Publications

Senator Doug Cameron's Parity Launch Speech

Senator Doug Cameron launched the edition of Parity Magazine June 2018 titled "Older people and homelessness: What Works"

You can download his speech here

Older Tenants Voice Newsletter - June 2018

Older Tenants' Voice newsletter - June 2018
Womens Homelessness edition

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Responding to Older Persons Homelessness: What Works

HAAG published several articles as part of the June 2018 edition of Parity Journal.

Ageing on the Edge Brochure

In response to rapidly increasing housing problems facing older people, Housing for the Aged Action Groups Older Persons Homelessness Prevention Project aims to raise awareness and improve services and housing for older people at risk of homelessness across Australia.

PDF icon Download the Project Brochure

Finally! Ombudsman promise a win for residents.

“Our members have been calling for an Ombudsman for the Retirement Housing industry for years,” said HAAG Chair Phyll Williams. “At the moment, older residents struggle to resolve disputes with their managers in quickly, cheaply and fairly. An ombudsman is sorely needed by many residents of retirement housing.” Ms Williams called on the Andrews government to match the LNP’s commitment. “Now that the Greens and the LNP have expressed support for an Ombudsman, its time for Labor to make it unanimous.  Proper protections for older Victorians should not be a partisan issue,” she said.

Elder Abuse Cases Double at Older Person’s Housing Service

On World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, Home at Last, a specialist housing support service for older people has revealed recent data showing a sharp spike in the number of clients reporting elder abuse over the last year. Since January 2018, 63 older people have reported abuse. This number has more than doubled since the same time last year.

 

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.

Strategic Plan 2016-2019

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Clients Rights, Responsibilites & Privacy

Clients Rights, Responsibilities and Privacy when dealing with Home at Last

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Older Tenants Voice Newsletter - March 2018

Older Tenants' Voice,  Autumn Newsletter - March 2018
Special Cultural Diversity edition with translated material.

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Agenda for Ageing in Victoria

Our organisation supports an Agenda for Ageing in Victoria that will guide practical and timely action to improve the quality of life for all Victorians as we age.

Read the Agenda

Ageing on the Edge- The Older Persons Homelessness Prevention Project

Australian Housing Research Institue journal-Housing Works- has published an article on HAAG's national project, the report on NSW and Home at Last. Read it here

 

Submission: Retirement Living Council Retirement Living Code of Conduct

This written submission is provided by Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action), Residents of Retirement Villages Victoria (RRVV), Housing for the Aged Action Group (HAAG) and COTA Victoria (COTA Vic). The need to address widespread problems in the retirement housing industry is long overdue. We welcome industry efforts to better protect and promote the rights and interests of older Australians who choose to live in retirement housing. We also generally support the
aim of the Draft Retirement Living Code of Conduct (the Code), which is to ‘improve accreditation standards and coverage, and to set and maintain high standards about the marketing, selling and operation of Retirement Communities’. However, we do not consider that the Code distributed by the Retirement Living Council (RLC) would achieve these aims or properly address resident concerns without significant amendments....

Read the full submission here

Homelessness for Older Aboriginal Women- Student Report

"There has been increasing awareness of the statistics of women aged 55 and over experiencing homelessness in Victoria and Australia more broadly. The 2014 report ‘Older Women’s Pathways Out of Homelessness in Australia’ found that women in this age group may have limited superannuation, minimal work experience and potentially inadequate financial literacy from time unemployed due to caring responsibilities and unpaid labour. Therefore many older single women may be living off welfare payments with minimal savings while renting in the unaffordable and unsustainable private rental market. The 2014 report states that older women are more likely to be the ‘invisible homeless’, both physically and statistically; more likely to couch surf, live in their car or at home under threat of violence than be sleeping rough.    This physical and statistical invisibility means that appropriate and specific services, support, referrals and housing are minimal. It also means on a policy level there is limited government understanding of what is needed to not only support older women out of homelessness, but prevent homelessness or housing instability occurring in the first place. "

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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 the Inquiry’s report, which made 15 recommendations to improve the sector.

See our response here 

HAAG's Submission to: Senate Economics Legislation Committee Treasury Laws Amendment (National Housing and Homelessness Agreement) Bill 2017

This submission focuses on the need for the National Housing and Homelessness Agreement Bill to acknowledge the dire circumstances facing an increasing ageing population that is facing a future of housing hardship due to successive government policies that have focused on private rental subsidies in Commonwealth Rent Assistance rather than much needed capital expenditure on public and community housing. This has created a long-term need for investment in public and community housing but also urgently put in place specialist early intervention homelessness support services to assist the thousands of older people experiencing hardship and at risk of homelessness in the private rental market.

Summer OTV- December 2017

Older Tenants' Voice Summer Newsletter - December 2017


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Submission – Proposed amendments to retirement village fact sheets

Consumer Action (CALC), RRVV, HAAG and COTA Vic have provided feedback about the proposed amendments to retirement villages fact sheets.
The group do not oppose the proposed amendments to the fact sheets, but are concerned that this is not a good enough tool for protecting residents from entering into unfair contracts...

View the submission here

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