February 2008

The Bayside Housing branch continues to address the issue of urban isolation for residents of Moreton Bay islands such as Russell and Macleay.   For many residents, the prospect of an idyllic sea change soon turns to a reality of isolation.  Once tenants have settled they realise that there is little to do on the islands, few services available, and transport to the mainland prohibitively expensive.  According to the Department of Housing, the Department of Child Safety has reported a significant increase in notifications on the islands. Housing support services state that they are forced to place clients further out of town as rents rise and, increasingly, are unable to provide ongoing support to clients placed on urban fringes or Bay Islands.   

The Bayside housing group has proposed a number of actions to address this situation:

·         Relationship building with Island realtors

·         Conducting an audit of affordable housing on the islands and in the Redlands area

·         Researching underutilised holiday stock and investigating transforming such stock into rentals

·         Sending a mobile housing clinic to the islands monthly  to assist with Dept of Housing applications and assessments, provide tenancy  support and referral information; and

·         Create an island “Survival Kit” providing information on costs of living; hours, availabilities and classes of services available, contact information for emergencies, housing, Child Safety and other services.

 The Mobile Housing Clinic will be staffed by members of each service attending the Bayside meeting on a rotating basis.

Early Intervention worker, Karen Tinsley, has graduated from Acacia Ridge TAAS and taken up a new position based at the Wynnum TAAS office where she expects to maintain a case load of twelve clients. The assessment criterion is that the family must still have the keys to their rental property in hand. 

 The Bayside Housing group has responded to the Department of Housing’s Community Housing Resourcing Framework review by reaffirming its commitment to and preference of networking to improve local outcomes.