Homelessness Information Clearinghouse Website Launched
25 August 2008 at 1:13 pm
A National Homelessness Information Clearinghouse website has been launched to make it much easier for the homelessness sector to work together and share ideas.
Energetica, an IT consultancy specialist in the Not for Profit sector has developed the website which was officially launched by the Federal Minister for Housing, Tanya Plibersek.
The site provides information on various aspects of homelessness to help tackle the problem as a priority social issue in Australia.
The Homelessness Information Clearinghouse ( www.homelessnessinfo.net.au) offers opportunities for people to participate in an online community, comment on articles, generate debate, participate in discussions, share information, ideas, expertise, and discuss issues online.
The Housing Minister says research through this new facility will help government, researchers, service providers and the community to determine if our responses to homelessness are working.
She says it will also provide links to all levels of government and to homelessness organisations websites.
Energetica’s Director Lisa Harvey says the new Clearinghouse website will provide a central place for agencies and workers in the field to find and share information about good practice, issue management, research and case studies on homelessness in Australia.
Harvey says many organisations in the sector work in isolation and a single source of information will provide an efficient way to increase their capacity to deliver services to homeless people, and to connect with others working in their field.
She says the website has been designed to cope with large amounts of content and includes files for download in the document library, forums, events, and hundreds of articles and documents covering 150 categories of information.
The Clearinghouse site is an initiative of the Supported Accommodation Assistance Program (SAAP), National Coordination and Development Committee (CAD).
