ࡱ> Y[Xg ANbjbjVV .hr<r<A+%dd:,$$$8888pD$8t"$l #$$$.$$$/epD0t,$z,$,$$,#xOdt,$d : Responding to the National Anti-Racism Partnership and Strategy Discussion Paper 2012-05-03 Background Racismit can include directly or indirectly excluding people from accessing services...Racism can occur systematically, as the result of policies, conditions and practices that affect a broad group of people This paper is focusing on the direct, indirect and systematic racism and discrimination experienced by newly arrived refugees, and asylum seekers. Newly arrived refugee includes those who have been living in the country for two years or less though the issues raised here do not exclude the experience of refugees with more years of residence. This submission discusses racism and discrimination that is the result of policies, conditions and practices that preclude refugees and asylum seekers accessibility to affordable, and appropriate (in terms of security, safety and stability) housing. This type of racism and discrimination takes the form of exclusion, disrespect, wellbeing damage and health harm experienced by newly arrived refugees and asylum seekers when attempting to access affordable and appropriate housing. Thus, creating the conditions for them to be subjected to experiences of further violence, human rights abuses and unsuccessful settlement which subordinates refugees to a position of social inequality and ill-health. National literature documents that refugees face extreme difficulties accessing social housing and also obtaining affordable rental housing in the private sector that meets their needs This is also the finding of The Migrant Health Service, some of these extreme difficulties are precisely linked with institutionalised patterns and cultural practices that preclude the accessibility and participation of refugees and asylum seekers as peers within the Australian population, this is also a key factor in the socio-economic disadvantage experienced by refugees. For example, there has been increasing acknowledgement within South Australia that the women and children who enter Australia under the 204 Woman at Risk Visa provisions have particular needs that in many cases can not be met by existing and very short term settlement programs. These woman and children have been identified by the United Nations as one of the most vulnerable groups in the world and it is estimated that 80% of these entrants have experienced [often routine] sexual and gender based violence. The one size fits all resettlement response in many cases falls far short of the challenges that many of these females face on and post arrival. These issues are clearly expressed by a resettled refugee woman in the following words: Everyday we are at riskthis is Australia it is not heaven Due to pre migration experiences many of these women remain isolated within their own communities and some face further sexual exploitation post arrival, hence safety considerations are paramount. Humanitarian Settlement Services encompass a range of needs and accommodation is fundamental to all other factors. Health, education and all other aspects of general wellbeing are dependant on the availability of safe and affordable accommodation. Within SA there is an acute private rental market shortage which in turn impacts on refugee entrants seeking housing and within this latter category there is particular disadvantage for 204 Visa entrants. Although the lack of access to appropriate and affordable housing is an issue that affects a much broader number of people throughout Australia and South Australia, we argue that newly arrived refugees constitute a particularly vulnerable group of people. By definition they may have been subjected to persecution, have experienced gross violation of human rights which are systematic and often gender related, and generally have experienced multiple deaths, dislocation and family fragmentation. Consequently extensive settlement support is indicated. Settlement programs and services should acknowledge and breach the existing policy gaps with the necessary resources to address the cultural markers and culturally biased practices that influence socio-economic, gender, and racial disadvantage such as the one addressed in this paper. The MHS has identified that some existing practices and conditions related to housing and accommodation within the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) Humanitarian Settlement Services (HSS) favour discrimination and racism toward refugees, with particular impact on women and children arriving under the category of Woman at Risk, 204 Visas. This indicates a contradiction with some of the HSS objectives such as To provide Clients with tailored support to begin a new life in Australia and To strengthen Clients ability to participate in the economic and social life of Australia. Thus, the significant impact of this identified social inequality on the health and wellbeing of these women and children. An example of this is the current S.A. H.S.S. model where Anglicare housing is provided for refugees for up to 6 months. At the culmination of this time many refugees, particularly those with complex needs, are completely ill equipped to compete in the private rental market alongside local, established and English speaking residents. This practice of existing newly arrived refugees from temporary accommodation clearly disregards existing housing crisis common knowledge and experiences as well as existing literature about the specific barriers faced by refugees for instance the Federation of Ethnic Communities Council of Australia (FECCA) affirms The dearth of public housing options, lack of housing appropriate for larger families as are the norm in many CALD communities, discrimination and racism in the private rental market... Description of the Issue It is impossible to separate housing from all other aspects of well being. It has long been established as the most basic requirement on the human need hierarchy and refugee populations in particular have generally suffered displacement and insecurity over many years. It is fundamental to resettlement that this most basic of needs is addressed as it underpins all other aspects of successful resettlement, including having a critical impact on physical and mental health. Within SA there are very few agencies that have a dedicated role to assist newly arrived refugees access the private rental market. Those agencies are limited primarily to office based assistance and are under immense pressure due to the time constraints placed on settlement housing with Anglicare. They are also under significant pressure due to the number and nature of clients requiring help and the general dearth of accessible and available private rental accommodation. For instance the ASHRA Newsletter states: given the current shortage of available houses, housing support workers barely have time to find accommodation, let alone the capacity to identify or anticipate the related supports that may be required. There has been relentless discussion within Refugee Housing Networks re the overwhelming need for hands on practical assistance to support the most vulnerable clients groups to actually access open inspections. Newly arrived refugees face challenges and barriers that most Australians would find insurmountable e.g. no language, transport, friends or family, racism and discrimination and often complex and highly traumatic past experiences including multiple family deaths and separation. The needs and barriers experienced by refugees have also been reported in the media and documented by ASHRA as with the following report: the then Minister Weatherill said single mothers, Aboriginal people and new arrivals were among those who felt they had been discriminated against. Minister Weatherill noted two pertinent categories re private rental housing inaccessibility - single women, and new arrivals. The lack of affordable housing affects a range of vulnerable populations however there are three commonalities which have a particular impact on refugees. Consistently they are confronted by the reality that agents and owners discriminate against large families, skin colour and those with limited English language capacity. It is an agents market in South Australia and many newly arrived refugees [e.g. within the first two years] present with all three of these circumstances and there is little likelihood that they will get beyond first base at any open inspection unless the property is considered very substandard. There is no imperative or incentive for agents to respond to applicants of diverse cultural backgrounds. This may be an expression of personal racist behaviour but also reflects a more widespread position within both the Government and NGO housing sector. Housing assistance that is available to refugees is very limited in vision and scope and consequently workers feel continually under siege, helpless and frustrated. It is not uncommon for this to displace on to client blame and unrealistic expectation and judgement of clients. This discrimination is reinforced by agency procedures and practices which are ill informed at best and overtly discriminatory at worst e.g. the sending of open inspection notices by text, in English, to clients who have no English ability. In turn these clients can be then penalised for not making enough effort. There are many inherent flaws in a system which endorses a housing model which is so alien and discriminatory towards newly arrived refugees. Factors which impact on this group which could hence inform the impact of these discriminatory, exclusionary racist practices and the need for urgently addressing this issue. 1 Women may be the sole adult within household and may have no children or many children of variable ages. It is profoundly difficult to attend open inspections with a number of children, particularly if there are younger children, and it is commonly known that many landlords/agents are not predisposed towards larger families. Women typically have no other family to assist with child minding, hence have no option but to try and take their children with them. It also can be the case that open inspections are timed coinciding with school bus drop off times and usually these women have no options for alternative pick up for their children. In the pressure to find housing, often factors like this are overlooked when referring clients to inspections. Some women may have arrived with young adolescent sons and subsequently enormous pressure has been placed on these young boys to step up as the head of the household and take responsibility for finding accommodation. This can have serious repercussions on their schooling, their mental health and also family dynamics. 2 Language In the main most of these entrants have minimal or no English. Negotiating and understanding systems and communicating at all stages of the process is extremely complex with little family or other support. Women alone may be particularly vulnerable to exploitation by landlords. 3 Transport Likewise with little existing family or community support it is highly unlikely that access to a car would be available. Negotiating public transport [often several buses] within strict time limits [e.g. often a 15 minute open] to unknown areas would be challenging for most people, let alone new arrivals with no English. 4 Isolation Short term temporary housing on arrival places entrants where properties become available. Often this may mean they are a long distance from other community or from suburbs where affordable private rental is available. Clients may have considerable difficulty in orienting to areas outside of their immediate locality. In some cases 204 Visa holders choose to remain separate from their community for reasons of personal safety. These clients also remain particularly vulnerable, particularly in terms of their mental health. 5 Mental Health There is a high incidence of trauma and mental health issues within this visa [204] group which makes the provision of settlement services more challenging. Pre- migration experiences as well as inadequate past mental health care would indicate that this group is particularly deserving of early intervention. It is the experience of service providers attempting to address trauma and grief issues that clients are unable to face any mental health needs until they are safely housed. The current situation where newly arrived entrants e.g. within the first month are already deeply stressed by the need to find private housing reactivates past fears and experiences and compounds mental health repercussions. 6 Physical Health. It is impossible to separate health and housing in terms of wellbeing . Health service providers are often compromised by the need to assist clients with housing crises and it is a common presentation for clients to neglect their pressing health needs e.g. diabetes due to housing stress. Some clients also have significant health conditions which will limit their physical capacity to seek private rental. In cases where there has been a prior alert/manifestation re physical health or particularly mental health there is a further responsibility for early intervention and assistance. 7 Limited Settlement assistance. It appears often the case that 204 and other visa entrants who may need additional assistance are exited from the HSS program before their complexity of needs have resolved. The time limited assistance has not permitted the extension of support required and the funding formula which is based on outcome e.g. one fee per client outcome [whether this has involved one or 12 visits] is not conducive to in depth client involvement. There are also the competing demands of attending the required English language classes with accompanying Centrelink repercussions if this obligation [attendance] is not fulfilled while seeking housing. 8 Finance Affordable rental options are often in areas where client safety is compromised and without easy access to support services. Affordable accommodation often borders on substandard and landlords may take advantage of refugees with limited capacity to question or identify unethical practice. Unaccompanied women may be particularly vulnerable to this exploitation. It is essential that they are offered expertise and guidance through this process. Solution proposal. A practical and focussed service which filled the gap between office [internet and paperwork] assistance and a successful housing outcome seems a simple solution to a problem which can have profound effect on all aspects of a clients well being. In addition the [increasingly common] attendance at a tribunal eviction hearing places great additional stress on workers and clients alike and it would seem in many instances could be avoided if responsibility was placed on the system, rather than the individual. This type of approach is supported by literature in the area for instance a paper published by students of the University of South Australia concluded : The housing problems faced by African migrants in Australia require alternative approaches to those in existence at present.There is a need for a broader perspective, which addresses the communicative barriers to refugee housing, associated cultural issues and access  Although this citation is specifically addressing the housing needs of African refugees, its findings in our experience would apply to all newly arrived refugee communities and in particular women with 204 Visas. Refugees with complex personal and language needs require practical assistance to actually get to open inspections and then a fair go when they get there. Non discriminatory practices in the private rental market need to be encouraged through a combination of education and incentive programs. Agencies ,whether government or NGO, who service this population group also need to closely examine their own policies for practices that actively or covertly discriminate against the clients they serve and instead promote best practice models which in turn could more accountably educate the mainstream sector. The MHS advocates for all refugees while recognising the particular need for extended and collaborative settlement service provision for 204 Visa women and children. This group exemplifies the experience of rejection and discrimination when faced with access to housing whether via Housing SA and related agencies or private rental. It is the MHS experience that refugee families want to participate, feel and be full members of the Australian society, we further believe that these discriminatory and racist practices are not only extremely harmful but also actively deny our refugee entrants the opportunity to contribute to their new country .  鱨վ (2012) National Anti-Racism Partnership and Strategy Discussion Paper. (p3)  STTARS (2008) STTARS Submission to DIACs 2008/09 Refugee and Humanitarian Intake Program. (p10)  Eckert, R., Pittaway, E. Bartolomei L., Hugman, R. Surviving War But Still at Risk: Health Needs of Refugee Women and Girls at Risk in Regional Australia. Centre for Refugee Research UNSW  Richmond, D. (2011) Review of Humanitarian Settlement Services (HSS) Performance Measures and Contract Management. (p66)  FECCA (2012) Submission to the 2012-2013 Commonwealth Budget (p 14)  ASHRA Newsletter, Volume 2 Issue 6 2007  Cited in ASHRA Newsletter, Volume 2 Issue 6 2007  Atem, P. Housing Pathways for African refugees in Australia: towards an understanding of African Housing Issues The University of South Australia.  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