The impact of Australia’s lack of affordable housing is far reaching – low-income earners are being pushed to the fringes of cities, with some households paying up to 85 per cent of their income on rent. But according to experts, solving the affordable housing crisis is beyond the scope of governments alone. In this episode of Not for Podcast, special contributor Rachel Alembakis, founder and publisher of The Sustainability Report, partnered with Pro Bono Australia News to investigate the challenges and opportunities for developing affordable housing. Leveraging private capital, including that of Australia’s $1.3 trillion superannuation industry, could unlock significant investment in the sector. But it requires collaboration between businesses, community organisations and governments. This episode features affordable housing experts and field practitioners:  Mark Peacock, director of impact investing at Social Ventures Australia. Wendy Hayhurst, CEO of &nbsp;the New South Wales Federation of Housing Associations. Debby Blakey, CEO of superannuation fund HESTA. Jamie Muchall, business development manager at Horizon Housing.  Produced by Ellie Cooper.

Australia’s Affordable Housing Solution

Ready or not, the National Disability Insurance Scheme was rolled out nationwide on 1 July. The $22 billion per year scheme – which doubles the level of public funding for disability – is Australia’s biggest social policy project since Medicare. It promises to put people with disability in the driver’s seat by offering more choice and control, and it’s been widely welcomed by the sector. But transitioning to a new system is not without teething problems, both for service providers and people with disability. Can Not for Profits stand out in a competitive market? Do people with disability know their rights? How do they navigate the system? And can the national agency overseeing the system cope with the mammoth task? In the first episode of a three-part series, Not for Podcast investigates whether the sector is NDIS ready. Download the transcript here. Featured in this episode:  Natasha Hudson, CEO and founder of Coforte Consulting, assisting organisations to become NDIS ready Liz Forsyth, general manager of customer experience at Northcott NDIS participant Zane McKenzie, public speaker and educator both independently and for Not for Profit Scope Craig Wallace, president of People With Disability Australia  Produced by Ellie Cooper and Wendy Williams.

Is Disability NDIS Ready?

On 1 July the nation-wide rollout of the National Disability Insurance Scheme began. By the time it’s fully implemented in 2019 it’s estimated 460,000 people with disability will receive a support package. The $22-billion-per-year scheme, twice the size of the previous system, has been largely welcomed by the disability sector, promising more support for more people.&nbsp; But not all Australians with disability will benefit – some will be eligible but won’t receive the support they are entitled to, while others simply aren’t covered despite having “significant and ongoing support needs”. In the second episode of a three-part series, Not for Podcast investigates Who’s Missing Out on the NDIS? Download the transcript here. Featured in this episode:  Professor Karen Fisher, from the Social Policy Research Centre at the University of New South Wales Damian Griffis, CEO of First Peoples Disability Network. Laura Collister, director of Mental Health Services, Research and Development at MI Fellowship Sarah Saunders, chief advocate at National Seniors Australia Patrick Walden, 27-year-old, full-time secondary teacher with cerebral palsy based on the Sunshine Coast Maryanne Diamond, general manager of media, communications and engagement at the National Disability Insurance Agency.   Produced by Ellie Cooper and Wendy Williams.

Who’s Missing Out on the NDIS?

The National Disability Insurance Scheme is worth $22 billion a year and it’s estimated it will create a $16 billion contestable market, providing a huge business opportunity for new service providers. The National Disability Insurance Agency told Pro Bono Australia News in the months before the 1 July rollout, the number of registered providers grew by more than 1,000, bringing the total number to more than 3,500. There are rumours that large corporations like Bupa and Serco are circling the wagons, experts have said there is an influx of sole traders leaving the Not for Profits they work for and the scheme is touted as a golden opportunity for innovative, social start-ups. But how much is known about the new providers? Are they driven by profit or purpose? What regulations are in place? And how well will the NDIS market give people with disability choice and control?&nbsp; In the final episode of the three-part series, Not for Podcast investigates The New NDIS Players. Featured in this episode:  Jovita Gartlan, partner in Deloitte’s consulting practice, specialising in business model transformation Professor David Gilchrist, director of Curtin University’s School of Accounting Not-for-profit Initiative Fran Connelley, founder and CEO of FC Marketing and author of How to Thrive Under the NDIS Aimee McLeod-Taylor, sole trader and founder of Aim High Nutrition Prue Hughes, sole trader, and founder and director of Turning Point Jordan O'Reilly, founder and CEO of HireUp El Gibbs, freelance journalist who writes about disability from a personal and policy perspective.  Produced by Ellie Cooper and Wendy Williams.

The New NDIS Players

In this episode of Not for Podcast, Pro Bono Australia investigates whether the same-sex marriage vote should go to the public or straight to Parliament. The Abbott government first committed to a plebiscite on same-sex marriage a year ago, and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull was firm on the issue in his election campaign. It’s now been pushed back to next year, and lots of groups are determined to take it off the table all together. It's going to be expensive, with estimated costs of $160 million, and many people fear it could be divisive, leading to a hate campaign. Another sticking point is the non-binding result, meaning politicians will be free to disregard public opinion and stick to their own. Yet, many feel all Australians should be given a chance to have their say. In Purpose of Plebiscite, academics, politicians and advocates debate the issue, while a mental health expert explains the impact on the LGBTI community. Featured in this episode:  Dr Ryan Goss senior &nbsp;law lecturer at the Australian National University Labor Senator Lisa Singh Liberal Senator Eric Abetz Australian Marriage Equality national spokesperson Dr Shirleene Robinson Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays national spokesperson Shelley Argent Australian Christian Lobby managing director Lyle Shelton Q-Life national clinical director Ross Jacobs  Produced by Ellie Cooper and Wendy Williams.

The Purpose of Plebiscite

A new report commissioned by Pro Bono Australia in partnership with the Human Rights Law Centre, has found that not for profits are on a path of quiet advocacy. The Civil Voices research showed that to a greater or lesser degree civil society organisations are engaging in various forms of “self silencing” – treading very carefully in their advocacy work, less they risk financial security and political retribution. In this episode of Not for Podcast: Where Not for Profits Fear to Tread, we unpack the report and look at the current state of not-for-profit advocacy in Australia, and how it compares to a decade ago. The latest research is framed against Australia Institute’s 2004 report, Silencing Dissent: Non-government organisations, which detailed the growing fears across the NGO sector concerning their right to advocate in the public policy domains, and more broadly about their changing role in the democratic process. A lot has happened in the 13 years since that report was published including changes to the political and regulatory landscape, the formation of the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission, the passing of the Charities Act and advances in the digital landscape. But Civil Voices shows us that Australian civil society still needs to be supported and encouraged to engage in frank and fearless advocacy. Pro Bono Australia is proud to have spearheaded the research and believes it sits firmly within the remit of our social impact mission to give a voice to civil society organisations. We know from a previous sector-wide survey conducted by Pro Bono Australia in 2015 that nine out of 10 not-for-profit respondents considered recognition of their advocacy role as the most important factor in developing the social sector. From our unique position as an umbrella to the sector we were able to take the temperature of civil society organisations on this important matter. In this podcast we speak to report author Sarah Maddison about what the report tells us about how charities are feeling at the moment; we talk to Community Council of Australia CEO David Crosbie about whether some of the sector’s fears are being realised; and we talk to the former president of the Human Rights Commission Gillian Triggs about the dangers of silencing the charity sector and what we can do to make sure organisations are not silenced. Featured in this episode: University of Melbourne Associate Professor Sarah Maddison Community Council of Australia CEO David Crosbie Former president of the Human Rights Commission Gillian Triggs &nbsp; Produced by Wendy Williams and Luke Michael. Recorded in November 2017. &nbsp;

Where Not for Profits Fear to Tread

Pro Bono Australia News presents Not for Podcast, the things that matter from the voices of Australia's social sector. These are the four most recent episodes, visit our homepage for more content. 