There was an interesting article in The Age on the weekend that highlights the challenges of integrating social housing into society. In summary it shows how despite everyone’s very best intentions sometimes it doesn’t work.
It is easy to forget that our homes provide some of our most fundamental needs such as shelter, security, stability and connection to place and family. For many homeless or at risk people they are acutely aware of what a safe home provides them, as are the amazing people that work to support them.
I have no qualification or experience of any kind on these social issues, and only see it from a property perspective which I have observed over decades as strategies are carefully planned and rolled out to provide social housing. From what I am told by experts, the challenges include not only physical property but social networks, however they are closely linked.
Melbourne is slowly cycling away from the 1960s – 70s “Commission Flats” buildings that while providing a home doesn’t do as good as good a job at addressing the social network objective. The article above highlights the challenge of a more integrated approach.
As a society, it is important that we continue to support everyone in our community to provide them with the most basic of needs. Shelter and a home is the launch pad that can enable them to build their life and move through the emergency or crisis housing to social housing and onto affordable homes or a home of their choosing.
