There's nowhere to go: Counting the costs of extreme weather to the homeless community

People experiencing homelessness are vulnerable to extreme weather in unique ways. The entrenched inequalities that underpin disaster vulnerability are compounded by extreme isolation and the stress of transient living on mental and physical health. However, the impacts of extreme weather on the homeless in Australia are largely undocumented and rarely incorporated in emergency planning. Interviews with and surveys of emergency and homeless services and service users revealed that the primary ramifications of losing shelter and worsening mental health deepen the cycle of homelessness and trauma. Consequently, homeless shelter losses, such as tents, should be included in pre- and post-event impact statistics and subsequent recovery support. Extreme weather response plans should include early triggers and strategies for ‘non-severe’ weather events, as the homeless community is affected earlier and by a wider range of meteorological conditions. Moreover, this study also explores the benefits of a trauma-informed response to extreme weather when working with the homeless. © 2019 The Authors Disasters © 2019 Overseas Development Institut

Reflecting on a nascent south gippsland birth-year 6 oral language partnership

Addressing inequality gaps between and within countries is number 10 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2016-2030. In Australia, regional and remote area dwellers are disproportionately more likely to experience low socioeconomic circumstances, thus as Federation University Gippsland Education (FUGuE) researchers and neighbours, knowing this and that geographical context is an important factor in children's outcomes, it is not surprising we found ourselves meeting with the acting principal of the local primary school to offer our services. From this emerged a partnership between educational leaders from two small primary schools, a kindergarten and a local-government facilitated supported playgroup. Addressing delays in oral language development was considered to be a pressing educational and social justice concern in this relatively geographically isolated area with limited resources for maximising children's engagement, educational aspirations and outcomes for a just future. The partners co-designed a 12-month action plan with three strategies: shared professional learning workshops; extended placement of two fourth-year pre-service teachers in the schools; and trialling of an oral language enrichment programme for senior students. The accompanying research intended to evaluate the impact of these strategies and the partnership, however, was implemented in a limited way because of disruptions and complexities we report on. Rural communities though have resilience and rhythms that extend over longer timeframes than the average research project so as regional researchers and residents deeply committed to 'our place', we will continue to address the inequality gap we see around us by reinvesting in our region through our research. © Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2019. All rights are reserved