18 March 2011

A key issue confronting our Wellington community is the chronic shortage of affordable accomodation.

Downtown Community Ministry (DCM) believes its time Wellington recognises the urgent need for an increase in affordable housing, and to look to Australian models for examples.

With housing and welfare reform at the fore-front of discussion, two conferences will look at community housing and homeslessness issues next week.

DCM will attend the fifth National Homeless Conference, on the topic of “Healing Homeslessness through Action” on 24 March in Auckland with guest speakers from Canada and Australia as well as New Zealand.

The conference has an indigenous focus, with a presentation on the experiences of two Maori homeless people who took part in a three-year research project. Previous research into street homelessness has not recognised the specific significance of indigenous histories, circumstances and worldviews.

Preceeding this conference, Community Housing’s “Doorways to Community Housing” conference, takes place in Auckland on 22-23 March.

The key focus is growing New Zealand’s non-government community housing sector, and will include discussion on the Australian approach from Housing Choices Australia.

A nationwide community housing campaign with also be launched, to raise awareness about the role of community housing as a viable provider of affordable housing options in New Zealand.

Stephanie McIntyre, director of DCM, says “DCM has a housing-first approach, and on a recent research trip to Australia I was able to see first-hand the postitive changes being made to housing in New South Wales and Victoria.”

For more information on the “Doorways to Community Housing” conference, please visit: www.communityhousing.org.nz.

ENDS

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