ECHO7250: A HOUSING COOPERATIVE FOR THE REGION

It is patently clear that Northern Tasmania is in the midst of a 'housing crisis' that politicians typically refer to as a 'homelessness' crisis. For whatever reason this distortion of the reality persists and people get to be treated as 'charity cases' or, 'the underclass' or, 'the undeserving poor' or even 'the hopeless and helpless'. SO, what is to be done and how might it be achieved?

It is untenable that our so-called 'planners' should be found by-and-large sitting on their hands and essentially looking to the 20th C for ways forward when mostly they do not fit the current and prevailing circumstances.

For whatever reasons, mostly ideologically subliminal it would seem, and against the available evidence, politicians seem to be predisposed to downplay the 'community cooperative corporate model'. However, the status quo leaves too many 'victims' of its failures and ineptitudes sleeping rough or couch surfing.

However, change is afoot with initiatives like HOUSING CHOICES in Hobart albeit with a long way to go yet in the search for diverse options that can deliver HOMES – short, medium and long term – rather than housing mostly imagined almost exclusively as an 'investment' rather than a 'human right'.

HOMEmaking is fundamentally PLACEmaking and an important aspect of PLACEmaking takes into account inputs of the people who will be using and living in the 'the place'. That is, to say, the people who make up the Communities of Ownership and Interest and for which the 'home', and its precinct and its spaces are intended.

This is important because members of 'the community' have useful insights into how such places and spaces do - or should - function, as well as a historic and cultural perspectives relative to the area, and an understanding of what does and does not matter to various members of the e Communities of Ownership and Interest .

To register your interest in being a part of the network relative to a 'Community Cooperative Housing Enterprise' and/or an ACTIONgroup:

• Please email 'The Facilitators': institute43@bigpond.com