Housing, Homelessness and Disasters National Symposium: Final Report

Abstract

The 2024 Housing, Homelessness and Disasters National Symposium brought together 125 professionals from Australia's housing, homelessness, not for profit, emergency management, government and academic sectors to explore critical issues surrounding housing insecurity and homelessness in the context of disaster response and recovery in Australia. The Housing, Homelessness and Disasters National Symposium (the Symposium), held in Melbourne in August 2024, explored the ways disasters exacerbate existing housing and social inequalities. The Symposium also identified principles, strategies and practice examples to ensure equitable disaster responses that meet the housing needs of everybody affected by disaster, whether they are homeowners, tenants, in insecure or temporary housing or are experiencing homelessness. Discussions underscored the need for coordinated long-term solutions that bridge the gap between housing, homelessness, and disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. The importance of proactive planning, policy reform, and community-based support systems was emphasised. A key theme throughout the Symposium was the recognition that environmental disasters, much like homelessness, are not ‘natural’ occurrences. Rather, the United Nations office for Disaster Risk Reduction states that a natural hazard, such as a hurricane, earthquake, or flood, only becomes a disaster when it impacts a community that is not adequately protected, and whose population is vulnerable as a result of poverty, exclusion or social disadvantage. Participants examined the interconnectedness of these issues and the need for systemic change to address underlying vulnerabilities. This report is intended for government and non-government professionals, service providers and community leaders working across housing, homelessness and emergency management in Australia.