Not ready, barely set, but soon to go

One of the key recommendations in Shelter’s Ready … Set … Go! report was for a contingency plan to be set up to house the overflow of homeless people expected during the Games. Shelter is pleased that this is being done by the Department of Housing. As well as pre-booking cheap accommodation, which we have been sceptical about, the DoH is lining up surplus government stock and developing operational plans for referrals, transport, staffing and equipment.

Our key concern remains - will there be enough? No-one can say how many extra homeless people there will be, including those driven out of their regular sleep-outs by the turmoil of the live sites in places like Belmore Park.

The plan we would like to see would be:

• Around 400 to 500 fully operational beds in a number of medium-sized fully staffed centres;
• Another 800-1,000 identified places that can be equipped and staffed at short notice if required;
• A fall-back option of community halls that can be opened up and at least minimally equipped and staffed if numbers exceed those provided for in the first two "lines".

Brokerage programs are playing a vital role in keeping people off the streets, especially families. Without brokerage, we would be seeing families with children sleeping on the streets. Many informal responses are springing up to deal with the overflow of the homeless from the formal refuge system as well – many new soup kitchens in the suburbs, churches allowing people to sleep on mattresses on the floor, rangers tolerating long-term occupancy of parts of the parks by the homeless. Shelter has called for a parliamentary inquiry into homelessness. This recommendation is currently before the Minister for Housing. We are awaiting his response, and if he does not agree to refer the matter to an Upper House committee we will be requesting that the non-government MPs make the reference themselves. Urgent action backed by careful planning and resource allocation is needed now.

The homelessness code of conduct needs to be given teeth by establishing a Homelessness Ombudsman. What we really need is for the Premier or Deputy Premier to make a strong statement that the government is going to protect homeless people during the Games. Police, security guards and the general public need to hear that we will not hide the homeless or push them out of town, but will treat them with respect and attempt to give them secure accommodation. The world will be watching our efforts.

People in insecure accommodation

The boarders and lodgers bill has been stalled in one form or other since 1987. The current process needs to be completed urgently. It must be brought in before the Olympics to protect those in this insecure accommodation.

After years of delay, State Environmental Planning Policy Number 10 (SEPP 10) which seeks to protect low-cost housing, has been extended. It now covers all of Newcastle, Sydney and Wollongong, and makes it harder to get around the provisions by strata titling buildings.

Will it prevent further boarding house closures or upgrades to backpacker style accommodation? The stock is still dwindling in areas where SEPP 10 has already been in force. However, where the local political will exists to enforce it, the rate of loss of stock has been slowed. It is a tool for councils, not a guarantee. Only community vigilance will ensure it is used to protect this vital affordable stock.

Action internationally

Against this background of sporadic or non-existent state government action on key social impact issues, there is a ray of hope from an unexpected quarter - the International Olympic Committee (IOC) itself.

The IOC Director-General, Francois Carrard, met with a delegation (including Shelter NSW) from the newly-formed Olympic Impacts Coalition (OIC). Not only did he listen attentively, but significant actions have resulted.

The concerns of the delegation over lack of progress on key social issues like rent rises and evictions, access for community services during the Games, restrictive legislation on the use of public space, and ticketing, were raised with the Minister, Mr. Knight, as he reported to the IOC Executive.