At Shelter NSW, we believe in the power of grassroots organising to drive progress on housing and energy issues. Large public events including stories from people affected by lack of affordable, quality, energy efficient housing, are a powerful tool to increase awareness of the impact of business-as-usual policy and demand action from decision makers.  

This is why Shelter NSW team has been working with the NSW Community Alliance in the Sydney and Hunter regions. We have listened to community members, built strong relationships with diverse community groups, provided expert advice on housing policy and lent a hand to organising the Sydney and Hunter Community Alliance (HCA) Assemblies.

Barbel Winter, Shelter NSW volunteer, addresses the Hunter Community Alliance Assembly on Thursday 6 March.

While new commitments at the Assembly were meagre, being limited to the announcement of $175m – previously committed – funding to upgrade social housing properties in NSW and $6.2m over three years for homelessness peak bodies, it provided an example of community and civil society power in action.

Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen and Sharon Claydon MP, federal Member for Newcastle, committed to meeting with the HCA to progress work on developing information hubs about energy that are responsive to the needs of multicultural communities. They also committed to organising a meeting with federal Minister for Housing and Homelessness Clare O’Neil to continue discussing solutions to the housing crisis. 

The energy and determination felt on the night might be best summarised in the words of a friend of the Hunter Community Alliance, telling the story of how housing insecurity and poor energy efficiency has impacted her life: 

We need to make change. Ministers for Housing and Energy, you can do more for families, like mine, who deserve dignity and support. Let’s do better.