Media Releases
Housing service for the elderly outraged by reduction in affordable homes and public land
Home at Last, are appalled at the findings of the Inquiry into the Public Housing Renewal Program which revealed that the previous redevelopment in Kensington (a model for the current program) actually decreased the total number of Public and Community houses by 36% and the number of bedrooms by 54%, while selling off the public land for just 5% of its market value. …
Morrisons Aged Care Package avoids the elephant in the rented room
Melbourne based Housing Support organisation Housing for the Aged Action Group (HAAG) welcome Treasurer Scott Morrison’s announcement of 14,000 extra aged care home packages. The government’s sentiments that it is better for a person’s wellbeing to receive support in their own home than to go into aged care aligns with HAAG’s goal of assisting older people to maintain independent living in their community of choice.
However, the group believe that there is something crucial missing from this announcement (and the budget in general). That’s Older Private Renters. …
State Government Invests in Homelessness Services but Falls Short in Providing Essential Housing
On the 13th of January, Minister for Housing Martin Foley announced that the State Government would invest $45 million in housing services and housing, to tackle the state’s homelessness crisis. While Housing for the Aged Action Group (HAAG) welcomes the focus on early intervention and pathways into long term housing, it would like to see more money invested into housing itself, so that services can offer long-term, rather than band aid solutions. …
HAAG Communique- a response to the Inquiry into the Retirement Housing Sector
Since its announcement in February 2016, HAAG members have been contributing to the Victorian Parliament’s Inquiry into the Retirement Housing Sector. HAAG members were also involved in campaigning for the inquiry itself, so much work has gone into this area of policy development. HAAG’s extensive submissions to the inquiry were based on the work and knowledge of our ILU and CARPAV working groups over many years. Individual members and staff presented at the oral hearings, sharing their personal experiences. The Government received nearly 800 written submissions and oral testimonies over a three month period. In March 2017, the government released …Posted in: Retirement Housing Advice Service
Older tenants big winners in rental law shake-up
Housing for the Aged Action Group, a Victorian organisation working to improve conditions for older renters, welcomed news of major changes to the state’s rental laws over the weekend. The Andrews Government will ban no-reason notices to vacate, allow tenants to keep pets, and introduce a Residential Tenancies Commissioner to make it easier to resolve minor disputes. …
Finding a Suitable Home for Older People at Risk of Homelessness in South Australia
A report released today based on the latest 2016 Census is showing a rapidly rising number of older people at risk of homelessness in South Australia. This research, a partnership between Housing for the Aged Action Group (HAAG) and The University of Adelaide’s Centre for Housing Urban and Regional Planning (CHURP) and funded by The Wicking Trust, has found that a significant number of older people in the private rental market in South Australia are living in housing poverty.
Read the Summary Report Read the Full Report …Posted in: Reports, Campaigns, South Australia
Response to Retirement Housing Inquiry fails to provide access to justice
After six months of waiting, the Victorian Government has responded to the Inquiry into the Retirement Housing Sector, conducted by the Victorian Legislative Council. The Victorian Government’s response to the Parliamentary Inquiry has failed to deliver, according to retirement housing residents and advocates. Despite nearly 800 submissions to the Inquiry and recommendations that promised meaningful reform, the pleas of residents have fallen on deaf ears, with many of the proposed reforms pushed off into the long grass of more reviews. …Posted in: Joint Statements, News Updates, Retirement Housing, Campaigns, Retirement Housing Advice Service, Victoria
Retirement Housing In Victoria Communique
“On 8 June 2017, 24 representatives from resident advocacy groups, universities, industry, ombudsman schemes, government agencies and regulators met in Melbourne at an Experts’ Forum to discuss the future of retirement housing regulation in Victoria. We were also joined by academics and advocates from interstate jurisdictions. The Experts’ Forum followed the Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry into the retirement housing sector, which released its final report on 7 March 2017. The Inquiry received 766 submissions and heard from 90 witnesses. The vast majority of evidence was received from residents. The message to the Inquiry was clear: residents expect change. While many residents …Posted in: Reports, Retirement Housing Advice Service
Pensioner provides’ Comfort and Smile’ to older renters
Eighty year old Retirement Village resident June Walkeden knows its tough paying bills on a pension, so she spends her free time hand making quilts to keep older people who have been at risk of homelessness warm. …
Shocking New Census Data Shows Most Older Renters in Severe Poverty
Shocking new data from the ABS Census shows that 84% of single older* private renters in the Greater Melbourne region are in housing stress, and the majority (54%) are in severe stress paying more than half their income in rent, forcing many older people into abject poverty and ill health. Current trends suggest this situation is only going to get worse with an ageing population and more people expected to be retiring in rental housing in the future rather than home ownership. …
Innovative Service Houses its 600th Client During Homelessness Week
Homelessness Week 2017 focuses on Innovation and Action and by the end of this week, a Melbourne-based Innovation Action Project will house its 600th older person. The Home at Last Service is the only one in Australia that focuses on preventing homelessness in over 55’s. …
Government must not lose retirement housing momentum
Four corners ran a fantastic episode last night on dodgy retirement housing opporator AVEO, and other articles have recently been published that expose many of the problems residents of retirement housing have been facing for a long time – complicated contracts, unfair fees and issues with management. Unfortunately, these are not isolated problems with one operator, they occur across the whole of the retirement housing industry, and we must continnue to push for reform. Download Full Press Release …Posted in: Retirement Housing Advice Service