Everyone has a right to safe, affordable, secure and sustainable housing

My Home Network was formed in 2019 in response to increasing community concern about the lack of affordable, safe, secure, and sustainable housing across Mount Alexander Shire, and the resulting crisis of homelessness/being unhoused.

Our vision is for people in Mount Alexander Shire to have access to safe, affordable, secure, sustainable and appropriate housing that recognises their place in and connections to Community and Country.

We believe that housing delivery and reform is linked to community health and wellbeing, social inclusion, gender equality, support of gender diversity, Indigenous self-determination and climate change adaptation, indeed part of a broader and deeper system change that builds a more equitable society.

What does My Home Network do?

My Home Network advocates for:

• greater housing support for vulnerable people in the community
• increased and improved crisis, transition, social and affordable housing provision.

My Home Network also explores innovative solutions with local community members to meet the long-term housing needs and reduce housing stress.

Who’s in My Home Network?

My Home Network comprises:

• local people with lived experience of housing crisis and homelessness
• community members with significant experience and expertise in delivering social housing programs
• a diverse range of housing networks and initiatives
• community organisations
• local and state government bodies.

My Home Network includes the following organisations and community groups:

• Dhelkaya Health
• Haven Home Safe
• St Vincent De Paul
• Castlemaine Community House
• Mount Alexander Shire Disability Advocacy Group (MASDAG)
• Mount Alexander Eco Housing Group (MAEHG)
• Mount Alexander Community Land Ltd
• Mount Alexander Shire Accommodation and Respite Group (MASARG)
• Mount Alexander Sustainability Group (MASG)
• Castlemaine Institute
• Nalderun Education Aboriginal Corporation

The network has a 10-year social and affordable housing strategy that guides the work:

• MHN 10 year housing strategy (centralvicpcp.com.au)
• Summary version MHN Summary 10 year housing strategy (centralvicpcp.com.au)

And the current MHN working groups include:

• A vacant dwellings working group working to encourage the release of the 1,300 vacant dwellings in our Shire as affordable rentals or transition housing
• A tiny homes on wheels (THOW) working group that advocated for changes to our local law that now enables a THOW to be on land with a permanent dwelling indefinitely and without a permit. The working group is supporting advocacy for further improvements to planning schemes to further improve the availability of THOW
• A Home Share working group assisting the local Homeshare pilot program. Dhelkaya Health now has a funded part time Home Share coordinator, Di Cox – DCox@castlemainehealth.org.au or 0354791000
• An advocacy working group whose focuses are bringing the three tiers of local, State and Federal government together on ongoing conversations on housing, advocating on vacant property tax, secondary dwellings planning streamlining, increase in diverse social housing, Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) inclusionary zoning, increase in wages, pensions and parenting payments to match CPI etc.

 How to get involved

You can also help by:

• joining a My Home Network working group
• signing up to the My Home Network mailing list
• discussing the potential of releasing your vacant dwelling as an affordable rental or transition housing or donating or selling land to local housing initiatives
• assisting in community responses/supports for those in housing crisis

Email cneilson@castlemainehealth.org.au  to explore how you can get involved in My Home Network.