Staff
1
National Shelter has one full time employee and a couple of hours of communications support but across the country the Shelter network consists of more than thirty full time equivalents. We are a strong an commited team.
Expertise
2
Our network contains a diversity and depth of skills, knowledge and experience in housing policy, legislation and systems as well as communications, public relations, research and writing.
Reach
3
Our National communication plans and media tap into our broad supporter base, multiple media and social media platforms and direct engagement with members, politicians, governments, public servants and housing consumers.
Impact
4
We have assisted our project partners and sponsors to achieve millions of dollars of value through media and social media exposure and influenced policy platforms and funding outcomes for the housing and homelessness sectors.
Political Engagement
5
We regularly visit Federal and State politicians in Canberra and in their electorates. Our State and Territory based Shelters and members assist in promoting our policy platform to their local representatives to enhance their local policy and advocacy work.
Media
6
We have built our media presence through the National Rental Affordability Index, renters’ rights projects and our multiple social media platforms to extend our reach across the country and achieve thousands of impressions.
National Shelter is a small organisation but with extensive reach and input. As a national peak body we are the tip of a broad base of expertise, information, organisations and networks which work cooperatively to contribute to a broad national effort.
Our network is partly federated where we have active state Shelter organisations in every jurisdiction in Australia except Victoria. In Victoria, we work with the Brotherhood of St Laurence as our principal supporter but also with the range of other bodies in this space.
The State Shelters are themselves peak bodies in each jurisdiction working on housing policy and advocacy, sector development, with homelessness services and community housing providers. Some specialise around particular issues and others have to be all-rounders as the only peaks in their state or territory for housing and homelessness.
We have national members as well covering tenant advocacy, homelessness, welfare services and community housing.
It all adds to a rich and diverse set of inputs around which we collaborate.