Media & News
National Homelessness Services Achievement Awards
For the second year in a row, Rural Housing Network has been recognised at the National Homelessness Services Achievement Awards. In association with HomeGround and the Salvation Army Pathways, RHNL has been Highly Commended for Excellence or Innovation in Partnerships in Delivering Services. This Award was presented to the CEO of RHNL, Catherine Upcher at a ceremony in Melbourne on May 1st. Ms Upcher said that the Highly Commended Award was received for the Mooroopna project – 44 units of housing for single people and couples, many of whom have a history of homelessness.
The Salvation Army Pathways program provides on-site support to many of the residents, whilst HomeGround has provided valuable intellectual knowledge in assisting Rural Housing with the supported housing model, including a Housing First approach within the Mooroopna complex. Housing First provides long term housing unconditionally and puts in the necessary supports to people who have a chronic mental illness and have experienced long term homelessness. Ms Upcher said that the Award recognised the contribution of each member of the partnership in working towards assisting people to find long term solutions to homelessness.
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HIA Award for RHNL St Georges Apartments in Shepparton
RHNL ‘St Georges Apartments’ property in Shepparton has won a North East Victoria Regional Housing HIA award for best Townhouse Villa Development. RHNL and Sessions staff attended the presentation night held at the Hovel Tree Inn in Albury last Friday night. David and Tim Sessions accepted the award on behalf of Sessions Builders and RHNL in Shepparton. RHNL and Sessions Builders have formed a strong partnership through the completion of a number of outstanding community housing development projects over the past few years and will continue to work together to provide more affordable housing in the Shepparton region.
RHNL board and staff members would like to convey their congratulations to Sessions Builders for this well deserved award. St Georges Apartments is an attractive example of contemporary community housing and an asset to the city of Shepparton.
Photographed: (from L to R) David Sessions, Leisa Makszin, Mal White, Brian Hargreaves and Tim Sessions
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Regional Housing Study
Organisations in the Hume Region Homelessness Network ('HRHN') provide homelessness services and affordable housing in a region where population has grown steadily in recent years. This trend will continue over the next 15 years, leading to increased challenges with housing affordability which will impact most on lower income households and disadvantaged groups.
Download Report 30 November 2011
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Power bills hurting Wodonga homes
THE high cost of housing and the struggle to survive on welfare were highlighted as Anti-Poverty Week was launched yesterday.
Dozens of silhouetted cardboard heads painted by school children were planted in Wodonga’s Woodland Grove to represent the face of poverty on the Border.
Rural Housing Network chief executive Catherine Upcher said poverty in Albury-Wodonga was not clearly obvious, but it was reflected in the struggle with home payments.
"A lot of people in this community are paying in excess of 50 percent of their income on a mortgage or rent which is not sustainable," Ms Upcher said.
Unity Care co-ordinator Alison Prenter said power bills and the stretching of welfare payments were concerns.
"People on Centrelink manage, I think, extraordinarily well with their payments but there is never anything left over at the end of their fortnight," she said.
"So if something comes from left field that you hadn’t planned on that asks for $100 you just can’t do it because you haven’t got the reserves."
Mrs Prenter said "we are now getting 20 to 30 new people a month and they are long-term residents of Wodonga".
Events to mark Anti-Poverty Week include a trivia night at the Wodonga Tennis Centre on Friday and a weekend Carevan bike ride.
Download the Article by NAOMI DAVIS 18 October, 2011
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Census to measure crisis
ALMOST 350 people in Wodonga were homeless when the last census was taken five years ago but housing experts say the real figure is likely to be much higher.
Five special census agents will spend the next week trying to make sure all those without a roof over their head are captured in this years count.
They are urging those who are homeless, in crisis accommodation, who are bed-hopping or transient to write "None" for their place of residence.
The census data collected in 2006 showed that the North East was well above the Victorian average for homelessness.
Alpine and Towong shires more than doubled the state average.
Wodonga-based Rural Housing Network Limited chief executive Catherine Upcher said the only way to deal with homelessness was to understand the depth of the problem.
"We believe that up to 3000 people experience homelessness in the Hume region on any given night," she said.
"We need everyone's help to make sure that people who don't have a home at census time are counted.
"This includes people who are living on the streets, in parks or under bridges but also people staying with friends or relatives, who might not consider themselves homeless, but who do not have secure accommodation."
Ms Upcher believes an increased focus on homelessness in this census will see numbers rise.
"I expect this effort to capture all those people in short-term, insecure accommodation and those in complete homelessness, will give a more accurate figure and this is likely to be higher," she said.
"We know there are serious pockets of housing stress in this region — there are places that you never think of that are disadvantaged, households with low incomes and other social issues.
"It is a combination of low incomes, loss of industry, lack of employment, family breakdown and the cost of housing.
"These people are either absolutely homeless or they are transient, bed-hopping, they are living with friends, in already crowded homes."
Ms Upcher said there were also changes in demographics.
"We are seeing increasing numbers of low to middle-income earners who have a bit of work here, and a bit of work there," she said.
"Suddenly there is no work and these people are in housing stress."
Download the Article by BRAD WORRALL 5 August, 2011
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Project tackles housing crisis
A MAN who had spent 10 months living in his car and another 10 months in a caravan park now has a permanent roof over his head.
But housing experts say limited private rentals and the cost of living is putting more and more people in housing stress and on the streets.
Yesterday Victorian Housing Minister Wendy Lovell officially opened a $2.8 million development that has seen 11 two-bedroom homes built in southern Wangaratta for the less affluent.
"I'm delighted to open these new properties today, which will provide much needed affordable homes for local people," Ms Lovell said.
"This is quality housing. It meets high standards for design and environmental sustainability, meaning real savings for the tenants through lower utility bills."
As well as the energy efficiency rating the Thomas Wedge Drive homes also contain energy saving appliances, gas boosted solar hot water and a 2100-litre water tank, plumbed to the toilets to supplement mains water.
The houses, completed in December, are owned and managed by the not-for-profit housing association, Rural Housing Network, based in Wodonga.
Its acting chief executive Celia Adams said demand was still outstripping supply.
Its policy limits rent to 30 per cent of household income.
"This is a great outcome and the direct result of a partnership between government, ourselves and Southern Vale Homes," she said.
"But the reality is we could build 20 more and fill them tomorrow. It is impossible to assess the demand for these homes on the basis of the public housing waiting lists or our waiting lists. Many of these people have been homeless or simply unable to afford private rentals."
Ms Lovell said the Rural Housing Network housing was part of the armoury in tackling what she says is a housing crisis.
"Not enough homes have been built and that has forced up private rentals and reduced vacancy rates, the overflow putting further pressure on public housing," she said.
Download the Article by BRAD WORRALL 14 May, 2011
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Partner with us
A Local housing association can help industries and businesses on the Border attract and retain key employees.
The Rural Housing Network Limited (RHNL) is the largest provider of community housing in the Hume region of Victoria. "Many people don't know about community housing," said Catherine Upcher, CEO of RHNL. "It offers long term, affordable rental housing to individuals and families and is a real alternative to both private and public rental, with good quality housing and rents below market value."
RHNL became a registered Housing Assoication in Victoria in 2007...
READ MORE on page 36 of 'Enterprise doing business on the border'
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Opening Doors
A Victorian Government initiative was launched in 2008 in Hume region. 'Opening Doors' aims to make it simpler for clients to access homelessness services with designated service 'Entry Points' and by improving co-ordination and between homelessness services.
Opening Doors will:
- make it easier for clients to access housing services with identified 'Entry Points'
- increase the number of supported referrals between services (so clients do not get 'bumped around' unnecessarily to other services)
- establish common assessment tools that can be shared between services (with clients' consent) so that clients do not have to constantly re-tell their story
- establish a 1800 number for assistance with crisis accommodation outside of business hours
- create an online 'resource register' that lists all housing and support services in the area, enabling workers to see what resources are available to clients without having to physically send clients to these services to make enquiries
Many of these changes are the direct result of feedback received from consumers across Victoria. As such, we hope that clients will see real changes in the way services work to help them.
RHNL is a designated 'Entry Point' service in each of our four offices (Wodonga, Wangaratta, Shepparton and Seymour). Clients can contact us directly to discuss their housing situation, or to find out more about Opening Doors.
Further information can also be found online at:
www.housing.vic.gov.au/homelessness-and-family-violence/homelessness/opening-doors
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Victorian Green Renters Guide
Whilst a lot of the talk about sustainability at home is around installing water tanks, grey water systems and solar electricity, most tenants aren’t lucky enough to have a landlord who would be willing to invest in such improvements.However, renters need not despair. Environment Victoria has put together a guide containing lots of sustainable living tips specifically for renters.
The guide takes readers through their home room by room suggesting cheap and easy ways to make the property more sustainable.
Check out the guide by clicking here.
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Everyone Needs a Home – Become Involved with RHNL
We need financial assistance to fight the building wave of those in need in the community – your community.
With your support Rural Housing Network will work to:
- Secure additional permanent long term housing for those in need
- Initiate preventative programs to address homelessness
- Offer a wider range of support options for isolated people
- Continue to research the causes of homelessness with the aim of finding solutions
To become involved contact Catherine Upcher, Chief Executive Officer, ph 02 6055 9000.