CHI Health’s Post

We need to empower communities for sustainable development. Politics alone cannot provide long-term solutions. That's where Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) come in. They help communities utilize their resources for self-driven initiatives. NGO PROmotion Inc. specializes in building the capacity of CSOs and grassroots organizations. Their experts support self-driven community development in PNG through partnership agreements. Let's work together to create a conducive space for sustainable development and advocate against free handouts. #communitydevelopment #sustainability #civilsociety #empowerment.

🌍 Breaking the Housing Gap: A Call to Unity The recent concerns raised by the UN Committee about the Irish housing market's persistent challenges demand our attention. There's an alarming and constant disparity between demand and supply, coupled with the escalating rental costs. As highlighted in the UN Committee's review, this gap disproportionately affects the most marginalized and underprivileged in our community. Aurora Aid Foundation stands in solidarity with those affected. The periodic review, conducted every four years by the UN Committee on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights, underscores the need for progress across various sectors, including housing. Last month, several NGOs and advocacy groups from Ireland journeyed to Geneva to apprise the UN Committee. Representing the government was State Minister Joe O'Brien. The Committee expressed deep concern about the inadequacy that forces households into the private rental sector, lacking accessibility, habitability, and tenure security. At Aurora Aid Foundation, we emphasize collective action to address homelessness, especially among marginalized groups. There's a pressing need for comprehensive measures to protect tenants in poverty, preventing evictions and ensuring culturally acceptable housing for Travellers and Roma. Let's not wait for miracles. Let's proactively work together, fostering safety and security for ourselves and society. Unity is our strength. #AuroraAid #HousingUnity #CommunitySupport #TogetherWeStand

On World Homeless Day, we reflect on how tackling homelessness strengthens communities. While Australia has obligations under international law to ensure everyone in the country has access to safe, stable housing, we see a trend with worsening statistics, where the most marginalised members of society are especially vulnerable. At the Judith Neilson Foundation, we invest in partnerships focused on sustainable solutions because safe, stable housing creates lasting change. Whether it’s supporting women transitioning out of crisis through the Women's & Girls' Emergency Centre (WAGEC), helping families rebuild their lives with dignity through ReLove, partnering with the Community Restorative Centre’s Miranda Project to break cycles of disadvantage for criminalised women impacted by homelessness and violence, or ensuring access to legal support through the Justice and Equity Centre (formerly the Public Interest Advocacy Centre)'s Women's Homelessness Prevention Service, Refugee Advice & Casework Service (RACS)'s Women@Risk program or Anti-Slavery Australia's legal advice service for those in forced marriage or labour situations, we are committed to ensuring women and their children receive the support they need to overcome complex challenges leading to homelessness. It’s all part of a bigger ecosystem of incredible grassroots organisations working to support communities to thrive through local, innovative approaches.

Safe Horizon Streetwork Project continues to answer the call. on the frontlines providing critical support to those in need... but we and programs like ours can't do it alone. Please read my op ed where I highlight the need for more funding for services and resources for newly arrived youth experiencing homelessness in NYC "For 40 years, Safe Horizon Streetwork Project has worked with a population so often ignored, young people, made invisible in New York City. Perhaps now that there are hundreds of them lining city blocks, hopefully waiting for news that something has changed, we can open our eyes and see all homeless youth – those born here and those born abroad – and give a damn." "Our priority as service providers for immigrant youth is making sure we serve them with humanity. For most who view them as a burden, we want them to know we see them as the human beings that they are who deserve respect and an opportunity to succeed. The city’s immigrant shelters and temporary shelter policies – shipping new arrivals from one place to another and leaving them on the street without any regard – are inhumane and unsustainable.  We want our city and state leaders to hear our plea: we need you to make youth a priority in your policymaking."

Check out this GBH article with important contributions from Aura Obando, medical director of BHCHP Family Team. The story discusses the new state mandate for families living in overflow shelter sites such as the one set up at the Melnea Cass Recreational Complex where we have recently begun providing services to migrant families experiencing homelessness. Take a few minutes to learn more about the issue and hear from Dr. Obando! https://bit.ly/4cxrVRn

UBCM's Executive Board members met with Provincial leaders last week to discuss key local government priorities: housing and homelessness, community safety, and infrastructure. Read on for more of what UBCM's Executive focused on. #localgovernment #advocacy https://lnkd.in/g7NE7rdu

A recent study highlights that ethnic minority groups in the UK face many obstacles in obtaining homelessness assistance. Local authorities often overlook the needs of these communities, such as vicinity to places of worship or language services. The study reveals that the typical definition of a 'household' does not accommodate the diverse living arrangements found in minority communities, impacting their access to suitable housing. Efforts to reform these systems are crucial to address institutional racism and ensure fair access to housing for all. https://lnkd.in/eUwH832F

Thanks for the Press Journal for taking the time to meet with us and highlight the challenges that we at Aberdeen Cyrenians and many others in the #thirdsector are facing in Aberdeen currently. We truly value the partnership we have with Aberdeen City Council and the interest and support we receive from Christian Allard, Desmond Bouse, Andy MacDonald and the wider Anti-Poverty & Inequality Committee. The reality is "a tale of two cities" is not limited to Charles Dickens, we see it in Aberdeen: 💡 33.2% of Aberdeen residents live in the most deprived areas of Scotland, up from 28% in 2019. 💡 36.7% of Aberdeen residents live in the most affluent areas of the country. 💡48% of those living in social housing in the city are in fuel poverty, compared to 10% of property owners. 💡 We regularly see over 800 people per month utilising our Direct Access Service in Summer Street 💡 We distributed over 8,000 food parcels in 2023 - all via donations to Aberdeen Cyrenians And this is now......let alone if there is any significant changes that impact the city in the future....... David Whitehouse Ryan Crighton Russell Borthwick

🗞 I'm pleased to share my first published article as a freelance journalist, now available in my hometown's local paper, The Sarnia Journal. Across North America, homeless encampments have become a lightning rod for conflicting perspectives on homelessness and community safety. My hometown in Southwest Ontario, Canada, is no exception. When I started learning more about it, I couldn't help but notice the tone and tenor of certain local coverage and especially the public comments on it. Canadians love to wring our hands and tsk-tsk what we see coming out of the US (it's practically a national past-time), but we are by no means immune to polarisation and divisiveness. What local newsrooms choose to cover and how they report on it matters. It shapes people's understanding and opinions of what's happening in their communities, especially in smaller cities and towns with few sources of local news. Reporting on the issues with more complexity and nuance and with a solutions journalism lens can help foster more constructive debates and compassionate public policy. This article draws from a July 2024 paper on homeless encampments by the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) and interviews with: - Lindsay Jones (AMO’s Director of Policy), - Ian Hanney (The Corporation of the County of Lambton's Program Supervisor for Homelessness Prevention and Social Planning), - Natasha Thuemler (Southwest Ontario Regional Director for Indwell, a nonprofit focused on affordable housing), and - Adam Kilner (City Councillor, The Corporation of the City of Sarnia) As the AMO paper says, “Municipalities are often caught balancing the important needs of unsheltered people living in encampments, who deserve to be treated with empathy and respect, and a responsibility to ensure our communities are safe and vibrant places for all residents.” #journalism #solutionsjournalism #localnews #freelance #onpoli #publicpolicy

ChildFund is a child-focused global nonprofit that works to connect children in vulnerable communities with the people, resources and institutions they need to grow up healthy, educated, skilled and safe. For a child, being forced to leave their home means the loss of their connections with most of what makes it possible for them to survive, let alone thrive. By the end of 2022, there was a record-setting 43.3 million children on the move, nearly 60% of them fleeing due to conflict and violence. Children also move for many other reasons such as forcible displacement due to climate change, lack of opportunity, trafficking, domestic violence — often a mix. Some become asylum seekers. Some are returning to their home countries. Some have documents, others have none. Some are unaccompanied minors, and others travel with caregivers or relatives. “Children on the Move” is an internationally accepted term that encompasses this array of scenarios affecting children who experience migration, displacement and the effects of either or both. While their experiences vary, all people who migrate are entitled to their basic human rights — including the right to move, and to do so safely. #children #vulnerablecommunities #childrenonthemove #asylumseekers #unaccompaniedminors #migration #displacement #humanrights https://lnkd.in/eggb2NvP