NEWSLETTER | JUNE 2022
NEWSLETTER | JUNE 2022
Since our December Newsletter, a number of exciting new projects have kicked off. Two Housing for Health projects as a part of the Healthy Homes Program in the Northern Territory (NT) started in April/May with a third funded by The Fred Hollows commencing in April. Three more projects will be hitting the ground in June, with a further 4 in July/August. NSW projects are progressing although a few have been hindered by the extensive March flooding. Our North American projects are continuing, both in Brownsville and Alabama, and we are pleased to welcome some new Project Managers, Team Leaders and a swathe of new community Survey-Team Members in both NSW and the NT this year. If you would like this update directly to your inbox, please sign up here. To see more news, stories and articles see our website. Below is a snapshot of the NT, NSW & USA projects. HH Directors
Nationally, over 9,600 houses have now been surveyed, with over 306,000 items fixed around Australia.
Housing for Health (HfH) ProjectsNew South Wales (NSW) ProjectsSince December, approximately 6 projects are underway with our partner NSW Health. Survey fix work has been completed in 127 houses. The extensive and disastrous flooding in Northern NSW in March 2022 has impacted the start of some of the new projects and delayed fix works being carried out on houses and the Survey Fix 2 on other projects. Northern Territory (NT) ProjectsThis year, 9 HfH projects have commenced. 8 are in partnership with the NT government’s “Healthy Homes” Program and 1 with The Fred Hollows Foundation. So far, 196 of the prospective 515 houses have been surveyed with survey fix work completed. A great outcome of the work in NT is an MOU signed in January between NT Department of Territory Housing, Families and Communities (TFHC) and NT Department of Health to work together on the Housing for Health program. This is an important stepping stone acknowledging the impacts of housing on health. Both Environmental Health Officers and TFHC staff have been out on the HfH Survey teams working alongside community team members. Read more in the HH news item and the program. Aputula (Finke) with The Fred Hollows FoundationThe beginning of the second NT project for 2022 in Aputula (Finke) was a success! This Housing for Health Project is supported by Nganampa Health and in direct collaboration with The Fred Hollows Foundation on behalf of a generous Donor. The project, running over one week trained and employed 10 local community members and surveyed and fixed 38 houses across the community. Read more in the HH news item.
![]() Finke Survey-Fix 1 Team Photo USA ProjectsHfH Brownsville, USAThe incredible crew at The Brownsville Partnership in New York are powering on with their Housing for Health project across Brownsville. Partnering with a major community housing provider in Brownsville, the project has completed the initial survey-fix work in a 40 apartment block, and is able to start in their second 50 apartment block. The project has also been working with One-Brooklyn Health to develop a referral system, where the project works with specific people and families who need urgent upgrades to their apartments. HfH Alabama, USAA small 5 house pilot Housing for Health project down in Lowndes County, Alabama produced a great collaboration with long term US Partner the International Association of Plumbers and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO), the Alabama Department of Health, and the crew from the Brownsville Partnership in New York who managed the project on the ground for Healthabitat. The initial fix work completed, work on the major fix work replacing the septic waste systems is due to be completed soon.
![]() Snapshot of house results after Survey-Fix 1 at Alabama Maintaining Houses for Better Health (MHBH)Maintaining Houses for Better Health (MHBH) Mparntwe (Alice Springs), Northern Territory (NT) As an MHBH project, NT Housing (TFHC) is trialling the use of the Housing for Health methodology as part of an annual health and safety audit – with an emergency fix component. Over two weeks in April the project employed and trained 12 community members from across the Alice Springs Town Camp Communities. Teams surveyed, inspected, tested and fixed up to 250 items in 140 houses, identifying emergency works and maintenance works for Tangentyere Constructions’ electricians and plumbers to carry out the fix works. The remaining houses will be surveyed in early June. Read more on the HH news item.
![]() Community workers carrying out survey and testing at the MHBH Local Team Features’Alice Springs, NT | Aaron, 4th year UON Architecture student reflects on his time on the elective
![]() UON Architecture students on the MHBH project in Alice Springs TrainingTeam Leader Training is planned for August in NSW & July/ August in NT – many EHO trainees and others from the Central Desert, Barkley and Big Rivers Regions will participate in this training, increasing Healthabitat’s capacity for projects to be delivered nationally. We are pleased to welcome four newly accredited Project Managers to the HH team –
Rob Barnett is a Regional Project Officer with NSW Health AEHU based in Kempsey. Rob has been part of Housing for Health projects for 20 years as an Environmental Health Officer. Simon Scally is the principal architect of Build Up Design in Darwin and is the Manager of Planning & Infrastructure with the Northern Territory Government. Grant Stewart is a Plumber and Project director with the IWSH foundation focusing on water and sanitation project around the globe. His experience includes HfH Sanitation projects in Nepal and Asia and partnering with WorldSkills and World Plumbing Council. Andrew Broffman is an Architect and Principal at The Fulcrum Agency. Andrew was Managing Director at Tangentyere Design Architects in Alice Springs for 14 years, one of Australia’s most respected Aboriginal owned, not-for-profit architectural businesses. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Images of Project Managers in order from Left to Right On the Job Training On the job training continues to be a priority. Two community workers from the recent Finke project continued to assist trades after the end of the survey week, with access and to act as interpreters and contacts on the ground. Other items of interest
Global Handwashing Partnership for the past 10 years has collated the latest hand hygiene research, findings and guidance on hand hygiene best practices into annual research summary. Their latest report reveals important data about the link between health and handwashing, most importantly a 41% reduction in diarrheal incidence through improved handwashing. Read more about why a functioning hand basin in a house is so important here. AHURI in partnership with The Housing for Health Incubator and other collaborators released a report that discusses climate change and sustainability of living in regional and remote Australia. Read Healthabitat’s response and discussion here. |