Tag: Housing

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Stories & Feature Articles

Housing in WA: A perfect storm

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, housing was at a crisis point in WA. But now, even more so. With jobs lost and the Australian Government’s JobSeeker payments about to end, there are  people falling through the cracks and slipping into homelessness.

John Berger, Executive Officer, Caring Agencies at the Uniting Church WA, is also the Executive Officer of the WA Alliance to End Homelessness. He said Western Australia has come to this point after decades of failing to fund and support social housing in WA.

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Social Impact

Creating jobs and safer social housing with energy efficient upgrades

The Uniting Church WA Social Justice Unit has teamed up with the Uniting Church Vic Tas, urging people to write to their local MPs asking for a greater investment in housing energy efficiency upgrades for social housing and low-income households.

The Uniting Church in Australia and the Uniting Church WA have always held particular concerns about the most vulnerable in our community, as well as minimising impacts on the environment. A simple way to address both of these concerns is by ensuring that people in social housing can reduce their electricity and gas costs through the provision of energy-efficient housing design, materials and appliances.

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News & Announcements

WA’s $1.2 billion surplus could be used to help people out of poverty

WA church leaders gathered yesterday for an ecumenical Anti-Poverty Week service to consider what drives and sustains poverty in Australia.

Susy Thomas, Moderator of the Uniting Church WA, took the opportunity to call on the WA Government to consider the needs of those who are doing it tough rather than hoarding its surplus.

Continue reading “WA’s href=”https://revive.housedigital.site/index.php/2020/10/15/was-1-2-billion-surplus-could-be-used-to-help-people-out-of-poverty/#more-97494″ class=”more-link”.2 billion surplus could be used to help people out of poverty”
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Stories & Feature Articles

Call for investment in renewable energy and social housing

The Uniting Church WA calls on the State and Federal Governments to prioritise investment in renewable energy and social housing in WA.

The decision was made at the 44th Annual Meeting of the Synod of WA where more than 150 Uniting Church members from around Western Australia came together to discuss issues of importance in the life of the Uniting Church in Australia, Synod of Western Australia, and the wider community this weekend, Friday 11 to Sunday 13 September.

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Social Impact

Virtual sleepover provides a window to the reality of homelessness

Most people can’t imagine what it would be like to sleep rough on the streets, but this is the reality for hundreds of people in Perth each and every night.

Uniting WA is inviting people to experience the discomfort of homelessness for just one night.

Held from 1 to 9 August, the Uniting Virtual Sleepover allows people the experience virtual homelessness from home. It’s a chance to connect with friends, work colleagues and the community to feel what it’s like to sleep rough for a single night.

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Social Impact

Heads of Churches call for more action on homelessness

The Heads of Churches WA, including Uniting Church WA Moderator Rev Steve Francis, have written to Hon Simone McGurk MLA thanking the Government for their commitments to reduce homelessness, and requesting more measures.

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Social Impact

Australia needs a solution to homelessness

UnitingCare Australia is calling on our Federal and State Governments to urgently develop and commit to a National Housing Strategy to address the growing crisis of homelessness in Australia.

This week is National Homelessness Week. There are more than 116 000 people without a home and almost 195 000 families on social housing waiting lists across Australia.

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Social Impact

Bringing winter warmth

When you are experiencing homelessness, winter in Perth can seem endless. For UnitingCare West, the onset of winter has seen an increase in the numbers of people seeking assistance.

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Social Impact

Hymn singing festival raising funds for Perth homelessness project

The latest copy of The Big Issue states that “more than 116 000 Australians don’t have a place to call home each night – and more than 8 000 of these people are sleeping rough”.

Indeed, I’ve noticed an increase in the number of rough sleepers in the doorways, parks, alleyways and on pavements in Perth’s CBD over the past year or so. Many of them depend on the charity of passers-by and/or charitable organisations for the wherewithal to continue living.

How can we be so hard-hearted to see these unfortunate human beings struggling to keep alive, whilst doing so little to help them, in what is claimed to be a nation built on Christian values?

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News & Announcements

UnitingCare redoubles efforts to address housing and homelessness

A national forum of 40 frontline UnitingCare service providers held in Sydney recently has committed to developing a national action plan to work with government to address housing and homelessness in Australia.

“Every day our frontline community services across the country despair at the number of people living in Australia without the fundamental human need of housing,” UnitingCare Australia’s acting national director, Martin Cowling said.

“Our services have told us that the issue is getting worse, not better. In fact, we believe it now represents a national crisis.

“As such, we believe the issue requires strong national leadership and a national response strategy.

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