President Chris on your first day, the theme is about “ending homelessness” and we are fortunate to have Bevan Warner, CEO of Launch Housing to share how the organisation is pursuing this vitally important objective.
When I began over sixty years ago, we thought of this in terms of “homeless men”. When I moved to the Brotherhood of St Laurence I joined the Board of a new ecumenical organisaton called Hanover Welfare Services which focused on homeless men under the leadership of the late Alan Jordan. It was hard raising money because most people saw homelessness as men an unpopular cause associated with alcohol.
1987 marked the International Year of Shelter for the Homeless when the federal government established a non-government committee to advise on homelessness to develop new housing policies that embraced a wider forum of housing options for different groups.
It took some time to link housing policy to health, welfare, family breakdown and the acute shortage of affordable housing. Launch Housing demonstrates a new beginning at a time when affordable housing has become a widespread issue.
I remember the phrase describing housing as “the marrum grass of civilisation” putting it right at the centre of all policy and practice in the wellbeing of all. Our club is engaged in this issue and today we can focus more clearly on the way it is being pursued by Launch Housing and its community partners.
On the first day of your Presidency, we give thanks for food, fellowship, housing and the opportunity of service.
Thank you to Peter Hollingworth for providing this reflection on 5 July 2023.
