Shelter SA history
Shelter SA had its first meetings in early 1974 in the Adelaide University cafeteria. Shelter SA started as an informal committee fashioned along the lines of its counterpart in the United Kingdom to focus on assisting people in housing need and living on low incomes, to obtain appropriate and affordable housing. It was decided that Shelter SA should conduct systems advocacy and be an influencer of policy rather than having a ‘direct action’ role. Shelter SA didn’t have a national organisation at that time. Some States had committees and there were efforts at coordination, however, Shelter SA was a leader and perhaps the most active State body.
Taken from Greg Black’s speech at Shelter SA’s 2017 Annual General Meeting
What is a peak body?
A peak body is an organisation that has members consisting of other organisations that support its objectives and undertakes research, systemic advocacy and community engagement. Shelter SA member organisations work directly with South Australians in need, living on low incomes and experiencing homelessness. Our associate members are organisations from a diverse range of industries who support our objectives.
What does a peak body do?
- Provides a one-stop shop for governments, the human services sector, industry and the public to share information and experiences
- Conducts timely and cost-effective research and development
- Advocates for systems change including policy, legislation and service delivery
- Educates the community
- Creates public debate on housing issues
Sectors we work with
At Shelter SA we often refer to sectors and this paper aims to provide clarity on the sectors we work with.