Diana Chan McNally’s Post

An incredibly important piece this morning on Inside Housing from John Glenton. A quote that sticks with me is "As such, it is important for me to tell policymakers that after 35 years of working in the sector I’ve never known things to be so bad. Never." As John writes, it is imperative that the next government can provide sufficient and long term grant funding to support the building of more social and affordable homes. #SocialHousing #AffordableHomes

Criminalizing homelessness fails to address its root causes, such as the lack of affordable housing and access to services. Instead, it penalizes individuals who have no alternative but to sleep on the streets. Fining people who can't afford housing only exacerbates their situation, leading to incarceration and further instability. In Grants Pass, with over 600 homeless individuals and only 130 shelter beds, the problem persists. Shelters, like the Gospel Misson in Grants Pass, can pose risks to mental health, promoting religious conversion and unpaid labor. Often there is an adversarial relationship between staff and the clients leaving many with no safe place for shelter. Shelters can pose physical health risks like requiring complete sobriety despite the dangers of a sudden detox for long term substance users. Working at a shelter during the pandemic I saw first hand how quickly illness spreads in such a close environment. Shelters are often unable to accommodate families with more than a few kids making it even more difficult to find resources for a family struggling together. As a dog owner having to say good bye to a pet I love so dearly just isn’t an option. Yet we expect those experiencing homelessness to just give up their pets for a temporary shelter bed that may not be available the next night. Forget the emotional and mental support that pet might bring to them. This law, and others like it, seeks to criminalize an individual experiencing homelessness for their existence. It further ostracizes them from society. This law is cruel. It is an unusual punishment applied exclusively to those experiencing homelessness. Rather than criminalizing individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness, communities should prioritize creating effective programs and policies. The "Housing First" model remains the most effective approach. Expecting someone to improve their mental health, overcome addiction, or address financial struggles while sleeping outside is unrealistic. Stable shelter is a fundamental human necessity. Growing up in poverty I saw first hand how a discriminatory legal system can cause harm; a reality that was reinforced working as a social worker. I hope to continue to advocate for an individuals legal rights regardless of their socioeconomic status. It should not be a crime to sleep in public while homeless. Especially when communities have consistently failed to provide other safe and affordable alternatives.

This is very welcome news! With the NT experiencing rates of homelessness at 12 times the national rate, the federal budget announcement of an increase for homelessness support from $5.9m to$ 42.8m, a sevenfold increase, is just fantastic! Credit where it is due – in a climate of high cost of living and a crisis of housing affordability, this will mean greatly increased capacity to respond to requests for assistance And importantly provide the sector with the capacity for targeted prevention and early intervention services, which everyone knows is smart public policy and the best use of taxpayers dollars We appreciate the Commonwealth Government’s leadership in recognising the importance of prevention, and funding for need rather than population. We also note the smart public policy leadership, and are encouraged that this could be the beginning of a renewed shift federally to prevention, and rather than relying on costly tertiary services that are necessary but come way to late.

This week’s City of Grants Pass, Oregon v. Johnson hearing marked the beginning of Supreme Court case proceedings with life-changing consequences for those we serve—by potentially allowing for unhoused people to be fined or arrested for sleeping outside. We must stand firm in our commitment to protecting our vulnerable unhoused neighbors. Research shows that the solution to the homelessness crisis is creating more affordable housing, not criminalizing homelessness. As we wait for an official ruling to be issued, be sure to read National Alliance to End Homelessness’ brief comparing criminalization as an approach to the homeless crisis with increased investment in homelessness services. Spoiler alert: strengthening homelessness services is the best path towards reaching functional zero on homelessness.

Research Spotlight! Have you ever considered the main drivers of homelessness and how they impact public transportation? Transit agencies are being affected by homelessness. While transit agencies cannot address the underlying causes of homelessness, there are opportunities to work with local partners to help individuals in need while providing a safe, reliable, and customer-friendly experience for all riders. TCRP Research Report 242: Homelessness: A Guide for Public Transportation, from Transit Cooperative Research Program - TCRP, presents transit agency experiences and lessons learned as they have built on, newly implemented, or are considering programmatic activities that respond to homelessness. Learn more about this topic by downloading the full article here: https://lnkd.in/eDt92AuT.

About a third of those who seek help from homelessness services report experiencing domestic violence, while half of those who need emergency or temporary accommodation cannot access it.    We need the NSW Government to invest $30 million over the next three years in providing safe, stable and accessible temporary accommodation that helps people get out of homelessness and into homes – something everyone deserves. Download our Pre-Budget Submission to the NSW Government to see the five key investments we're recommending they make that are achievable and pragmatic, yet also highly impactful in the short-term. https://bit.ly/3xFJzT5

Why doesn't criminalizing homelessness work? ⚠️ IT'S INEFFECTIVE: arresting or fining a person does not solve their housing problem. It accomplishes nothing. 🏘️ It KEEPS PEOPLE HOMELESS FOR LONGER: not only are there fines, but the record follows a person attempting to secure a job and housing. It becomes a long-term barrier to exiting homelessness. 💡 IT DISTRACTS FROM SOLUTIONS: rather than punishing individuals without housing options, our communities should commit to the challenging yet sustainable work that has repeatedly proven effective in resolving homelessness. #HomelessnessIsSolvable Learn more about the Johnson v. Grants Pass case: https://bit.ly/3xmp8dv

Homelessness is one of the most pressing issues facing the country, and without drastic action things are only going to get worse. Our latest blog, "A chance to end homelessness - Glass Door’s Election Asks", spotlights: 💡 How rough sleeping is just the tip of the iceberg 💡 The work that Glass Door delivers to support people experiencing or at risk of homelessness 💡 Our top three asks of the next government, underpinned by data and insights from our front-line services Head to our website to give it a read: https://lnkd.in/ecT2CbFx

The clinical and financial cost of homelessness is high. We partnered with a managed care organization to identify potential cost reductions and build a homelessness program that helps high-risk members find housing and receive essential care, resulting in a first-year return of $2.4 million. Learn more about how we’re making a difference: https://bit.ly/3UjbiRS

The National Audit Office has released a report revealing that homelessness programmes are failing to deliver value for money. It shared that homelessness in the UK has worsened since 2018 when the Homelessness Reduction Act came into force. The report calls for a cohesive strategy and to understand the circumstances which have led to such an increase in statutory homelessness, which includes economic challenges and high accommodation costs. Learn more about what the NAO has published: https://heyor.ca/a970La #UKHousing #AffordableHousing #HomelessnessReductionAct