Topic Tuesday// Housing Insecurity & Homelessness// Tues 26th July 2022 7-8:30PM AEST

[TideisTurning]

On Tuesday, 26th July 2022, we'd like to invite you to join us for a discussion about housing insecurity and homelessness. In this event we will talk about seeking safe and secure housing and support services available. This will be an opportunity for our community to connect with others with similar experiences in a supportive environment.

                       

For ease of reference, the times across Australia are in the graphic and listed below; 

Western Australia: 5pm 
Northern Territory & South Australia: 6:30pm 

Queensland, New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory, Victoria & Tasmania: 7pm 

Want to receive a reminder on the night? Hit the 'Support' button below and we will tag you 30 minutes before the event starts. 

New to the forums or want to get involved in this discussion? Check out the How To Guide for Topic Tuesdays.

Hope to see you there on the night!

 

[TideisTurning]

Hi everyone, 

We'll be getting this discussion started very soon! Tagging those who have supported the post for a reminder & others who may like to join us 😊  @NatureLover @chibam @Patchworks @Saint_boy @Shaz51 @Zoe7 @Appleblossom @Captain24 @Jacques @Judi9877 @Leeanne @Meowmy @TAB @greenpea @tonys 

[TideisTurning]

Hi @TAB 😊

[TideisTurning]

Welcome to everyone joining us or reading along tonight. We would first like to acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the various lands across Australia we are all joining this discussion from. We pay deep respect to the Elders of those Countries, past and present, and we further extend that respect to any Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people with us tonight, reading along, or reading back.  

Ahead of Homelessness Week (from 1-7 August, more on that here), we wanted to create a space to come together as a community and talk about homelessness and housing insecurity. Homelessness can look very different for different people- it could include sleeping in a car or couch surfing for example.   

Broadly, what we’re talking about when we say homelessness is a situation where there are no suitable accommodation alternatives and the current living arrangement; has a short or non-extendable tenure and/or is in a dwelling that is inadequate or does not allow for control of and/or access to space for social relations. You can find an expanded definition of homelessness here.  

Tonight we are facilitating this discussion with the Forums community as mental health Peer Workers – we are not professionals working in the housing and homelessness space.  

We acknowledge the range of experiences and knowledge of housing insecurity and homelessness brought be everyone sharing this space tonight. 

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If you are feeling distress at any time during this live discussion, there are support options available to you. You can start a new discussion on the forums and talk to other members, contact the SANE Support Centre on 1800 18 7263, or find crisis support options here. And if you are new to Forums or unsure how to get involved in the discussion, you can check out our How To Guide or message myself or @Former-Member  

We will be providing a comprehensive list of resources, supports, and referral options for the community at the end of tonight’s event. 

[TideisTurning]

To start, I would like to invite everyone to introduce themselves, and, if you’d like to, share a little about your experience with housing, including housing insecurity & homelessness, and if anything, what you might be hoping to gain from tonight’s discussion.  

In so doing, just a gentle reminder of our anonymity guideline, in accordance with which, we ask that members refrain from including details that could give away your identity (such as specific locations) 

@TAB 

[Former-Member]

Hey everyone, I'm Girasole one of the peer support workers here tonight 😊 I have experience of housing insecurity, and I'm really looking forward to everything the community has to share and say on this topic tonight 🌻

[TAB]

Hi, I have been renting for around 40 years now including share houses/boarding. 
Ive been thrown out in middle of night more than once , which reflects more on my choice of accommodation not anything I did . Except to be there. Rent going through the roof, no one wants to fix it

landlords getting tax free ride etc basically 

[TideisTurning]

Welcome @Shaz51 & @Patchworks 😊

[Patchworks]

Hi all! I'm Patchworks and I have been homeless (by definition) several times due to my periodic mental illness. I tend to fall back on family for a temporary place to stay but that option may not always be possible. Housing insecurity is a fear I have and likely others here on the forum(?) as after a hospitalisation, it's not always possible to resume my previous housing situation (where I lived when I was admitted). This I find can be due to stigma from my housemates, poor affordability of housing or other reasons. I'm interested in others' experiences

[Former-Member]

Great to have you here @TAB Welcome 😊

Those are some awful experiences I'm sorry you've had to go through- unfortunately a lot of renters have experienced some poor housing conditions and treatment. I hear you!