Homelessness

Many Australians face losing their homes right now. Here’s how the government should help

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, April 23, 2024
ACT, HECS, COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, Homelessness, Government, MP, RBA, Mum, House, Reserve Bank, Risk, Research, Conversation, Policy, Worldwide Angel, IMF, Housing, The McKell Institute, Crossbencher, G20, Senate, McMansion, Real estate

That same principle underpins the HomeKeeper program I proposed in The Conversation last year.

Key Points: 
  • That same principle underpins the HomeKeeper program I proposed in The Conversation last year.
  • The idea is to help mortgage-stressed owner-occupiers avoid losing their home.
  • If it’s a good idea for companies, why not for responsible and otherwise financially-viable Australians at risk of losing their homes in a cost-of-living crisis?
  • Rather, it’s government help through a small equity stake with positive returns for taxpayers when HomeKeeper help is no longer needed.

People need help now

  • HomeKeeper would be of most help to lower income families who often don’t have a “Bank of Mum and Dad” to help them “over the hump”, as Albanese puts it, during temporary difficulties.
  • ACT Independent Senator David Pocock backed HomeKeeper last week in his additional comments in the Senate Economics Legislation Committee report on the government’s Help To Buy Bill 2023.
  • Pocock wants the government’s Help To Buy mechanism amended to enable low- and middle-income earners “facing mortgage repossession and possible homelessness to remain in home ownership” via a HomeKeeper-style program.
  • Establishing HomeKeeper is more important than ever because the monetary policy script isn’t following the arc politicians and policymakers planned.

Relying on interest rate relief to arrive isn’t enough

  • Yet interest rates in Australia are not falling.
  • What’s more, even without further rate increases by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) this year, the average mortgage rate is set to rise anyway according to research by the RBA’s Domestic Markets Department’s Benjamin Ung.
  • Nearly a third (31.4%) of mortgaged owner-occupiers are “at risk” of mortgage stress according to the latest Roy Morgan survey.
  • The longer it takes, the more damaging to individuals and families, and the more costly it is to governments.
  • Albanese is right – sometimes there’s a role for government in providing help to get over that hump.


Chris Wallace is a professor in the University of Canberra's School of Politics Economics & Society, Faculty of Business Government & Law. She has received funding from the Australian Research Council.

The Beautiful Game: a film about the Homelessness World Cup that’s a testament to how football can change lives

Retrieved on: 
Friday, April 19, 2024
Homelessness, Friends, Employment, The Beautiful Game, Depression, Noise, Communication, Mental health, Research, Football, Homeless World Cup, Hope, Beautiful, City, Woman, HWC, Housing, Team, Courage, Entertainment

Starring Bill Nighy as coach Mal, it follows the England team as they prepare for the Homelessness World Cup in Rome.

Key Points: 
  • Starring Bill Nighy as coach Mal, it follows the England team as they prepare for the Homelessness World Cup in Rome.
  • The Homelessness World Cup is a real football tournament and the film was made by the foundation responsible for the annual games.
  • We did so by focusing on how the Homeless World Cup and Street Soccer (Scotland) have affected the lives of some people.
  • Football can contribute to non-football outcomes, such as reducing homelessness and building other skills such as team work and communication.

How England’s scrapped Sure Start centres boosted the health and education of disadvantaged children

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, April 18, 2024
Sure, Health, Homelessness, Sheffield Hallam University, Learning, Partnership, Family, Child, Ageing, Save the Children, Research, Food, Sure Start, Organic, Housing, Heart, Parent, Tutoring

The Sure Start programme was launched in 1999, with centres set up in communities across England to offer support to the most disadvantaged families.

Key Points: 
  • The Sure Start programme was launched in 1999, with centres set up in communities across England to offer support to the most disadvantaged families.
  • The research found that access to a Sure Start centre significantly improved the GCSE results of disadvantaged children.
  • This builds on other research that has shown that Sure Start also had significant long-term health benefits.

How Sure Start worked

  • There was no set model for how Sure Start local programmes should deliver the services they offered.
  • The support offered was tailored to the challenges that local families were facing.
  • I was lucky enough to be the community development worker for a small children-and-families charity that led an early Sure Start local programme.

Learning from Sure Start

  • Drawing on the successes of Sure Start, the nursery was established with the motto “changing lives through relationships”.
  • It had the explicit aim of building trust with families so that we can understand their challenges and work on solutions together.
  • The university runs the nursery, and together with Save the Children provides additional support to parents.
  • I have always been convinced of the benefit of Sure Start’s approach, and the recent IFS findings add further evidence of its value.


Sally Pearse does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

YR Media’s Adult ISH Podcast Season 11 Spotlights Young Leaders “Standing Up”

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, April 4, 2024
BIPOC, Homelessness, Youth Radio, Culture, Farm, ISH, Indigenous, Radiotopia, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Mental health, Social media, Food, Movement, American Civil Liberties Union, Student, Season, TuneIn, PRX, Music, San Francisco Bay Area, IHeartRadio, Gen, ACLU

Oakland, California, April 04, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Adult ISH , the award-winning advice, culture, and storytelling podcast from YR Media and part of the Radiotopia podcast network from PRX, is launching its 11th season with the first of ten episodes dropping Thursday, April 11, 2024.

Key Points: 
  • Oakland, California, April 04, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Adult ISH , the award-winning advice, culture, and storytelling podcast from YR Media and part of the Radiotopia podcast network from PRX, is launching its 11th season with the first of ten episodes dropping Thursday, April 11, 2024.
  • What differences are there as a teen versus when you’re a legal adult?
  • “Season 11 is about young people being authentically themselves as they follow their passions.”
    “As YR Media celebrates 30 years of impact – producing audio with aspiring teen and young adult podcasters, journalists, and musicians – I’m excited that Adult ISH will amplify even more of our YR Media students’ voices in this season,” said YR Media CEO Kyra Kyles.
  • Learn more about the podcast here and follow along on social media:

Qnovia, Inc. Announces the Appointment of Four New Members to its Scientific Advisory Board

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, April 9, 2024
Science, Biotechnology, Research, Pharmaceutical, Health, Tobacco, Clinical Trials, Retail, Disease, Cardiovascular Research, Society, IND, Psychology, Therapy, Senior counsel, Population health, School, Dean (education), Partnership, Nicotine, Policy, Smoker, Behavior, NIH, Brown University, Trial of the century, University, SAB, Pharmacology, Homelessness, San Francisco General Hospital, UCSF, Public, Cancer, MD, Publication, Heated tobacco product, Hospital, Juul, FDA, Alpert Medical School, Pregnancy, Chair, Public health, University of Kansas, Cardiology, CTA, Mortality, Louisiana State University, Doctor of Philosophy, MHRA, Smoking, Toxicology, Division, Brown, Social science, Pharmaceutical industry

“We believe our proprietary drug-device combination platform has the potential to be a first-in-class and best-in-class treatment for smoking cessation.

Key Points: 
  • “We believe our proprietary drug-device combination platform has the potential to be a first-in-class and best-in-class treatment for smoking cessation.
  • Last fall, QN-01 demonstrated a superior pharmacokinetic profile compared to existing nicotine replacement therapies in our first-in-human Phase 1 clinical trial.
  • We plan to submit our IND and CTA to the regulatory bodies and look forward to commencing our Phase 1/2 clinical study this year.
  • He also served a three-year term on the Board of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco.

UNLIKELY COLLABORATORS FOUNDATION SUPPORTS UNHOUSED PREGNANT WOMEN AND THEIR CHILDREN WITH $225,000 THREE-YEAR GRANT TO LA-BASED HARVEST HOME

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, April 9, 2024
Mother, Homelessness, Culture, Case management, Partnership, Empathy, History, Hope, Pregnancy, Parenting, Poverty, Woman, Empowerment, Housing, Curriculum, Perception, Multimedia, Harvest Home, Nursing

LOS ANGELES, April 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Harvest Home, a Los Angeles-based non-profit dedicated to transforming the lives of unhoused pregnant women and their children by providing housing, support, and programs that equip women to become great mothers, has received a three-year grant of $225,000 from the Unlikely Collaborators Foundation .

Key Points: 
  • LOS ANGELES, April 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Harvest Home, a Los Angeles-based non-profit dedicated to transforming the lives of unhoused pregnant women and their children by providing housing, support, and programs that equip women to become great mothers, has received a three-year grant of $225,000 from the Unlikely Collaborators Foundation .
  • It is also a challenging experience, as new moms balance employment, childcare, and maintaining their home," said Sarah Wilson, Executive Director, Harvest Home.
  • "Collaborating with Harvest Home is an incredible opportunity to expand a mother's Perception Box towards greater self-compassion," said Elizabeth R. Koch, Founder of Unlikely Collaborators Foundation and Unlikely Collaborators.
  • For more information about Harvest Home, please visit https://www.harvesthomela.org/ ; and for more information about Unlikely Collaborators, please visit https://www.unlikelycollaborators.com/ .

Indwell to Create 140 Units of Supportive Housing in Hamilton, Ontario, Using Innovative Financing Strategy

Retrieved on: 
Friday, March 22, 2024
Community, Health, Homelessness, Organization, Opioid, Mental health, Acquisition, Quality of life, Life, Poverty, Housing, RRSP, Investment, Disability, Hope

Indwell is raising $5M in financing through community bonds to launch four projects that will create an additional 140 units of supportive and affordable housing in Hamilton to provide individuals that face chronic homelessness with a foundation to flourish.

Key Points: 
  • Indwell is raising $5M in financing through community bonds to launch four projects that will create an additional 140 units of supportive and affordable housing in Hamilton to provide individuals that face chronic homelessness with a foundation to flourish.
  • Indwell will offer their community of supporters the opportunity to help finance pre-development activities for upcoming affordable housing projects.
  • Jeff Neven, Chief Executive Officer, Indwell, said “At Indwell, we are seeing homelessness being catapulted into a size never seen before.
  • This is a significant challenge that is expensive and limiting for Indwell in developing new affordable, supportive housing.

Safe & Green Holdings and Soldier on Sign Letter of Intent to Design, Build and Operate 800-Unit Supportive Housing Community for Veterans

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, March 19, 2024
Diagnosis, Health, Homelessness, SGD, Organization, Growth, Veteran, Soldier On, Trauma, Green, Housing, LOI, Disability, Safe, PTSD, Person, Hospital

Paul Galvin, Chairperson and CEO of Safe & Green Holdings, stated, "We are honored to partner with Soldier On in support of their mission to end homelessness among veterans, first responders, and others in need, in appreciation of their service. The first phase of this ambitious project includes the construction of a manufacturing facility, totaling 80,000 square feet, designed to be fully compliant with ADA standards. The planned manufacturing facility will employ veterans, to be recruited and referred by Soldier On, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, as well as various other organizations, both nonprofit and for-profit. The second phase will involve the development of an 800-unit supportive housing complex. These units will be designed to accommodate individuals with disabilities and will be developed along with dedicated health and wellness services for veterans, first responders and others, as well as their families, as a means to will provide residents access to a range of support services to address their physical health, mental wellness and social connectivity. The supportive services component will be need-based will include but not be limited to individual and group counseling, 12-step programs, physical rehabilitation, general wellness, alternative therapies, and treatments designed to foster healing and growth. Both components will be located on a property in McClean, Oklahoma, owned by Safe & Green Development Corporation (Nasdaq:SGD) (“SG DevCo), which will act as the landlord for the project, while providing development assistance and oversight of the infrastructure, while partnering on fees, building oversight and ownership. Most importantly, this project will offer disabled veterans who served our nation an opportunity to work and produce within a wellness community, for self and others similarly situated, after their service to our nation--a continuation of their shared brotherhood.”

Key Points: 
  • Following the LOI, the parties intend to now form a formal joint venture and initiate the planning process.
  • Since 1994, Soldier On has been providing homeless veterans with transitional housing and supportive services.
  • In 2010, Soldier On opened the first Gordon H. Mansfield Veterans Community, a permanent housing cooperative that provides formerly homeless veterans with safe, sustainable, affordable housing – transitioning them from homelessness to homeownership.
  • This housing model will be replicated nationally as Soldier On continues to change the end of the story for homeless veterans throughout the country.

Illinois Lottery Reports Half-Year Results

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, March 19, 2024
DREAM, Homelessness, HIV/AIDS, BP, General counsel, Education, Lotto, Multiple sclerosis, Special Olympics, Olympic Games, Illinois State Lottery, Breast cancer, UNCF, Fiscal year

CHICAGO, March 19, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Illinois Lottery today announced its results for the first six months of the 2024 fiscal year, in which the Lottery has generated $1.9 billion in sales leading to estimated returns to the State of Illinois of $456 million so far.

Key Points: 
  • CHICAGO, March 19, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Illinois Lottery today announced its results for the first six months of the 2024 fiscal year, in which the Lottery has generated $1.9 billion in sales leading to estimated returns to the State of Illinois of $456 million so far.
  • Additionally, the Illinois Lottery raised over $4.1 million in the first half of the 2024 fiscal year for good causes in Illinois.
  • The Lottery has contributed more than $24 billion in revenue to educational funding in Illinois,” said Harold Mays, Illinois Lottery Director.
  • During the fiscal period, the Illinois Lottery launched its first-ever $50 Instant Ticket.

New Poll Shows Arizonans Want Action on Homelessness

Retrieved on: 
Monday, March 18, 2024
Homelessness, Crime, Sanitation, Camping, Business, Public policy, Smash, Fentanyl, City, Restaurant, Water, Illegal drug trade, Police

"Arizonans want leaders to respond with urgency as crime, drugs, and homelessness in their communities continue to rise.

Key Points: 
  • "Arizonans want leaders to respond with urgency as crime, drugs, and homelessness in their communities continue to rise.
  • Author of the poll and Cicero Director of Communications Stefani Buhajla added, "These results are not at all surprising.
  • Arizona has been battling crisis levels of drug trafficking and homelessness for years.
  • Key highlights from the survey:
    Addressing Homelessness: The survey highlights significant concerns regarding homelessness, with 74% of all voters believing it is increasing in Arizona.