StreetCare
Media and commentary about StreetCare an advisory group of people with lived experience of homelessness.
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StreetCare’s Anna Nagel wins NCOSS lived experience award
Anna won the Amir Bodenstein lived experience award, named in honour of a fellow StreetCare member.
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StreetCare influences public toilet inquiry report
A report into public toilets provision, design and safety reflects the suggestions of StreetCare members.
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Alternative First Responders: Housing not hyper-policing
People with lived experience of homelessness report excessive and unjust policing. Policy Officer Alannah Daly outlines why we need a different response.
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StreetCare marks homelessness week with special performance
StreetCare members shared their stories through drama, music, puppet shows and photography at an event hosted by Belvoir St Theatre.
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2SER: Why we all need good, safe public toilets
Rocky from StreetCare explained why accessing public toilets is important for women experiencing homelessness.
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LSJ: Public toilet inquiry highlights broader social issues
StreetCare member Roxanna Kalnins explained how a lack of adequate public toilets causes safety concerns for women experiencing homelessness.
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No Filter: Police shootings, mental health crises and the shattered families pushing for alternative first responders
StreetCare member Alex* spoke about his experiences of over-policing in his social housing community.
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The meaning of home: a StreetCare art project
StreetCare hosted a series of art workshops for people who have experienced homelessness.
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Reducing unfair fines and over-policing from alcohol-free zones
HPLS and StreetCare have influenced a City of Sydney proposal to reduce the number of places where alcohol is prohibited.
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Remembering StreetCare member Amir
We commemorate the life of our friend and long standing StreetCare member Amir Bodenstein, who sadly died in late June.
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2SER: Why we need to count the deaths of people experiencing homelessness
StreetCare member Tony Pierce discusses the need to gather more data about the deaths of people who have been homeless.
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StreetCare advises on redevelopment to protect rough sleepers
Members of our lived experience advocacy group attended the redevelopment work at Macquarie Street.
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2SER: StreetCare – helping people out of homelessness
On any given night, more than 122,000 Australians don’t have a home. Around 40,000 of them are children 18 or younger. (ABS Census 2021) StreetCare is a group of advocates who have diverse experiences of being homeless. With the support of the PIAC, StreetCare advise politicians government departments, service delivery organisations and other decision makers on…
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Rule change for temporary accommodation will help people in crisis
A pause on the ‘rental diary’ requirement gives people relief from stressful bureaucracy at a time of crisis.
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StreetCare’s influence and recognition
StreetCare is celebrating several recent successes that will improve the lives of people experiencing homelessness – with benefits rippling out to communities across NSW.
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It’s not what you know but who you know – reflections on StreetCare
By Charmaine Jones, Project Officer, StreetCare When I was younger, I viewed the old adage ‘it’s not what you know but who you know’ with suspicion. I thought it meant no matter how hard I worked or trained at something, I wouldn’t be able to break through the ‘old boys club’. But over time, I…
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Public forum on policing public space
Thank you to everyone who attended PIAC’s online forum on 18 May and heard from policy, legal and consumer experts, as we formally launched a new joint report with Homelessness NSW. ‘Policing Public Space: The experiences of people sleeping rough,’ highlights how negative interactions with police can stop people who are experiencing homelessness from enjoying…
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Forum: Policing Public Space
Join policy, legal and consumer experts for an important lunchtime forum about the policing of homelessness in public space, as we launch a new joint report that details the experiences of people sleeping rough in Sydney. The over-policing of homelessness in public spaces has been raised by advocates and consumers alike as a significant contributor…
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Policing Public Space: The experiences of people sleeping rough
Years of research has shown that people sleeping rough tend to be over-policed, particularly when they use and enjoy public places. Policies such as The Protocol for Homeless People in Public Places emphasise their rights, but in practice, many feel they are too-often the subject of unfair or unwarranted police attention. Our new report, co-authored with Homelessness NSW, records the experiences…
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Vale AJ, long-time advocate for people experiencing homelessness
We are very sad to announce the passing of AJ, founding member of PIAC’s consumer advisory committee on homelessness, StreetCare. AJ was a tenacious and committed champion for people experiencing homelessness. Through his involvement with StreetCare, he effectively represented their views to the highest levels of government. StreetCare began in 2008 as a grass roots…
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Improving accountability around the treatment of homeless people in public
Appearing before a Parliamentary committee this month, PIAC’s Homeless Persons Legal Service and consumer StreetCare committee have called for amendments to the Protocol for Homeless People in Public Spaces (the Protocol) to ensure that it effectively upholds the principles it seeks to promote and that signatories are accountable. The Protocol was introduced by the NSW…
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Public forum today: Sector leaders call for urgent measures to end homelessness post COVID-19
Ahead of a lunchtime Zoom forum today, leaders in Sydney’s homelessness sector are calling for urgent action to end homelessness in the wake of the COVID19 crisis. This would include a plan to house rough sleepers long term including greater investment in new social housing and the upgrading of existing stock, which could create over…
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Concerns re policing public health orders
The unprecedented public health orders that have been put place in response to the COVID-19 pandemic have the potential to bear particularly harshly on people experiencing homelessness, especially those sleeping rough. We’ve been in contact with the NSW Attorney General and other relevant ministers, to express our concerns about aspects of the new laws. In…
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HPLS on ABC Radio National’s The Law Report
On this week’s ABC Radio National Law Report hear PIAC’s Maddy Humphries, Roslyn Cook and Damo from StreetCare talking about the criminalisation of homelessness and the impact of COVID-19 on people sleeping rough.
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Early intervention makes a life-changing difference
Speaking at the Homelessness NSW Conference, PIAC’s Maddy Humphreys has emphasised the importance of intervening early to give young people facing homelessness the best chance of building a positive future. Introducing a panel discussion about young people and homelessness, Maddy, who is the StreetCare Project Officer at PIAC’s Homeless Persons’ Legal Service, reflected on her…
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StreetCare endorses Homelessness NSW State Election Platform
PIAC’s consumer committee on homelessness, StreetCare, has welcomed Homelessness NSW’s State Election Platform 2018-2019. StreetCare Project Officer, Maddy Humphreys, said that the platform presented a clear set of priorities to prevent and address homelessness across the state. ‘StreetCare members, all of whom have lived experience of homelessness, overwhelmingly support the initiatives identified by Homelessness NSW,’…
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Welcome Maddy Humphreys
The Public Interest Advocacy Centre is very pleased to announce the appointment of Maddy Humphreys as our StreetCare Project Officer within the Homeless Persons’ Legal Service team. As someone with her own lived experience of homelessness, Maddy has been an active member of PIAC’s homelessness consumer advisory committee, StreetCare, for almost two years and represents StreetCare on the NSW Premier’s…
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Remembering Dale King – 1955-2017
By Louis Schetzer, Senior Policy Officer, Homelessness, PIAC It is with much sadness that we note that Dale King, a committed and long-time StreetCare member and fearless advocate for homeless consumers, passed away in late November following a short illness. Dale was a larger than life character. From the time he started in StreetCare in…
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Urgent need for more legal services for DV victims: Report
More resources are needed to address the complex legal needs of women escaping domestic violence, according to a new report, released today by the Public Interest Advocacy Centre. The report comes at a time when community legal centres, which are at the front line of providing legal assistance to the most at-risk members of the…
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StreetCare join Minister for City of Sydney street count
In the early hours of Tuesday morning, members of StreetCare, PIAC’s consumer advisory group on homelessness, participated in the City of Sydney’s street count, accompanying Minister Pru Goward, and sharing their first-hand experience of homelessness. Street count aims to collect up to date information about the number of homeless people in the local area. Over…