World Homelessness Day.  This time we hear from Tonye Segbedzi on her literature review which found very little research globally into the housing issues of older LGBTI people.  Then we hear from Buzz Rainbow Wolf who tells us about his experience in trying to build community in rural VictoriaThere is more information and the reports available here: https://www.oldertenants.org.au/events/out-the-closet-out-options-older-lgbti-people-risk-homelessness

To coincide with World Homelessness Day, we launched two reports on older LGBTI and housing - our own "Out of the Closet Out of Options" report and a report by the Australian Association of Gerontology.Shane introduces Commissioner for LGBTIQ+ people Ro Allen, Switchboard Victoria CEO Joe Ball and Fiona York who discuss the reports findings.You can read the report here: https://www.oldertenants.org.au/sites/default/files/out_of_the_closet_out_of_options_-_final_report_october_2020.pdf Next week: Part 2 with Tonye Segbedzi from Australian Association of Gerontology and Buzz Rainbowwolf

We hear from two panellists who were at the At Risk: Older Women and Homelessness forum, held during Homelessness Week in August.  Dr Emma Power (University of Western Sydney) talks about her findings from talking to older women living in private rental in NSW. Helen Conway (YWCA) talks about some of the factors that contribute to older women's homelessness, including a call to action to work together.This is the second part of our coverage from the event.  The videos and reports are available on our website here:https://www.oldertenants.org.au/news/national-forum-fans-flames-for-action-older-womens-homelessness

Fiona welcomes Pam back to the radio show, who has been busy handmaking masks for members during the pandemic.  Then we listen to recordings from the "At Risk: Older women and homelessness" online event held during Homelessness Week in August.  We hear from Age Discrimination Commissioner Dr Kay Patterson and HAAG's national project worker Kobi Maglen, who discuss new research into the numbers of older women who are at risk of homelessness in Australia.You can watch the videos, read the reports and chat from the online discussion on our website here: https://www.oldertenants.org.au/news/national-forum-fans-flames-for-action-older-womens-homelessness  

Shane interviews secretary of the Renters and Housing Union about their call for better protections for renters.You can sign their petition here: https://rahu.org.au/sign-the-petition-rahu-demands-an-immediate-extension-to-the-eviction-ban/

Fiona and Shane delve into the past with retired historian Dr Anthea Hyslop, currently in lockdown in the outskirts of Melbourne, Victoria who is noticing some startling parralels with the 1919 flu pandemic known as the "Spanish flu".  As one of the few experts on this part of our history, Anthea tells us about what happened a hundred years ago, the similarities and differences with what we are living through right now, and how the flu pandemic caused us to look at the link between housing and health.You can see more of Dr Anthea Hyslop on the ABC's Australian Story https://www.abc.net.au/austory/lest-we-forget/12297630