Later in the morning, the forum split into two workshops.
The first was on understanding how and why people are homeless. The second
focused on how to increase the supply of social housing, including a range of
strategies such as providing tax incentives for developers, as well as making
use of planning legislation to ensure a greater provision of affordable rental
and social housing.
At the end of the forum, participants were given a rousing
performance by the Sydney Street Choir, performing some original songs as well
as favourites such as Lou Reed’s Perfect
Day.
According to Paul Adabie of the NNC, “It was a great way to
end the morning, and it helped to ‘keep it real’ for all involved”. Lisa Bruns
of the NNC added: “What surprised me about the day was the number of services
that attended. I did not think we’d get so many people. This is an issue not
only affecting what we traditionally see as older men. It’s an issue affecting
families, young people, single parents, everyone.”
As an outcome of the homelessness forum, the NNC has
proposed the idea of establishing a clinic to streamline access to social
housing and other services within the area. It is also intending to write a
submission on the Federal Government’s new Green Paper on Homelessness in Australia which
was released on May 22.
The Green Paper is now available for public comment and can
be accessed though the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and
Indigenous Affairs. (http://www.facsia.gov.au/).
Source:
South Sydney Herald June 2008 www.southsydneyherald.com.au