3rd National Homelessness Conference

The conference is focused on bringing together the community sector with other stakeholders to generate agreed directions for policy and programs to alleviate and respond to homelessness in Australia

The 3rd National Homelessness Conference "Beyond the Divide" 2003, held in Brisbane, is being held under the auspices of the Australian Federation of Homelessness Organisations (AFHO). AFHO is the national peak body for homelessness. The Council for Homeless Persons Australia (CHPA), the National Youth Coalition for Housing (NYCH), and the Women's Services Network (WESNET) are the founding members of AFHO and are integrally involved in the Conference along with AFHO. The conference is focused on bringing together the community sector with other stakeholders to generate agreed directions for policy and programs to alleviate and respond to homelessness in Australia. The 3rd National Homelessness Conference "Beyond the Divide" is an opportunity for practitioners to have their voice. The conference will provide a forum where information, knowledge and skills can be exchanged between practitioners and other stakeholders to discuss existing challenges at the agency, community and regional levels; government, program, policy, and statutory levels; and research level.

All people working to respond to and prevent homelessness, or who are interested in social policy issues, are encouraged to attend: SAAP sector workers; domestic and family violence workers; youth workers; practitioners from services working in the fields of drug and alcohol, mental health, children, disability, veterans' affairs, housing, community housing, or correctional services; practitioners working with Indigenous people, migrants and refugees, and people from non-English speaking backgrounds; policy makers; Commonwealth, State and Territory government departments; local government representatives; academics; researchers; police; and school counsellors.

The conference will include presentations from a number of national and international keynote speakers, and invited speakers who can bring focus to the fundamental issues around homelessness. The program will include concurrent sessions (short papers, workshops, panels, "Talking Circles"), and will encourage a variety of approaches such as policy critiques, debates and discussions, research reviews and hypothetical sessions on practice questions and dilemmas. Between sessions there will be opportunities for poster presentations, and 'doorstop' discussions, where agencies and communities can showcase innovative models, programs or approaches.

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