Simple repairs and maintenance has improved the living conditions of vulnerable communities across Australia, fixing over 10,000 houses over the past 30 years.
“Everyone needs a healthy home to live in,” says Northern Beaches local and Program Coordinator of Healthabitat, Justine Playle.
Since 1985, Healthabitat has been working closely with disadvantaged communities across Australia, with a focus on remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) communities. Healthabitat develops projects to improve people’s living conditions through the simple but innovative ‘Survey and Fix’ approach implemented in their Housing for Health (HfH) project. The process involves identifying and repairing items around the home that will give the best health outcome.
The late Yami Lester, former Director of Nganampa Health Council on the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Lands, South Australia, identified this problem in 1985 and came up with a simple brief: ‘stop people getting sick,’ or ‘Uwankara Palyanku Kanyintjaku’ (UPK). The original three Healthabitat directors, the late Paul Pholeros (a former Beaches resident), Paul Torzillo and Stephan Rainow took up the challenge.
According to Healthabitat director, David Donald, the methodology used is about surveying and fixing the parts of people’s houses that directly impact their health. The projects are primarily implemented in government housing for ATSI communities.
“Imagine there is a little scabies mite, and it bites you. You can get treated at the clinic to kill the mite. But another mite had moved to your clothes and bedding. Then you leave the hospital and go back home, tuck yourself into bed, the mite jumps onto your skin, and you get reinfected, and then you’re back in the clinic a week later. It is a revolving door of illness,” David explains.
“It was clear that the houses the government was building for those communities were one of the main contributors to these environmental health-related illnesses.”
Survey and Fix has been licensed by many organisations and government bodies, including NSW Health, integrating the methodology into its Housing for Health Program.
The success of this method has also found its roots in community participation, as they are directly involved in the process.
Program Coordinator Justine Playle says that people receive the benefits of home improvements and get training and employment.
“Over 59,500 people have benefited, translating to 40 per cent less hospital separation rate, over 315,000 items fixed or inspected in houses and 2,500 local staff trained and employed. That leaves people with skills,” Justine says.
“Part of the project involves training local people to be able to do this kind of work after we leave. So, in remote areas, if there is a leaking shower, they can do it themselves rather than wait three months for a plumber to come.”
Justine also explains that the fixings mainly occurred due to a lack of routine maintenance. “When we asked the tradies why they have to replace and fix things, it is about 74 per cent due to lack of routine maintenance and 18 per cent due to poor initial construction. Only seven per cent of items they’re fixing or replacing are caused by damage or misuse.”
“Our data and knowledge showed that small repairs and improvements to the mechanics of a house can make a significant impact. And that’s what we’re about. And by starting small, the incremental change can have a huge impact,” she says.