FEATURED SPEAKERS
HomeGround Services CEO Heather Holst has worked in the housing sector since 1989. Heather joined HomeGround in 2009 as General Manager Client Services where she led the client services teams across all sites and programs.
Heather is passionate about ending homelessness and is committed to leading HomeGround in working towards this mission.
Her housing experience spans homelessness service delivery, tenancy advocacy, homelessness policy, program development, research, rural homelessness service coordination in both the non-profit sector and government since 1989.
Heather has a PhD in History from the University of Melbourne. She has published several scholarly articles and book chapters and has taught history at Australian Catholic University, including in the Clemente program for people who have been homeless. She is working on a book to come out later this year: Making a Home: A History of Castlemaine.
Speaking On:
Strategies to broaden housing solutions
Simon Phemister is the Deputy Secretary, Policy and Strategy Group at the Department of Human Services. Policy and Strategy Group drives the strategic direction for the Department through the development of evidenced based policy and strategy. The division is also responsible for industry and workforce strategy and reform. The division delivers critical functions that enable the department to deliver core services to vulnerable Victorians.
The key business functions of Policy and Strategy include strategic planning, socio-economic policy, industry and asset, budget and workforce policy and the Centre for Human Services Research and Evaluation.
As Deputy Secretary Simon plans and supports the Board to develop the strategic direction of the department and ensures that strategic and comprehensive evidence-based policy advice and information is client focused.
Speaking On:
Services Connect: Promoting better services for the future
Professor Paul Flatau is Director of the AHURI Research Centre—The University of Western Australia and Director of the UWA Business School Centre for Social Impact.
Paul has published across a broad range of social policy fields with a focus on housing and homelessness as well as in labour economics and the history of economic thought. He has built up a strong portfolio of research in the housing and homelessness space. His early work in this field involved the measurement of poverty taking into account owner-occupied housing wealth.
In the early 2000s Paul focused on a number of housing topics including the role of housing assistance in influencing non-shelter outcomes, Australian housing careers and a micro-simulation model of the housing market. In 2005 Paul completed a major study on Indigenous access to mainstream public and community housing and has completed an AHURI study on sustaining Indigenous tenancies. His focus is in the area of homelessness where he has conducted studies on the cost-effectiveness of homelessness programsand integration of homelessness, services and systems. He is engaged in a study on intergenerational homelessness.
Speaking On:
Collaborating for impact in homelessness
Felicity Reynolds is working to end homelessness in Australia. She has been the CEO of the Mercy Foundation since 2008 and has previously worked in senior management roles in homelessness, mental health and health research. Felicity was the recipient of a Churchill Fellowship that investigated effective projects and programs for people who have been chronically homeless. Felicity is also a part-time member of the NSW Mental Health Review Tribunal.
Speaking On:
SPOTLIGHT SESSION
Opening remarks from the Chair
Housing First & rapid rehousing
OVERVIEW
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Building a sustainable future
On any given night in Australia 1 in 200 people are homeless. Many of these people are living in inadequate and unsafe conditions due to a variety of complex and differing issues. Recent changes to welfare benefits and a changing funding landscape has forced specialist homelessness services and mainstream providers to reassess the future.
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- Utilise innovation to reduce homelessness
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- Develop an early intervention framework
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- Coordinate & integrate support services
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- Improve access to housing
AGENDA HIGHLIGHTS
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Simon Phemister
Deputy Secretary
Department of Human Services, VIC
Marion Bennett
Executive Director, Housing Policy and Homelessness Directorate
Department of Family and Community Services - Housing NSW.
Rebecca Scott
Chief Executive Officer & Co-founder
STREAT
John Blewonski
Chief Executive Officer
VincentCare Victoria
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