Why does improving housing for Indigenous people seem to be such a long road?

 

Preface Expanding - Housing for Health Paul Pholeros Director of Healthabitat Bellagio Residency Presentation October 2011

 

Why does improving housing for Indigenous people seem to be such a long road?

We believed the publication of Housing for Health (1994) was the proof that housing and health improvement were possible. It not only described how to do it, but also revealed how throughout the year long project, the local Aboriginal people were involved in both the work and the results.

 

Preface  

Housing for Health projects, immediate change not policy promises

Why does improving housing for Indigenous people seem to be such a long road?

We believed the publication of Housing for Health (1994) was the proof that housing and health improvement were possible. It not only described how to do it, but also revealed how throughout the year long project, the local Aboriginal people were involved in both the work and the results.

Seventeen years later we’ve developed a robust methodology for assessing houses and specifying urgently needed works.

1985-2011

Why does improving housing for Indigenous people seem to be such a long road?

We believed the publication of Housing for Health (1994) was the proof that housing and health improvement were possible. It not only described how to do it, but also revealed how throughout the year long project, the local Aboriginal people were involved in both the work and the results.

Seventeen years later we’ve developed a robust methodology for assessing houses and specifying urgently needed works with a safety and health priority to focus small amounts of money to improve existing houses.  

Preface  

$7,500 av. per house

Why does improving housing for Indigenous people seem to be such a long road?

We believed the publication of Housing for Health (1994) was the proof that housing and health improvement were possible. It not only described how to do it, but also revealed how throughout the year long project, the local Aboriginal people were involved in both the work and the results.

Seventeen years later we’ve developed a robust methodology for assessing houses and specifying urgently needed works with a safety and health priority to focus small amounts of money to improve existing houses.

A large, skilled, national team has completed this work, on over 7,000 houses.  

Preface  

Why does improving housing for Indigenous people seem to be such a long road?

We believed the publication of Housing for Health (1994) was the proof that housing and health improvement were possible. It not only described how to do it, but also revealed how throughout the year long project, the local Aboriginal people were involved in both the work and the results.

Seventeen years later we’ve developed a robust methodology for assessing houses and specifying urgently needed works with a safety and health priority to focus small amounts of money to improve existing houses.

A large, skilled, national team has completed this work, on over 7,000 houses. Over 75 percent of this team are Indigenous people from each local community.  

Preface  

Why does improving housing for Indigenous people seem to be such a long road?

We believed the publication of Housing for Health (1994) was the proof that housing and health improvement were possible. It not only described how to do it, but also revealed how throughout the year long project, the local Aboriginal people were involved in both the work and the results.

Seventeen years later we’ve developed a robust methodology for assessing houses and specifying urgently needed works with a safety and health priority to focus small amounts of money to improve existing houses.

A large, skilled, national team has completed this work, on over 7,000 houses. Over 75 percent of this team are Indigenous people from each local community.

The Housing for Health principles, informed and honed by data gathered from over 180 projects nationally,

Preface  

1985-2011

1985-2011

0-­‐5  years    Ear  infec*on  Eye  infec*ons  Respiratory  infec*ons  and    Skin  infec*ons        

mid  teen  years    Loss  of  hearing  capacity  Eyesight  loss    Reduced  lung  capacity    Annoying        

40  years  of  age  +  Loss  of  hearing  capacity  Eyesight  loss    Reduced  lung  capacity    Increased  renal  failure  risk    

Housing and health   Yami  Lester  –  “Stop  people  ge=ng  sick”  1985  Uwankara  Palyanku  Kanyintjaku  

 

Why does improving housing for Indigenous people seem to be such a long road?

We believed the publication of Housing for Health (1994) was the proof that housing and health improvement were possible. It not only described how to do it, but also revealed how throughout the year long project, the local Aboriginal people were involved in both the work and the results.

Seventeen years later we’ve developed a robust methodology for assessing houses and specifying urgently needed works with a safety and health priority to focus small amounts of money to improve existing houses.

A large, skilled, national team has completed this work, on over 7,000 houses. Over 75 percent of this team are Indigenous people from each local community.

The Housing for Health principles, informed and honed by data gathered from over 180 projects nationally, are described in the National Indigenous Housing Guide (3rd edition 2007) and have been accepted and adopted by all Australian governments since 1999.

Preface  

So why isn’t this a happy end to the story?    

Preface  

the last 25 years

Myths slow progress

“The problem is… - damage by residents...’they’ destroy houses”

Why is the fix work needed?

Damage? by the residents

Routine? normal wear

Faulty? Installed incorrectly, poor construction

Faulty: poor initial construction,

incorrect product or specification

21%

Routine: normal wear and tear,

routine maintenance

70%

Damaged: overuse, misuse, abuse or

vandalism 9%

National Fix work showing reason fix work was required, as reported by licenced trades (All FHBH and HfH projects). (All Housing for Health projects)

the last 25 years

Myths slow progress

“The problem is……… •  damage by residents…. •  ‘they’ are hopeless and need our help

2009-2010

931 Indigenous staff 60 trade teams 50 team leaders 17 managers 1 statistician 1 national manager 3 directors

the last 25 years

Myths slow progress

“The problem is……… •  damage by residents…. •  ‘they’ are hopeless and need our help •  change in Aboriginal health or housing is simply not possible…..”

+ - - - - ? -

2004 = 2,701 houses 2011 = 7,308 houses

Housing, health and the evidence of consistent policy chaos

Washing people, clothes and bedding, removing waste Shower, Laundry & Toilet block design

Applied Research and Development projects Shower, laundry and toilet areas

50 R&D Projects 2005-11

Detail matters

In 1985 around 95% of school age children had active trachoma By 2000 levels had dropped to around 50%

Reducing trachoma

Reducing trachoma

No environment change

With environment change… trachoma

reduced

Mid 1980’s = 95% trachoma

PIPALYATJARA EYE HEALTH PROJECT: Results Reducing trachoma

NSW - Housing for Health 2,230 houses $11,000 per house (average) Baseline housing safety and health function data with defined improvement Over 75% of all program staff are local indigenous people (planning, design, tools, data, finance) 40% reduction in hospital separations for key environmental health related illnesses (acute respiratory, gut, skin and ear infections)

NT – Strategic Indigenous Housing and Infrastructure Program (SIHIP) 200 houses (approx refurbs ) $75,000 per house 100 houses per year (average in NT over 2 years) No agreed baseline housing data and no available measure of defined improvement 36% local indigenous “on site” employment (1 project) with the aim of “20% indigenous employment” No health measures for key environment related illnesses, and no agreed, defined house function tests at handover - as surrogate health measures.

Housing for Health

Paul Pholeros Director of

New York City

 

Survey Fix Day 1

Teams walking from the Brownsville Partnership office to various apartments to start work

Locations of the 10 apartments for the Housing for Health pilot The apartments were selected by the Brownsville Partnership and included a wide variety of building types within the area.

This 10 apartment trial was to enable the feasibility and costs to be assessed to improve 4,300 units in this area.

“we need toilets….” the provision of toilets for 400 people in Bhattedande Village, Nepal 2007- 2010 and new projects ongoing

Stage 1

Toilet design

+

Water ?

+

Gas $

=

Trees x

=

Erosion !

+

Smoke !!!

Build a local, resilient team

Start building two toilets first……..

Redesign and improve the hardware

Toilet + light = wedding

Dispose of human waste safely - 58 toilets – with 28 bio gas and 30 septic systems, for a village of 400+ people, with a full Nepali team. The work has now moved to two new villages with the same needs.

$1800 = 1 toilet, biogas system and help build a local team

“…poverty is not natural…it is man-made and it can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings”

Nelson Mandela, University of Sydney, 2005

“…an Australian Aboriginal problem….too hard to solve”

Expanding…Housing for Health

www.healthabitat.com

Thanks

 

Expanding…Housing for Health