NewsletterJUNE 2011

Whats insideWhats insideWhats in the News ..............................p2

Events/Research & Updates.................p3

Batchelor Ins tute Cert 3 in Social Housing/ Updates con nued...............p4

Homelessness Policy Offi cer .................p5

Central Australian Policy Offi cer .........p6-7

Our Ci es: Our Future Report...............p7

Community Land TRusts.....................p8-9

Legal Service info................................p10

Budget Report.....................................p11

NT Shelter’s ...............................back page

NT Shelter is funded by the NT Department of Housing, Local Government & Regional Services

NATIONAL AFFORDABLE HOUSING EXCHANGEThe NT Shelter Execu ve Offi cer recently a ended the Community Housing Federa on of Australia’s 2nd Na onal Aff ordable Housing Exchange in Sydney which brought together around 200 delegates from the aff ordable housing sector- only 2 from the NT. This newsle er features some of the issues and presenta ons from the Exchange.The Minister for Social Housing and Homelessness Mark Arbib addressed delegates at the Exchange where he emphasised the need for a single na onal regulatory system for the Not-For-Profi t housing sector, and the need for the sector to make a strong case for this to their State and Territory governments.The Exchange also provided delegates with seminars and plenary sessions and demonstrated the immense knowledge, skills and experience that already exist within the aff ordable housing sector na onally, and once again provided a fantas c vehicle for people to come together and exchange these ideas.Presenta ons will be available on the Exchange website and more will be provided as they become available. h p://exchange.in-sync.com.au/

HOMELESS CONNECT

NT Shelter par cipated in Darwin City Council’s 2011 Homeless Connect event held at Casuarina Pool in May.Congratula ons to the organisers at DCC for another fantas c event which a racted around 400 homeless people, service providers, performers, onlookers and others. Photo- Clare Corfi eld, NT Shelter Admin Offi cer at our stall

Our Homelessness Policy Offi cer posi on is funded

National Shelter welcomed approximately 30 a endees to this year’s Na onal Indigenous Housing Forum, held at Queensland Shelter on May 17th and 18th. Delegates represented the various State Shelter offi ces, as well as Indigenous Community Housing Organisa ons, Homelessness Australia, the Community Housing Federa on, Tenants’ Unions and the Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Human Services Coali on.A endees outlined the challenges facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and housing organisa ons including overcrowding, maintenance and repairs, inaccurate data sets, viability and access to funding. Further discussion centred on poten al opportuni es for Indigenous Community Housing Organisa ons to grow to meet the large amount of need within the community. Between them they compiled a State of the Na on report with a par cular focus on urban Indigenous housing, and developed posi ons on a range of relevant topics including repairs and maintenance and the development of a peak body in Indigenous Housing.

Newsletter

HOUSING BIGGEST LOSERThursday, 12 May, 2011By Caryn KakasPropertyOz

THE release of Sustainable Australia- Sustainable Communi es, the Government’s popula on strategy, reveals housing policy has become the latest Government evictee.

This strategy was touted as a fl agship announcement regarding Australia’s future direc on, but it is already a sinking ship, said Caryn Kakas, Execu ve Director, Residen al Development Council.

“There is clearly a failure to capitalise on industry goodwill and exper se since housing aff ordability took centre stage in 2007. The popula on policy was the promised vehicle for a genuine housing strategy that would progress a move from “talk to ac on” on the issues facing Australia’s homeowners, buyers and renters.”

There is a fundamental understanding across the sector of the range of issues blocking the effi cient delivery of supply into the marketplace, but there is no commitment from Government to specifi cally address them in this strategy.

“The Government acknowledges in this strategy that aff ordable housing is central to the liveability of our communi es. However, by its own admission, there is ‘a substan ve housing supply gap that is impac ng on housing aff ordability’.”

“Popula on growth is inevitable. We need to have a genuine strategy for managing growth, delivering sustainable communi es, aff ordable housing, long-term infrastructure funding and capitalising on innova on in the economy.

It is not enough to iden fy what we want for Australians today and into the future. This vision will not be achieved unless we ac vely plan for and manage growth in our ci es, regions and communi es. The roadmap cannot be complete without the future of housing clearly marked on it.”

GOVT URGED TO HALT SLIDE IN HOUSING SECTORMonday, 16 May, 2011Australian Associated PressA drop in new home loans to a 10-year low indicates the federal government has to arrest the slide in the sector, housing and building lobbyists say.The number of loans to owner-occupiers fell 1.5 per cent in March to a seasonally adjusted 44,968, the lowest level since February 2001.Housing Industry Associa on chief economist Harley Dale said governments had to take ac on to support the industry.

RBA WARNS MANY FIRST HOME OWNERS WHO USED GOVERNMENT GRANTS MAY NOW BE VULNERABLEThursday, 26 May, 2011By Ben PackhamThe AustralianTHE Reserve Bank has warned many fi rst home owners who bought into the market with the help of generous federal government assistance may now be vulnerable to rising interest rates.RBA deputy governor Ric Ba ellino said there were concerns that buyers who bought into the market in 2009, when the federal government grant was increased, may have over-commi ed themselves.Amid warnings of at least one interest rate rise by the end of the year, Mr Ba ellino said there were pockets of mortgage stress across the na on.In a global fi nancial crisis s mulus measure, former prime minister Kevin Rudd li ed the fi rst home buyers grant from late 2008 to $14,000 for an established home and $21,000 for new homes.He said while households were showing “a good deal of resilience”, the increase in indebtedness over the past 15 years meant borrowers were now “signifi cantly more sensi ve to changes in interest rates”. “Changes to supervisory rules and market condi ons have made pre-crisis funding pa erns less a rac ve,” he said. The RBA warning came as the Fitch ra ngs agency said arrears on mortgage repayments spiked to a record high in the fi rst three months of 2011. Arrears on prime residen al mortgage-backed securi es of 30 days or more hit a record high of 1.79 per cent in the fi rst quarter, from 1.37 per cent in the fi nal quarter of 2010, Fitch said. The rise followed consumer spending at Christmas and the impact of summer fl ooding on many homeowners. However there was be er news for would-be homeowners, with a new housing aff ordability index showing an improvement in the fi rst three months of the year.The Commonwealth Bank/Housing Industry Associa on aff ordability index rose to 55.7 in the fi rst quarter of 2011, from 54.1 in the fi nal quarter of 2010, as home prices eased.

HOUSING SHOWS FRESH SIGNS OF MORTGAGE STRESSTuesday, 05 April, 2011Australian Associated Press

Arrears on the home loans that back prime residen al mortgage-backed securi es have climbed to their highest level since April 2009 as more evidence emerged of Australians ba ling fi nancial stress.

Ra ngs agency Standard & Poor’s said loans underlying Australian RMBS that were more than 30 days in arrears jumped to 1.59 per cent in January, up from 1.38 per cent in December.

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Whats in the NewsCourtesy of the TSN Newtork; To subscribe, contact TSN@thenexus.org.au

2011 CONFERENCE CALENDAR

JUNE

Na onal Homelessness Summit 23-24 June, Sydney Marrio Hotelwww.iir.com.au/homelessnessWelcome home -Shelter NSW conference on housing for an inclusive society29 Jun 2011 – Auditorium, NSW Teachers Federa on conference centre, 37 Reservoir Street, Surry Hills (Sydney) contact admin@shelternsw.org.au.Ageing on the edge: older Australians at risk of homelessness 30 Jun 2011, Cinema 1, Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI), Federa on Square, Melbourne h p://www.conferenceworks.net.au/ageingforum/AUGUST

Na onal Homeless Persons Week 1-7 August 2011 http://www.homelessnessaustral ia.org.au/site/Na onal%20Homeless%20Persons%20Week.phpSEPTEMBER

AIATSIS -Na onal Indigenous Studies Conference Mon 19 Sep 2011- Thu 22 Sep 2011, Canberra h p://www.aiatsis.gov.au/research/conf2011/conf2011.htmlOCTOBER

7th Na onal Housing Conference Tue 30 Oct 2012- Fri 2 Nov 2012, Brisbane Conven on and Exhibi on Centre, BrisbaneNOVEMBER

4th Desert Knowledge Symposium and Business Showcase7-10 November 2011, Alice Springs Conven on Centre. www.desertknowledgesymposium.comNa onal Social Inclusion Week - 19-27 November5th State of Australian Ci es Na onal Conference Tue 29 Nov 2011- Fri 2 Dec 2011, University of Melbourne, Melbourne h p://www.soac2011.com.au/DECEMBER2011 Asia Pacifi c Network for Housing Research Conference8 -10 Dec 2011, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong h p://web.hku.hk/~apnhr/

Social Return on Investment (SROI)This 2010 research report commissioned by the Victorian Women’s Housing Associa on inves gates the social and economic returns on their investment in aff ordable housing for women. The report fi nds that VWHA’s aff ordable housing projects return $3.14 of social and economic value for every $1.00 invested.Increasing Aff ordable Housing Through the Victorian Community Housing SectorThe Community Housing Federa on of Victoria (CHFV) commissioned report by Deloi e Access Economics.The report is a founda onal document that iden fi es current benchmarks in regards to the progress of the Victorian community housing sector in the last four years. It takes into account the current funding, policy, and regulatory arrangements and iden fi es areas that must be addressed in order to sustain the growth of community housing in Victoria. These are;

Government funding to support private investment; • long-term policies for land release, regional • development, and suppor ng infrastructure development; and the • implementa on of a na onal regulatory framework to reduce cross-jurisdic onal barriers for growth.

The report is an important step in the work of CHFV to expand and develop aff ordable housing for low income and vulnerable Victorians, and supports its call for a whole-of-government approach to be taken to addressing the State’s housing aff ordability crisis.h p://www.chfa.com.au/sites/default/fi les/node/347/chfv_cover_le er_and_deloi e_access_economics_report.pdf

Indigenous Housing: The Latest EvidenceAHURI held the ‘Indigenous housing: the latest evidence’ seminar in Darwin on 11th May. AHURI has made the audio recording and presenta on slides available for download; refer: h p://www.ahuri.edu.au/calendar/event_20110511.html. A presenta on of two fi nal reports was made:

Indigenous Popula on Mobility AHURI Final Report No 162: Improving housing responses to Indigenous pa erns of mobilityFormal presenta on made by Daphne Habibis from the University of Tasmania School of Sociology and Social Work. Habibis et al seek to inform housing policy by asking how housing services can improve their responses to Indigenous pa erns of temporary mobility. Considera on is given to the models and strategies for housing provision and tenancy management that take account of temporary mobility in urban, regional and remote loca ons. The latest on Indigenous Housing research can be found at: h p://www.ahuri.edu.au/publica ons/projects.asp?Search=True&Theme=Indigenous_Housing&Sort=Title&Direc on=ASC#results AHURI’s Deputy Execu ve Director, has of AHURI’s inten on to start undertaking research projects on a longer 3 year meframe. This is a marks a shi from the current 1 year me frame allocated to projects.3

EventsEvents

NEW NATIONAL HOUSING SUPPLY COUNCIL APPOINTMENTSMedia release: The Hon. Tony Burke MP 12 May, 2011THE Minister for Sustainability, Popula on and Communi es, Tony Burke, announced the new membership of the Na onal Housing Supply Council to support housing aff ordability by providing essen al informa on and analysis on housing supply across Australia. The Na onal Housing Supply Council was established by the Government in 2008 as an independent body to provide forecasts, analysis and advice on land supply and construc on ac vity to meet housing demand and improve aff ordability over a 20 year forecast period.The State of Supply Report produced by the Council has become a resource for governments and industry as it provides independent and consistent data on housing supply and aff ordability, housing demand and the supply-demand gap.The new Council, includes a mix of new and previous members, will meet for the fi rst me in June 2011. The Na onal Housing Supply Council is chaired by Dr Owen Donald, Formerly the Director of Housing Victoria, and we now welcome the appointment to the Council of an NT representa ve Ms Janet Buhagiar*, Director Social Policy, Dept of Chief Minister and former CEO, St Vincent de Paul Society (NT)

About the CourseThe course provides training that will prepare you for work in the social housing sector. You will learn skills that give an understanding of the housing sector including tenancy and property management, customer service, offi ce administra on and occupa onal health and safety regula ons.Course DeliveryTraining is delivered in the workplace, in your community and on campus. On average you will a end one week of workshops on campus for each unit.Career PathwayThe course may boost your career of you are working in the housing sector or it may allow you to fi nd employment within your local Council, Shire, Government or within housing support services.Entry RequirementsThe course is recommended for people working in, or intending to work in the social housing sector. To enrol, you must be able to meet Batchelor Ins tute’s admission requirements. This means you should be at least 18 years old, have the support of your community and have the chance within your community or organisa on for prac cal work experience. You will also need reasonable English literacy and numeracy skills.COURSE ENQUIRIES ADMISSION ENQUIRIESBatchelor Campus enquiries@batchelor.edu.au Phone 08 89397254 www.batchelor.edu.auFreecall 1800 677095 Alice Springs Campus Freecall 1800 677095

Legal Informa on LineThis freecall service is available Territory wide, Monday to Friday 9am – 4pm.We provide free legal informa on on a wide range of topics and can assist with referrals. We can also arrange free legal advice if required.Please call one of our operators on 1800 019 343

DHLGRS NGO Growth and Capacity Development In December last year, Department of Housing Local Government and Regional Services employed Jessica Watkinson to work within the agency to improve policy around growth and capacity development of the NGO sector. Its been a produc ve 5 months with work going forward on the Integrated Wai ng List and a big focus on improving processes around the Tenancy Sustainability Program and A Place to Call Home throughout the Territory. Two forums have already been held this year to provide NGO’s with informa on regarding the programs, and opportuni es to share informa on, resources and to network. The focus for the future is on working with NGO’s in the housing sector to look at areas of need and ways to address them, and to con nually enhance the rela onship between DHLGRS and the NGO sector.

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NT Shelter Homelessness Policy OfficerNT Shelter Homelessness Policy Officer Peter Lindwall

The Federal Government has contributed 25.5 M and the Territory government has contributed 29.3 M providing a total of $54.9 M for the Plan over the 5 years of the NPAH.The four core outputs of the NT Implementa on Plan are:

“A place to call home” which aims to build 32 dwellings • over 5 years for long term housing;“Street to home” to provide about 100 beds for chronic • homeless people;Support for private and public tenancies to help sustain • resident’s occupa on of rental proper es: andAssistance for people leaving child protec on services, • prison and mental health facili es.

As part of the process the NT Government has set up the Housing Homelessness Advisory Group (HHAG) made up of government departments and a number of non-government agencies. NT Shelter has a role on the HHAG in advoca ng for a response to housing and homelessness issues raised by community organisa ons. These issues are iden fi ed by way of accommoda on ac on group mee ngs, the annual homelessness summit and housing forums across the Territory.The successful outcome of the NT Implementa on Plan will require the integra on of service provision, housing infrastructure and other human services to result in a more eff ec ve response to homelessness.

Homelessness is an Issue!There are shortages across the whole spectrum of housing from crisis housing, supported accommoda on, community housing, rental accommoda on, public housing and long term aff ordable housing for private ownership. Causes of homelessness:

The biggest issue is the lack of housing in all sectors of • the housing spectrum.In some communi es there is no crisis or transi onal • accommoda on, meaning women and children escaping violence have nowhere to go.

Large numbers of Aboriginal people live in ‘crowded’ households. It is noted that people in this situa on o en do not recognise that they are homeless because they are staying with extended family.Another clause of homelessness is a result of travelling long distances from Aboriginal communi es to regional centres and having no means of returning home.Domes c family and random violence lead to homelessness par cularly for women and children.Sta s cs:The rate of homelessness in the NT far exceeds the na onal average (248 per 10,000 as compared to 53 per 10,000) and varies drama cally across the Territory. Homelessness in the NT is not only concentrated in urban centres but is also high in regional and remote areas with the highest rate in Katherine.The Federal and NT Government response to homelessness and aff ordable housing comes under the Na onal Aff ordable Housing Agreement (NAHA) and Na onal Partnership Agreement on Homelessness (NPAH).The Na onal Aff ordable Housing Agreement (NAHA) signed by the Federal government and all the States and Territories commenced in 2009 and sets out a framework for addressing homelessness. Under the NAHA, the NT Government has prepared the NT Implementa on Plan which runs un l 2013.

NT Shelter welcomes Peter Lindwall to our team!Peter commenced in April this year as NT Shelter’s Homelessness Policy Offi cer following NT Shelter receiving funding for this posi on from the NT Department of Children and Families for a new 12 month posi on at the full me rate.

Please contact Peter at our Darwin Offi ce, 0428 820944, hpo@ntshelter.org.auWe also take this opportunity to thank Louise Harrington who worked part me in this posi on from March 2010 un l April 2011.A copy of Louise’s report on the 2010 Homelessness Summit is available on the NT Shelter website

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NT Shelter Central Australian Policy OfficerNT Shelter Central Australian Policy OfficerDavid Havercroft

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NT Shelter’s Central Australian Policy Offi cer role, covering Central Australia and the Barkly, received full- me funding through the Department of Housing, Local Government and Regional Services commencing in the fi rst quarter of this year.

CENTRAL AUSTRALIAAs expected at the tail end of a 2+ year period of markedly increased funding through the Strategic Indigenous Housing and Infrastructure Program Building (SIHIP) and the Commonwealth Government’s s mulus measures, there was a marked lessening of new funding ini a ves for housing and homelessness programs for Central Australia in the NT Government’s 2011-12 Budget. While substan al funding con nues to be made available for new houses through SIHIP works, other new funding tends to be for opera onal funding for Alice Springs new accommoda on facili es. The Minister for Public and Aff ordable Housing, the Hon Dr Chris Burns MLA, has also announced that a por on of the $1.2m allocated to the Public Housing Safety Strategy will be for Alice Springs. No new housing related capital works were announced for Alice Springs other than $3.5m for addi onal headworks to the new suburb of Kilgariff .

ALICE SPRINGS TRANSFORMATION PLAN (ASTP)Alice Springs Town CampsWork con nues apace on the housing and infrastructure works to the town camps.In the Remote Housing NT April newsle er it was reported that the construc on of 28 of the 85 new houses for town camps have been completed by the Territory Alliance, along with 61 rebuilds and refurbishments; refer: h p://www.housing.nt.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_fi le/0003/118695/RHNT_eNews_April11.pdf Further to these new works, Namatjira town camp is earmarked for demoli on. Along with White Gate, Namatjira is one of the two Alice Springs town camps without formalised land tenure. Its long term residents are being provided with public housing in town, with Mission Australia contracted through the ASTP tenancy support.Apmere Mwerre Visitors Park, Alice Springs (phone: 8952 1754)Apmere Mwerre, managed by Aboriginal Hostels Limited, is now opera onal a er being offi cially opened in early February. Occupancy rates to the 150 bed facility have been variable, but with responses largely posi ve to date. However there are concerns that the Alice Springs Town Council and others con nue to view the facility as a solu on for Alice Springs residents who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

Aherlkeme Transi onal Accommoda on Facility – Percy CourtPreviously known as the ‘Percy Ct’ transi onal accommoda on facility, this project was one of three key social housing projects undertaken through the Federal Government’s social housing s mulus packages in Alice Springs – others being the signifi cant altera ons and addi ons to the Lodge, and the construc on of 8 Independent Living units to The Salva on Army’s Red Shield Hostel in Old Eastside. The Aherlkeme facility is to be offi cially opened on 7th June by Federal Minister Jenny Macklin and Chief Minister Paul Henderson, with management provided by Mission Australia in partnership with Ingkerreke, a local Aboriginal service provider. Residents to the facility will be from Territory Housing’s wai ng list, with Mission Australia providing tailored tenancy support programs to tenants in readiness for transi oning to public housing.The Lodge (medical needs hostel accommoda on) - Bath StreetThe Lodge works, undertaken for the Alice Springs Hospital to provide 35 beds, are largely complete. Some small scale works to be completed in order for Aboriginal Hostels to commence management of the facility.Alice Springs Accommoda on Ac on Group (AAG) The next AAG’s bi-monthly mee ng is on Tuesday 21st June. A endance at these mee ngs is open to all community, social service and government agencies. Please contact David at ca@ntshelter.org.au if you would like to be added to the contact list or have further queries.

BARKLY REGIONThere was a notable dearth of new funding commitments for the Barkly in the NT Government’s 2011-12 Budget for housing and homelessness programs. This includes to the recently released land at the new Peko Rd sub-division. Building works to Tennant Creek’s community living areas are largely complete and SIHIP works to remote communi es are close to fi nishing. No new housing was provided through SIHIP in the Barkly. Without the benefi t of capital works delivered through a program such as the Alice Springs Transforma on Plan, the need for new housing and other accessible and aff ordable accommoda on facili es con nue to be key themes in the Barkly Region Accommoda on Group’s forum, refl ected in discussions at the ‘in reforma on’ Barkly Region Safer Communi es Commi ee, and the Tennant Creek Alcohol Reference Group cited in our February newsle er.The development of an accommoda on park, with reference to the Apmere Mwerre Visitors Park in Alice Springs, is one of the facili es being pursued by the Barkly Region Accommoda on Group (BRAG) in conjunc on with other interested par es.

Kilgariff ‘Enquiry by Design’ ForumAlice Springs, 3rd - 6th April, 2011 David Havercro , Central Australian Policy Offi cer, NT Shelter

A 4 day Enquiry by Design (EBD) forum was staged in April by the Department of Lands and Planning to consider and develop design scenarios for the recently announced suburb of Kilgariff . The ‘Final Outcomes Presenta on’ can be viewed at: h p://www.nt.gov.au/lands/growth/kilgariff /documents/Outcomes.pdf, with a more detailed report due in coming months. The forum was led with aplomb by the same consultant team who oversaw last year’s EBD program for the new satellite city Weddell, near Darwin. The NT Government is to be congratulated for ins ga ng these programs, with their capability to expediently explore the opportuni es that lie within diff erent loca ons and their rela ons to exis ng townships. At the same me, many cogent concerns were raised regarding the development of Kilgariff : the appropriateness of developing to the south of the Gap (away from shops, services and amenity); concerns with fl ooding; and, where Kilgariff sits within the need for a more holis c planning exercise for the whole of Alice Springs, including the region to the south of the Gap. A community consulta on methodology, perhaps including but not limited to an enquiry by design process, would certainly be appropriate for this exercise – this would allow for the broad representa on of the economic, social and cultural aspira ons of Alice Springs residents.Some of the more vocal Alice Springs community members who oppose the development of Kilgariff were amongst those invited to par cipate as design team members, refl ec ng a willingness to be engaged with a process that should have been undertaken well prior to the redevelopment of the Arid Zones Research Ins tute site being formalised.

It was unfortunate that the closing speech by the Minister for Central Australia, the Hon Karl Hampton MLA, did not refl ect upon the many detrac ng concerns presented both in the fi nal presenta on through comments made by both par cipants and the general public following this. The design teams certainly weren’t unanimously extolling the virtues of the development of Kilgariff .However for the many real concerns that both pre-dated and were generated by the EBD program, there were some truly posi ve direc ons developed by the 5 design teams, appropriate not only for Kilgariff but also the redevelopment of the Alice Springs town centre and other sites. Up to 25% aff ordable and social housing was proposed by one of the Kilgariff Enquiry by Design teams, no ng that the delivery of aff ordable housing need not be limited to the development of public housing stock by Territory Housing, nor the ballo ng of land by the Department of Lands and Planning, or through fi rst home buyer schemes. The ready acceptance by design team members that there are other means through which social and aff ordable housing can be delivered augers well for the NT Government’s confi rmed direc on towards having 35% of social housing managed by community housing providers by 2014.

NT Shelter Central Australian Policy OfficerNT Shelter Central Australian Policy OfficerDavid Havercroft

Barkly Region Accommoda on Group (BRAG) Mee ngsThe next BRAG quarterly mee ng is on Tuesday 23rd August in Tennant Creek. A endance at these mee ngs is open to all community, social service and government agencies. Please contact David at ca@ntshelter.org.au if you would like to be added to the email contact list or have further queries.‘Crisis Accommoda on Needs in Tennant Creek’ a Report by Damien Conley Consultancy for the Tennant Creek Uni ng Church & Fron er Services. This report was completed in March 2011, funded by the NT Government. Further funding is now being sought from the NT Government to further develop the report’s proposals.Damien Conley was engaged to undertake detailed research and consulta ons with key stakeholders to iden fy innova ve approaches to resolve the crisis accommoda on situa on in Tennant Creek; this is with a specifi c view to developing 2 vacant allotments owned by the Tennant Creek Congrega on. to land adjacent to the Fron er Services Pulkapulkka Kari Nursing Home (Peko Road), the report recommends the development of a new 24 bed mixed use accommoda on facility, leveraging off Pulkapulkka Kari’s exis ng nursing, catering and ancillary services.To the Church’s other land on Paterson Street, the report notes the strong community support for the development of a ‘one stop shop’ referral service in Tennant Creek, to be designed and developed in partnership with the community. Such a facility would allow community people to receive general assistance and specialist advice on a range of issues at one loca on including service delivery informa on, referrals, interpre ng and wri ng le ers, comple ng forms and liaising with a range of key agencies. For further informa on on this report please contact David at ca@ntshelter.org.au. 7

land and/or proper es. Suppor ng community land trusts could make much be er usage of public monies such as the fi rst home owners’ grant. Community land trusts would span the gap between aff ordable rental and market-rate homeownership and complement the ac vi es of exis ng community housing providers and organisa ons such as Habitat for Humanity, a major partner to community land trusts in the USA.

Legal Frequently Asked Ques onsPrepared by DF Mor mer & AssociatesMember of the Law Ins tute of Victoria

Isn’t ownership of land be er than leasing? It depends. When we talk of “owning land”, it is more legally correct to say that what we “own” is the freehold tle. A freehold tle en tles its owner to use of land over which the freehold tle applies, for an indefi nite term of years (ie eff ec vely in perpetuity). However it also makes sense to say that we can “own” a

lease. A lease en tles the owner to use the land over which the leasehold tle applies, for a fi xed term of years (eg 99 years). CLT proponents might say it is more appropriate for a body corporate that can exist in perpetuity to own the freehold, and that a lease is all we mortals who only have a fi xed term of years really need. Can fi xtures be separated from the land? Yes. The common law presumes fi xtures (eg houses) are part of the land and hence, part of the freehold tle to the land. However lease agreements can be dra ed to provide that ownership of the fi xtures is to remain with the lessee and not the landlord. Courts will look at the inten on of the par es to a lease to determine who owns the fi xtures. Didn’t they have to change laws overseas to recognise CLTs? Yes, the UK Housing and Regenera on Act (2008) has given explicit recogni on to CLTs. The main purpose of this recogni on has been to regulate CLTs and make them eligible for government funding. The laws were not made to ensure that CLTs can separate fi xtures from the land (see above). Are CLTs like unit trusts? Con nues on next page..........................

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What is a community land trust? A community land trust is a not-for-profi t en ty that holds tle to land in perpetuity, to create and steward perpetually aff ordable housing and provide community benefi t. Community land trusts also steward land for agriculture, recrea on and conserva on. They underpin comprehensive community development through community-based, accountable governance and engaged membership.

But aff ordable housing is public housing, right? Wrong. Community land trusts can hold land under everything from boarding houses to single-family, owner occupied housing and can house people cross a range of incomes. Householders can rent or own their homes, but cannot speculate or sub-let. Community land trusts also underlie community facili es including aged care, child care, community gardens, businesses, chari es and open space.So what do householders have tle to?Householders own or rent their apartment or house and have a ground lease which grants full rights of land usage.But the house is a diminishing asset! That’s where the ground lease comes in. The ground lease spells out the rental price or the resale formula for the property to balance the equity gain to the individual with the reten on of aff ordability across property sales. So, when an owner-occupied house is sold, the resale price is limited and equity is shared with the community land trust, locking in subsidies or dona ons. The ground lease also spells out criteria regarding maintenance, use, eligibility, inheritance and renova ons.Where are community land trusts? Currently these are mainly in the USA, where the sector is a few decades old and where low- to moderate-income households in community and trust homes have withstood the mortgage meltdown, with a foreclosure rate of 0.5% compared to 3.3% across all income levels in the open market during the collapse of 2008-9. This success is helping drive rapid growth of the model in the USA. Community land trusts in Australia could add more rungs to the housing tenure ladder between ren ng and owning outright, foster community development and provide aff ordable homeownership that stays aff ordable.So what’s the challenge? Transla ng key USA and UK legal templates into legal Australian documents and fi nding local, state and federal champions, donors, members and programs, plus suitable

HOW IS THE RIGHT TO HOUSING PROTECTED IN AUSTRALIA?

by Coordinator, Indigenous Human Rights Network Australia

COMMUNITY LAND TRUSTS IN AUSTRALIAA fact sheet from the University of Western Sydney

The City of Port Phillip’ research project, ‘Aff ordable Housing Development Models’, inves gated models for suppor ng aff ordable housing for moderate income households. The Aff ordable Housing Development Models research project engaged consultants, Aff ordable Housing Solu ons (AHS) to inves gate four models:

Private sector fi nance in the context of the Na onal 1. rental Aff ordability Scheme (NRAS);Partnerships with private developers;2. Shared equity housing; and3. Rent- to- buy schemes4.

AHS’s study was completed in November 2010 and endorsed for public release in February 2011. This study provided ini al inves ga on of each model and 5 principles for City of Port Phillip Council to assess whether it wishes to support any model.

In response, the City of Port Phillip decided that Community Land Trusts, as a form of shared equity housing, provided the best mechanism to address housing aff ordability for moderate income earners unable to aff ord home ownership. Further, Council decided to support Community Land Trusts through making a contribu on of $10,000 towards the prepara on of a Community Land Trust Manual in the 2011/12 year as proposed by the University of Western Sydney and the legal fi rm Derek Mor mer and Associates.

The CLT manual will provide prac cal guidance and model documents on how to establish a CLT in Australia comprising:

A summary of the models that CLTs have taken overseas• A case study relevant to Australian condi ons• Financial modelling• A model ground Lease• Model mortgage instrument (so that fi nance ins tu ons • can become familiar with borrowing against bricks and mortar equity) andImportant tax status of a CLT (eg. PBI and GDR) and how • to achieve that status (see a ached research project proposal)

The manual will be prepared by the University of Western Sydney and the Melbourne based, specialist law fi rm, Derek Mor mer & Associates under a research project to be managed by the University.

This is intended to commence, subject to funding, in the 2011/12 year and take approximately fi ve months to prepare. The total cost of the manual will be $140,000.

In order for the Manual project to be viable, the City of Port Phillip is assis ng with canvassing for pledges of contribu ons from interested organisa ons. If your organisa on is interested in making a contribu on, contribu ons will be ul mately be directed to the University. Contributors, envisaged to be from diff erent States, will be provided with a posi on on the project steering commi ee which will meet via teleconferencing or similar technologies.

CONTINUED from >>> Legal FAQ’s Are CLTs like unit trusts? There is a signifi cant diff erence. Since the High Court case Charles v Federal Commissioner of Taxa on (1954) Australian law regards the unit holder in a unit trust as having a proprietary interest in all the unit trust property (such as a proprietary interest in the land held by a unit trust). CLTs lessees on the other hand have an interest in the fi xtures (as determined by the lease agreement) on the land, but do not have an interest in the land. (This can some mes be a problem for CLT lessees because they cannot use the land as security for a mortgage). Can a “Public Benevolent Ins tu on” be a CLT? Yes. Public Benevolent Ins tu ons (“PBIs”) have the benefi t of endorsement by the Australian Tax Offi ce as Deduc ble Gi Recipients (meaning they can receive tax deduc ble dona ons) and other tax concessions. PBIs can and do provide aff ordable housing for persons regarded by the Tax Offi ce as being in benevolent need”. Whether a CLT can be a PBI depends on whether a CLT primarily wants to assist persons in benevolent need.

9

CALL FOR CONTRIBUTIONS to produce a

Community Land Trust Manual - the City of Port Phillip

Na onal Urban Policy;

‘Our Ci es - Building a produc ve, sustainable and livable future’

The Australian Government’s long term blueprint for making the na on’s 18 biggest ci es and regional centres- even more produc ve , sustainable and livable.The document outlines criteria for future strategic planning of Australia’s capital ci es.Released May 11 and available at www.infrastructure.gov.au/infrastructure/mcu/urbanpolicy/index.aspx

In January 1996, then Lord Mayor of Darwin, the late George Brown, discussed his views on long-grassers living in Darwin with the Northern Territory News. Mr Brown was of the opinion that people living in the longgrass should be harassed, sta ng that "I reckon if you keep shi ing them around, constantly harass them so they can't se le, they will get sick and red of it and maybe some of them will go back to their own communi es." (Northern Territory News 23 January 1996) quoted in an inves ga on into the infl ux of Indigenous visitors to Darwin's long grass from remote NT communi es - being undesirable: law, health and life in Darwin's long grass (Catherine Holmes and Eva McRae-Williams)Over fi een years later, it would seem to those working with the homeless or those who are at risk of becoming homeless, that this a tude is s ll prevalent amongst many in the Darwin community.Darwin Community Legal Service (DCLS) is a founding member of the Legal Service for People Living in the Long Grass Network. The Network's aims include increasing public knowledge and understanding about those who are living in the long grass.The Network is proposing to convene a community forum and educa on campaign to increase public knowledge and addressing s gma. DCLS is seeking input from community service providers on this proposed campaign.Please contact the Homelessness Legal Service at DCLS for further informa on or to make sugges ons.DCLS is a community legal centre that provides advice, advocacy, assistance and referrals. Please contact DCLS on 1800 812 953 or 08 8982 11 11 or by email on info@dcls.org.au for further informa on about our services.

Darwin Community Legal Service is a community legal centre that provides advice, advocacy, assistance and referrals. We can assist people with the following ma ers:

Tenancy - whether private or government housing• Welfare rights - Centrelink issues including debts and • income managementDisability and Discrimina on• Aged and Disabled Care Advocacy• Credit and Debt• General Civil Law•

Free advice sessions are conducted by DCLS at the following loca ons (except public holidays):Every Monday; Palmerston Library 6 to7pmEvery Tuesday; Ozanam House 10 to 11amEvery Thursday; Darwin Community Legal Service offi ce5:30 to 7 pmEvery Saturday; Casuarina Library 10 to 11:45 amDCLS has recently received funding for a homelessness legal service. This service is directly targeted at providing legal advice, assistance and referrals to people who are homeless or who are at risk of becoming homeless.Please contact Darwin Community Legal Service on 1800 812 953 or 08 89821111 or by email for further informa on.

Infoxchange are crea ng a demonstra on project to show how low income and disadvantaged communi es can be connected to the internet in an aff ordable way.The demonstra on project builds on the work that Infoxchange has been doing in high density public housing estates in the City of Yarra. This ground-breaking work has seen nearly 2000 low

income households given the opportunity to have low cost computers and internet services in their apartments.The Infoxchange Digital Inclusion Ini a ve has been evaluated and iden fi es just under $6m of economic return to the public housing estate in Fitzroy a er 4 years of ‘being connected’.The demonstra on project in the City Of Darebin will provide Wireless Internet Hotspots in nearby shopping precincts and adjacent residen al areas.

10

NT Shelter submi ed a series of ma ers based on our 2011/12 policy pla orm to the NTG for considera on in its budget delibera ons.Our submission focussed on Govt ini a ves and the NTG’s commitment to growing the strength of the Territory economy- and for this we must be providing aff ordable housing where workers can live.NT Shelter notes that most of the funding for housing and homelessness in the NT comes through the Australian and NT Government’s Na onal Aff ordable Housing Agreement (NAHA).The May 2011/12 NTG Budget provides the following;Home Ownership- a Build Bonus of $10,000 for home buyers building or purchasing new proper es -aiming to encourage stock increasesIncreasing the HomeStart price cap - to $530K in Darwin & Palmerston $300K in Katherine, $210K in Tennant Creek and $435K in Alice Springs- increasing this limit tends to increase house prices so for households on low to moderate incomes home ownership remains unachievableFast tracking Land releases for the 3 new suburbs at Bellamack, Zucolli and Johnson in Palmerston and beginning the development of 1200 lots for Kilgarrif in Alice SpringsAff ordable Housing -along with the coming NT Aff ordable Housing Company the Government con nues to require 15% of lots in Government land releases to be allocated for aff ordable and social housing.Public Housing -$75m for new and upgraded urban public housing stock includes;

$14.4m to complete Stage 2 of the $60m Na on Building • and Jobs Plan $15.5m for R&M of exis ng public housing• $9.4m for targeted upgrade of public housing• $1.3m under the NPA on Homelessness to construct • addi onal social housing$1.2m for An -Social Behaviour measures which improve • tenant safety

Supported Accommoda on -$6.8m for managed and supported short term accommoda on in Darwin and AliceRemote Housing - con nuing through SIHIP the Budget allocates $147m to construct new houses in Territory Growth Towns and $240.7m to upgrade exis ng remote area housing including associated infrastructure.Another $1.6m con nues a $3.6m x 3 year program to survey new and exis ng residen al developments in the Growth Towns.

NT Shelter endorses the response to the Federal Budget by both Homelessness Australia and ACOSS.Both peak bodies welcomed commitments to social and aff ordable housing and signifi cant new investment in mental health which recognises the link between homelessness and mental health.The on-going investment under the Na onal Aff ordable Housing Agreement to housing and homelessness services provides $162 million allocated to the construc on of new social housing proper es in 2011/12 and $131.5 million in funding for new homelessness programs and services.Budget measures directed at the not-for-profi t (NFP) sectorEstablishment of the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits CommissionThe Government will provide $53.6 million over 4 years to establish a one-stop-shop for the support and regula on of the NFP sector.The Australian Chari es and Not-for-profi ts Commission (ACNC) will commence opera ons from 1 July 2012 and be responsible for determining the legal status of groups seeking charitable, public benevolent ins tu on, and other NFP benefi ts on behalf of all Commonwealth agencies.The Commission will implement a ‘report-once use-o en’ framework, provide educa on and support to the sector on technical ma ers, and establish a public informa on portal by 1 July 2013. A Commissioner will be appointed to drive the changes and report to Parliament via the Assistant Treasurer.Nego a ons with the states and territories on na onal regula on for the charitable sector will con nue.The Government will set up an Implementa on Taskforce from 1 July 2011 responsible for ensuring the ACNC is ready for opera on by 1 July 2012, and also consul ng with the public, the NFP sector and government agencies on a new general repor ng framework and public informa on portal.Be er targe ng of not-for-profi t tax concessionsThe Government will also reform the use of tax concessions by businesses run by NFPs so that chari es use their tax concessions only to assist disadvantaged people and not for unrelated commercial ac vi es.NFP en es will pay income tax on profi ts from their unrelated commercial ac vi es NFP en es will not be able to use input tax concessions, such as FBT and GST concessions, for their unrelated commercial ac vi es.These reforms will not aff ect the use of tax concessions to further a NFP en ty’s altruis c purpose, even where the charitable opera on is conducted commercially. Examples of this type of related commercial ac vity include not-for-profi t hospitals, op-shops that sell second-hand household items and clothing, NFP child care centres, the Na onal Rental Aff ordability Scheme alloca ons and businesses whose purpose is to provide meaningful employment to disabled persons.The Government will also introduce a statutory defi ni on of ‘charity’ applicable across all Commonwealth agencies from 1 July 2013.

BUDGET REPORTNorthern Territory Federal

11

Newsletter

Contact us

Membership for 2011-12

Join or renew your membership now!

By becoming an NT Shelter member you are joining an organisa on that;

Represents the housing needs of low income and other • disadvantaged groups,Seeks to infl uence housing policy at both Territory and • the na onal level and,Improves housing outcomes for low income and other • disadvantaged groups.

Other membership benefi ts include;Vo ng rights at General Mee ngs and eligibility for • representa on on the Board of Management Priority access to NT Shelter forums, conferences and • project based events and ac vi esInput to the development of NT and na onal housing • policy Access to the Na onal Shelter network and external • informa on and research collec onsA link from the NT Shelter website to your own.• Links with others in the housing sector• Contribu ng to crea ng a more just and equitable • society

Annual Membership fees inclusive of GST are;Concession $11.00Individuals/Unfunded Organisa ons- $11.00Orgs w/program funds under $500K- $88.00Orgs w/program funds over $500K- $165.00Orgs w/total funding over $1m - $220.00

Membership Forms available from www.ntshelter.org.au

NT Shelter accepts membership fees by direct deposit;Account; Northern Territory Shelter IncBSB: 065-903 Account No: 1022 3886

Darwin Offi ce:10/21 Cavenagh Street, DarwinPO Box 1577 Nightcliff NT 0814

Phone (08) 8981 5003Fax (08) 8991 9006Mob 0428 802 240

Email eo@ntshelter.org.auWeb www.ntshelter.org.au

In Central Australia4/21 Leichhardt Terrace,Alice SpringsPO Box 582 Alice Springs NT 0871

Phone (08) 89526975Mob 0439 524 900

Email ca@ntshelter.org.auWeb www.ntshelter.org.au

TIMELY COUNT PROVIDES VITAL DATASunday, 29 May, 2011The Sydney Morning HeraldIT WILL take 29,000 people covering an area of more than 7 million square kilometres and visi ng almost 10 million dwellings to get the job done.This year marks Australia’s 16th census and 100 years since the census began. Data collected is used to help make decisions about infrastructure, schools and hospitals and to determine the alloca on of about $45 billion worth of GST funding to the states and territories.Census night will be held on August 9. This year the form will comprise 61 ques ons about age, religion, educa on, profession and income.The bureau expects about 30 per cent of respondents will complete their form online, using the e-census.The fi rst results will be made public by the middle of next year.

COUNTING THE HOMELESSA number of NGO’s recently par cipated in a hosted by the ABS to provide input into the Methodological Review of Coun ng the Homeless. The session provided an opportunity to express concerns and seek clarifi ca on on the new methodology proposed by the ABS. The group also discussed the challenges in using the Census data to accurately measure homelessness and op ons for ge ng more accurate measurements, par cularly among people fl eeing family violence, young people and Indigenous Australians. Overall the workshop was very produc ve. The ABS agreed to consider:

Developing a homelessness reference group to impact • future data collec ons; Conduc ng a quality study to be er count young • people; Con nuing work on key areas raised in the mee ng; • and Possibly extending the review to provide further • consulta on with all key stakeholders.