The "Too Big to Ignore" a report on Future Issues for Australian Women's Housing was commissioned from a partnership between the Department for Families and Communities, HomeStart Finance, YWCA of Adelaide, Shelter SA and the SA Women's Housing Caucus, that was co-ordinated and lead by the Women's Housing Caucus. For more the background and more information about the report, please read the report flier.

                                            Too Big to Ignore: future issues for Australian women's housing

Scenes from the Report Launch

Annual General Meeting

November 14 2006

The Annual General Meeting, held in the Torrens Building, was opened by Michele Slatter, Convenor of the Women’s Housing Caucus. She reported on the busy first year. Highlights include:

§         Anti-Poverty week forum 2005, ‘Homes for our Children’ focused on Indigenous housing need

§         International Women’s Day forum 2006, Victims or Villains with UK Academics presenting research findings on ‘Anti-Social Behaviour Orders’

§         Stall at International Women’s Day Rally

§         Forum in May, ‘Discrimination: Problems, Strategies and Structures’ to update progress on discrimination in the private rental market

§         Discrimination forum preceded by a private round table meeting, facilitated by the Caucus between the Commissioner for Equal Opportunities, the Landlord Association, the Real Estate Institute and the Office for Women

§         Forum in August with the Caucus as the lead agency in hosting the community consultation with Mr Miloon Kothari, UN Special Rapporteur for the Right to Adequate Housing

§         The Last public event following the AGM being a forum on the relationship between education and housing, ‘SA Innovations: Housing, Education and Students at Risk’

§         Continued to visit agencies to play the ‘Trivial Guide to Housing’

§         Met with Human Rights and Equal Opportunities Commissioners: John Von Doussa, Pru Goward, Tom Calma and Graeme Innes.

§         Contributed to the State Strategic Plan consultations

§         Made a submission to the reform of the Supported Residential Facilities Legislation.

The AGM saw the realisation of all vacancies on the steering group being filled. With renewed energy from new members the Women’s Housing Caucus is looking forward to a busy and more fruitful year for 2007.

                                                                                          Read the Convener's Report

SA Innovations: Housing, Education and Students at Risk

Forum November 14 2006

The theme running through the session was the link between educational outcomes and precarious housing. Lively and interesting presentations were given by Yannoula Michael, from the Association of Women in Education and Principal of Hackham West Primary School, Nicolene Kovatseff with Nicole and Carli from Talking Realities: Peer Education Program and Andrew Drummond, Manager of Streetlink, an agency based in the inner city, providing holistic health services to homeless youth or those at risk of homelessness.

Discrimination: Problems, Strategies, Structures -

Forum May 15 2006

In this forum a diverse Panel of speakers highlighted current issues of housing discrimination in South Australia. The Women’s Housing Caucus remains actively engaged with this problem, first publicised in the Sexcluded? Report in 2004. The Forum was a good opportunity to take stock of developments since the Report and to look towards future change. Speakers included: Dr Elspeth McInness (UniSA and National Association for the Single Mother and Her Child), Emma Slape (REISA), Linda Matthews (Commissioner for Equal Opportunity), Lynn Young (South Australian Housing Trust)                         

                                                                                           Notes from the Forum

"Victims or Villains: Mothers in the Crossfire"

The Women's Housing Caucus was launched on March 6 2006 at a lunchtime forum held at the State Library of SA.  Two British researchers from Sheffield Hallam University, Judy Nixon and Caroline Hunter presented "Victims or Villains", based upon their research findings of the link between family violence and anti-social behaviour among tenants.  Speaker Notes from the Launch           The Interested Audience

Chris Halsey talking with Judy Nixon and Caroline Hunter at "Victims or Villains"

Our Philosophy 

Women and children are entitled to timely, safe, secure, appropriate and affordable housing: housing is a human right.  In working to make this a reality The Women’s Housing Caucus of South Australia will be action focused and committed to the principles of equity, non-discrimination and inclusion.

To improve housing options and outcomes for women in South Australia by maintaining a focus on women’s housing issues among policy makers, legislators, industry bodies and the general public and by advocating for change.

Membership shall be open to any person, or the representative of any organization interested in or involved in women’s housing issues in South Australia who supports the aims and philosophy of The Women’s Housing Caucus of South Australia.  Organisations are entitled to identify a single representative only.

Please complete the membership form and return to GPO Box 857, ADELAIDE