Youth and Family Service (Logan City) Inc

Recognition of safe, secure and adequate housing, with security of tenure, as a human right

Government is a signatory to UNDHR - this should underpin all references to housing as a right

National Quality Standards re- housing

Use NCHS as reference point, rather than completely 'reinvent the wheel'

Professional staff

Appropriate funding - to attract/ increase numbers of professional staff

Accountability for services delivered - both by NGO & government sectors

• Reports to funding bodies be modified to ensure all data requested is meaningful data - with appropriate balance between qualitative and quantitative data
• Housing services to adhere to NCHS (or similar standard) - including all Government social housing
• Audit results on NCHS to be made available to funding body
• Government housing to be assessed via NCHS

Customer service focus

Recognise the client as the centre of our practice - staff are paid to deliver professional service

More Same House Different Landlord schemes - transfer management of properties, not the tenant

Explore existing practices that allow and support transition of property management rather than tenant relocation

Effective feedback/ complaints management systems (or service similar to Victorian Homelessness Advocacy Service)

This needs to be considered as another arm of homelessness funding to ensure homeless clients are receiving fair and equitable service

Housing - all tenants of social/ Dept/ community housing to be provided with/ have access to case management support

Provision of case management services to homeless clients - recognising that planned, consistent support is a proven method of moving clients on from homelessness

Connectedness to community

Case management ser vices provide this through linking with relevant services

Any housing provision to be provided under, and in accord with, relevant tenancy legislation

All housing to offer security of tenure by way of a formal lease in accord with Residential Tenancy law

Security of tenure

Focus on provision of long term housing which provides security of tenure. Short term accommodation can perpetuate homelessness.

Appropriate housing for individual/ family circumstances

Provision of affordable housing for singles/ large/ extended families

Rights-based service delivery

• Property management being proactive and including Tenant Advice service contact details in any breach/ eviction notices
• Rent arrears - should be negotiated - rent arrears, when managed well, should rarely result in eviction

Promotion of 'cultural' tolerance - CALD/ ATSI/ homeless/ mental illness

Limit neighbourhood fatigue/ forming of 'ghetto' type areas

Social housing cannot be concentrated in particular areas