[Sub ID 4442] Interventions and referrals for young people in social housing (Access Housing)

Submission ID: 4442
Organisation name: Access Housing Australia
Contact name: Mr Gary Ellender
State: WA
Contact email: Garry.Ellender@accesshousing.org.au
Contact number: 0894300906

Summary:
The Creating Choices Program for Young People Living in Social Housing

Community Housing Organisations (CHO’s) across Australia have access to many thousands of young people who are at risk of long term unemployment. The potential social impact achievable by CHO’s through exploitation of existing tenant relationships to identify and then implement strategies to divert dependent children and young people living in welfare dependent households away from the prospect of long term unemployment presents a unique opportunity.

The model proposed has 4 key elements. These are:

1. Attitudinal Change To prevent long term multigenerational welfare dependence, work needs to be done at CHO level to redefine social housing as being only a part of a “housing continuum” where becoming financially independent and exiting to private rental or home ownership is a realistic and achievable end goal.

2.Identification of at risk young people CHO’s can use existing tenant relationships, to identify young people at risk of long term welfare dependence, whether they are tenants in their own right, or are living in jobless family households.

3.Person Centred Approach. CHO’s can offer, to the potential participants, person-centred wrap around services for eligible tenants and/or broker access to existing programs that provide intensive support to improve access to employment, education