Healthabitat Community
Healthabitat has developed links with a range of partners that have helped develop and expand the goals of improving the living environment and health.
The Fred Hollows Foundation
The Fred Hollows Foundation (FHF) carry on the work of the late Professor Fred Hollows (1929-1993). Fred was an eye doctor, a skilled surgeon of international renown, a champion of the right of all people to good health and a strong advocate for social justice. the FHF are an international development organisation, focussing on blindness prevention and Australian Indigenous health. FHF are independent, non-profit, politically unaligned and secular.
Nganampa Health Council
Nganampa Health Council is an Aboriginal owned and controlled health organisation operating on the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands in the far north west of South Australia. Across this area, Nganampa Health operates nine health clinics, a 16 bed aged care respite facility and assorted health related programs including aged care, sexual health, UPK environmental health, health worker training, dental, women’s health, male health, children’s health and substance abuse prevention. The UPK program is coordinated by the Public and Environmental Health Officer and is supported by the Anangu (aboriginal) Environmental Health Officer. The UPK program is responsible for developing, implementing, and monitoring public health at both a regional and local community level, and promoting the linkage between good living conditions and health. A major function is lobbying and seeking funds to improve housing and health hardware.
Common Ground
Common Ground New York City build and operate a range of housing options for homeless and low-income individuals – housing that is attractive, affordable, well managed, and linked to the services and support people need to rebuild their lives.
In Brooklyn,New York City, Common Ground and the Brownsville Partnership have provided support in the planning and program delivery of a trial Housing for Health project. They have supported Healthabitat plan and cost the proposed program expansion to improve 4,300 apartments in the area.
The Brownsville Partnership – Launched in 2008, the Brownsville Partnership is a pioneering homelessness prevention initiative in Brownsville, Brooklyn, a public housing neighborhood struggling with high rates of homelessness, poverty, poor health and crime. To date, the Partnership has worked with over 500 families to stabilize the situations of those facing homelessness. The Partnership is working with many partners, public and private, to create a model for preventing homelessness by building a stronger, safer, more prosperous and resilient community. The model is being developed for future replication.
Community Health and Development Society, Nepal
CHDS Nepal is a registered non government, and not for profit organisation. It aims to improve health and strengthen economic development opportunities for marginalized, indigenous people of many different communities within Nepal.
CHDS strives to improve health by conducting dental health camps and building toilets with efficient waste treatment and hand washing to help prevent infectious diseases. CHDS works with donor agencies, government agencies and local village committees to improve health.
The Australian Government
The Australian Government (1999-2011) funded the Housing for Health equivalent, the Fixing Houses for Better Health program. From 2005 they also funded a comprehensive, applied research and development program proposed by Healthabitat.
The Government has produced 3 editions of the National Indigenous Housing Guide and have contracted the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare to manage all data produced from Housing for Health and Fixing Houses for Better Health projects to assist health and housing researchers.
Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA)
National Indigenous Housing Guide
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare - Fixing Housing for Better Health data
Tangentyere Council
Tangentyere Council is the major service delivery agency for the 18 Housing Associations known as ‘town camps’ in Alice Springs, Central Australia. Tangentyere Council began operating in the early 1970s and was first incorporated in 1979.
Tangentyere Council was established to assist Aboriginal people to gain some form of legal tenure of the land they were living on in order to obtain essential services and housing. There are now 16 town camps on special purpose leases. The two housing associations that still have no security of tenure cannot access any government funding for housing and infrastructure so they live in tin sheds with no running water and no power.
New South Wales Department of Health
The New South Wales Department of Health (NSW Health) has contributed both significant funds and organisational support to the program since 1998.
NSW Health has been running the Housing for Health program in New South Wales for over 10 years. They have been able to integrate other housing partners into the projects. They completed a thorough evaluation of the health impacts of the program in 2010. This evaluation, Closing the gap - 10 years of Housing for Health in NSW, showed a 40% reduction in infectious diseases where Housing for Health projects had been completed.
Link to the NSW Health Evaluation results
Closing the gap - 10 years of Housing for Health in NSW
NSW Health Housing for Health website
Rotary Club of Dee Why Warringah
In Nepal, Community Health Development Society (CHDS Nepal) has been essential in the village sanitation program. The work in Nepal has been funded jointly by individual Australian donors, Rotary Australia and Healthabitat. Rotary has also provided in kind and promotional support for the Nepal Village Sanitation project.
The Nepal Village Sanitation Projects
Central Australian Affordable Housing Company
CAAH is the new way forward for Indigenous Community Housing in Central Australia. It is a not-for-profit organisation committed to the provision of a wide range of accommodation solutions for low income people and people who are disadvantaged, have a disability or are homeless.
The key aims of the company are to:
- Develop a viable regional affordable housing company that is mainstream community housing with a focus on aboriginal people.
- Develop strong partnerships with community, government and the private sector
- Make a significant improvement to the health of aboriginal people through the sustained ability to access critical healthy living conditions.
Healthabitat is proud to be one of the Members of the Company.