Someone has developed a not-for-profit website to facilitate temporary housing for victims of the fires. I haven’t had time to check it out myself, but it’s via a trustworthy IRL source. He says:
A friend of mine has been involved over the past week in developing a not-for-profit website to facilitate temporary housing for victims of the fires. It’s up and running (three cheers for agile web development!) and available at:
They are looking for people to offer up a spare room/bed/couch through the site, and are promoting the service by word of mouth – please spread the word!
Update 14/02/2009: Tony in comments offers compelling reasons why this is not the way to go:
DHS is taking offers of private houses, spare rooms, caravans. They might only be taking caravans offers over the weekend, but that’s a temporary measure while the database of offers is consolidated.
The proprieters of bushfirehousing.org, while undoubtedly well-meaning, risk doing more harm than good, as they’re not part of the co-ordinated recovery effort. Offers that are channeled into their website rather than DHS won’t be available to the DHS case workers who are working with displaced communities.
The website is also misleading in claiming affiliation with Volunteering Australia (now removed after VA asked for their logo to be removed).
Here’s the DHS Victorian bushfire accommodation donation line – 1800 006 468.
I assume the preference/priority is for a local Vic offering?
I would guess so, Pablo, because of staying close to networks. But if you know of anything in other states might as well throw it into the mix. Someone may have interstate family, etc…
People really need to work within the Department of Human Services framework and register their accommodation offers with the hotline.
This sort of ad hoc effort might make the creators feel good, but its does little good.
DHS Victorian bushfire accommodation donation line – 1800 006 468
The DHS is only interested, at this stage, in available caravans for a 12 month period, local share accommodation is apparently full. Interstate offers are not required.
Wrong Pablo. DHS is taking offers of private houses, spare rooms, caravans. They might only be taking caravans offers over the weekend, but that’s a temporary measure while the database of offers is consolidated.
http://www.premier.vic.gov.au/minister-for-housing/coordination-for-offers-of-accomodation-for-bushfire-homeless.html
The proprieters of bushfirehousing.org, while undoubtedly well-meaning, risk doing more harm than good, as they’re not part of the co-ordinated recovery effort. Offers that are channeled into their website rather than DHS won’t be available to the DHS case workers who are working with displaced communities.
The website is also misleading in claiming affiliation with Volunteering Australia (now removed after VA asked for their logo to be removed).
Actually Pablo that’s not quite correct. DHS is taking offers of private houses, spare rooms, caravans. They might only be taking caravans offers over the weekend, but that’s a temporary measure while the database of offers is consolidated.
http://www.premier.vic.gov.au/minister-for-housing/coordination-for-offers-of-accomodation-for-bushfire-homeless.html
The proprieters of bushfirehousing.org, while undoubtedly well-meaning, risk doing more harm than good, as they’re not part of the co-ordinated recovery effort. Offers that are channeled into their website rather than DHS won’t be available to the DHS case workers who are working with displaced communities.
The website is also misleading in claiming affiliation with Volunteering Australia (now removed after VA asked for their logo to be removed).
Tony, noted – see today’s update above.
“Offers that are channeled into their website rather than DHS won’t be available to the DHS case workers who are working with displaced communities.”…
Couldn’t someone from DHS graze the bh database of the hundreds of offers there, contact the offerers and say “Hi…Onya for your offer to help, but it’d be better all round if it was done through our coordinated communities service, can we consider your bh.org offer as part of the stock we can work with…etc”. I bet the sputnik people ( bottom corner bh.org page, donated by…) would be willing and able to provide access and assistence to do an automated mail out from the database they have assembled.
Regardless, I’m impressed by folks’ willingness to chip in when the chips are down. Can we just notify Kev’s mob to direct our stimulus bribes to some relief account and cut out the fiddle faddle middlemans rubbish?
Yes Tony @6 you’re correct, my recollection of the phone response was that this weekend was strictly caravans for up to 12 months. Shades of Katrina and the trailer home parks.
Rather than get all huffy about the “co-ordinated recovery effort”, Tony, can’t we have both and work out ways of having them work together? At this stage we need both/and rather than either/or. Pick up the phone and talk to these fantastic people rather than quibble about database structures. The last thing these people need is bureaucratic heavy-handedness, which is far worse than whatever offence the bushfirehousing.org people may (not) have committed.
Helen’s initial imperative was right.
I agree with Andrew E. Philanthropic cut-through and serendipitous support exactly as though people were communicating in person, and exactly as in real life, an adjuct to the bureaucracy.
Hmm…interesting reading the arguments against the site. I live in Sydney and have posted an offer on the bushfirehousing site if anyone wants a break (yes it’s a long shot but people are varied and complex and one family might take up the offer). The fact of the matter is, the DHS doesn’t have the creativity or the nous to take advantage of social networking and the easier way of posting on a bulletin board and getting people connected with each other.
The ABC blog had a similar page where people were posting offers of accommodation as well. There was no central coordination, I daresay the DHS doesn’t have the resources (and again the nous) to gather this information and put it in a central database. The best way is someone from DHS to ask the bushfirehousing.org and takeover their database and support it. They now have the advantage of having over 1000 listings/offers and they have provided links especially with regards to Temporary Agreements. That shows some foresight on the site creators and for that I give them my wholehearted support.
And why only a telephone number if you want to provide accommodation? How about an email address or form? Geez, what decade are we in?
As with any govt dept, the DHS would have had bureaucratic jumps to reach the innovation bushfirehousing is operating under. I’m also sure there is an issue of control as well of keeping track of people offering/using the accommodation. Not sure how much I want Big Brother looking over my shoulder as an offerer.
I’m disappointed the govt would take a heavy handed approach – but really if someone can offer their holiday home (in Vic or interstate), offer a caravan to take to their burnt out property – surely that’s better than the limited choices currently on govt offer: living in some dingy Department of Housing villa or some military tent encampment for the short-mid term future.
Sure, times of crisis bring the very worst in people but at the same time it brings out the best in people – kindness of strangers etc. The bushfires in Victoria has affected Australians everywhere and the DHS jurisdiction is limited. The offers on the BH site are from everywhere in Australia now.
Re: the comment of ‘affiliation’ with Volunteering Australia – the site is pretty easy to read (UNCLUTTERED) and they have the numbers of the main NGOs helping out. Sure having an ad agency sponsoring the site is a bit sinister so how about the govt actually support and sponsor the site. But then again some bureaucrat would hate giving legitimacy to a grassroots movement because this is what it is.
I’m sorry if I sound harsh but govt depts have limitations and this is one instance of that. Like many I feel helpless watching you Mexicans suffer through this time, but I’m pretty sure like many who have offered on that site if we could just make a positive difference to one victim of the bushfire, that would make us feel less helpless (and yes I’ve donated money and clothes to all sorts of various organisations but I doubt the disbursement will be happening anytime soon and taking into account what percentage the administration costs will eat it into it…)
Thanks for reading.
Looks like I’m going to wind up with my sister on our couch so a workmate of hers and his partner can have her place upstairs for as long as necessary. Can’t remember where their place was, but it ain’t no more.
Our little North Carlton compound can’t take any more than that, I’m afraid!
Good on you, FDB. That’s really terrific. We have been considering having my brother & his partner move back into out spare room where they lived for two months last year, so their house can be made available. But in honesty I don’t beleive I’ve got the stamina to do that again. And the time to realise that is now and not after we’ve made a commitment!
I had misgivings about the bushfire housing exchange site too, thought I don’t doubt it’s all entirely wellmeaning. Doubts were strongly exacerbated from browsing it and seeing too many offers with difficult strings attached, eg a holiday house in a Central Highlands hamlet where takers would have to vacate for the last two weeks in March – presumably so the owners can take their planned holiday in it? DHS would weed out that sort of totally unsuitable Indian giving, as well as overheroic and unrealistic offers, among other things
Laura, at least that is upfront information. I don’t understand why that is a difficult string attached? There’s a time limit to their generosity and those who need longer term accommodation should not take up this offer. Move on to the next and more appropriate one.
I’m sure there will be others who would need the DHS resources for as long as they need to get back on their feet – at the same time, how about those who do not want the nanny state to tell them what to do, when to do it etc. and those who do not need nor want their caseworker anymore.
The site wouldn’t exist if the DHS and other machineries of government were supplying the obvious demand but there doesn’t seem to be enough resources in the public sector to meet it in a timely or efficient way. Maybe they need to hire web-savvy people in addition to those who still think an 8am-8pm phone hotline is the only way to offer accommodation.
At the same time, I think the site is probably negotiating with other NGOs (if not with govt already) as per their privacy policy; it is at least good publicity for the ad agency (TNSTAAFL):
“Guest’s and Host’s personal information may be made available to non-profit charitable organisations and relief agencies in the future, if they are able to offer superior services. In the event of this occurrence, we will provide advance warning to all registered users, and an option to remove personal information prior to transfer of your data.”
http://bushfirehousing.org/privacy/
whatevs Marie
If DHS has been anywhere near as successful as Centrelink, in the current crisis, alternative arrangements may well be necessary for some.
Marie, the points you make are good but can we please avoid political buzzwords like “nanny state” in this thread. Thanks.
Hi All
On the day the site launched repeated attempts were made to DHS to indeed provide all database details so as they could manage the vetting process.
This service was provided to assist people who were in less fortunate positions than us – nothing more, nothing less.
This is one of our proudest achievements – and we did not get paid a cent (not did we ask for any money).
My question is – why did the government resources not prepared for something like this – or why did they not engage their internal/external resources to build something similar>
I don’t knock your efforts at voluntary organisation, Max and Marie.
I have a bit of contact through work with the NGOs who in my State plan for disaster recovery. Without them there’d be no disaster recovery.
I do knock your odd fixation with the Department of Human Services (Victoria’s Dept of Housing as I understand it). “Limited choices”? ‘Dingy’ housing commission ‘villas’? I’m not quite sure you understand what State Government housing is or does, or what needs it exists to serve. It doesn’t serve severe but limited emergencies like this one.
I certainly think you oughtn’t to attach puerile Government-blaming to any kind of sincere relief effort.
It’s lame.
Liam – It’s very well designed as an information clearing house I think. I like the fact that the must-have numbers are in huge font on the front page and this page is really useful, something people could bookmark for constant reference. (For general references, granted, not necessarily housing in particular.)
I think the criticism that the State authorities weren’t using the web very well is a valid one. As Marie pointed out, a mobile number only doesn’t really cut it in this day and age.
“I think the criticism that the State authorities weren’t using the web very well is a valid one. As Marie pointed out, a mobile number only doesn’t really cut it in this day and age.”
Some interesting stuff on that very subject over at Troppo. If the CFA can be considered part of government.
http://clubtroppo.com.au/2009/02/13/copyright-exclusive-ownership-web-20-and-fighting-bushfires/#comments
Helen, no State Government housing department in Australia is good yet at using the web. Their clients, frankly, aren’t universally set up yet to contact the authorities through a facebook page or a twitter feed. That the State Government isn’t very good at using the web to do emergency housing isn’t the point.
The question is about how to house, for a relatively short time, a relatively large number of middle-class instantly-homeless people, generally without complex needs (ie. alcoholism, mental health, histories of violence, poverty, abuse). Outside meeting the immediate Army-tent needs, this isn’t a need for which any Government anywhere in the world plans.
It is, however, precisely the reason the insurance industry exists. C’mon, let’s see those payouts.
Oxfam, fitzroy group, have a neat site that is a goods and services registry. It takes things a lot further than accommodation offers.
http://bushfireaid.wikispaces.com/
I would hope that they do plan for situations like this. Its the situation that occurs when natural disasters occur – be it fire, flood, cyclones etc.
Given that they’re estimating around 25% of the residents are uninsured there is still going to be a problem even if the insurance industry can react fast enough. And as was reported last night, the insurance assessors aren’t even allowed into many of the affected areas yet.
One thing that did come out of Lateline was that around 40% of the insurance premium in Victoria is taxes for the fire services and those who don’t pay for insurance avoid paying the fire levies. Perhaps it should be an unavoidable part of the council rates instead. That way everyone pays and there is less disincentive to go uninsured.
Concrete dome homes could be the way to go. Do they burn in a raging fire is the question. Those poor victims surely could be housed in a nice hotel somewhere until homes are built for them.
Chris, the plan goes like this:
1. Householders and landlords buy home and contents insurance.
2. Disaster strikes.
3. Governments, with NGOs, take responsibility for short-term housing and emergency response.
4. The insurance companies arrange to meet the medium- and long-term housing needs of their customers, in the private housing market, as per their obligations under the policies. It seems that the private sector can’t do web-savvy either, even when it’s a core part of the product they provide. Who knew?
The word for the expectation that the Government provide step 4, or more importantly, that the Government provide replacement housing for uninsured homeowners, is “moral hazard”.
Now I’ve got nothing against either compulsory home insurance along the lines of the CTP policies drivers buy—but that’s a different big-government socialist argument.
camille – a hotel is better than a tent, but given its going to many months, perhaps a year or two for some before their houses are rebuilt a hotel is not a great long term solution.
btw the smh and age have had some interesting articles on houses which survived. One highligted was a house which had a lot of concrete render applied and used to seal any gaps so embers couldn’t enter. Also extra thick glass that would be less likely to break (although metal shutters would probably be better) combined with some clearing around the house appears to have helped.