Community Development Projects
Khaane - Home
The City of Yarra comprises of diverse and vibrant communities. For many, however, due to the now exorbitant cost of housing in Melbourne, the City of Yarra has become unaffordable. Low income earners and students are particularly disadvantaged by the cost of housing. This is particularly exacerbated for people who are new to our community, who are not aware of the processes of the private rental market, and who do not have extensive resources and networks of share houses and landlords.
This project seeks to provide positive tools to overcome these barriers for people in our community - particularly young people who have recently come out of detention or community housing. It seeks to:
- Provide consultations, education and advocacy for people who are trying to enter the private rental market in the area
- Establish a database of sharehouses and other accommodation that can offer cheap rooms for people who are new to our community.
For further information or to list your room or house, please email Ela - eogru@fitzroy-legal.org.au.
Access to Justice
Fitzroy Legal Service advocates for access to justice for marginalized and disadvantaged people. Since 1975 the Fitzroy Legal Service has provided the local community with free legal advice and representation and education. The Fitzroy Legal Service in partnership with community organisations continues to develop innovative ways of providing access to justice through its many community legal education projects and programs.
Fitzroy Legal Service is engaged in a number of activities that include community legal education, linking people to legal services and resourcing people and community groups to engage in advocacy.
Work includes:
Legal education with CALD communities including NMIT (Collingwood and Preston), AMES, Monash University
In partnership with the Islamic Women’s Welfare Council and Broadmeadows Community Legal Centre, Fitzroy Legal Service will be running legal education sessions to Muslim women.
Fitzroy Legal Service sits on the advisory committee of RISE (refugees, new arrivals and detainees).
Fitzroy Legal Service is a partner of the Northern CLC network to advocate on issues of access of justice for the northern region of Victoria. Partners include: Broadmeadows CLC, Darebin CLC, West Heidelberg CLC, Whittlesea CLS, Moreland CLC, Broadmeadows VLA and Preston VLA.
We sit on the advisory committee of the Multicultural Women’s Health Bi-lingual credit provider education program.
Together with Footscray CLC, Springvale Monash CLC and Victoria Legal Aid, we have engaged in work on the Do Not Knock campaign targeted at the Vietnamese community.
Criminal records
A criminal record can have detrimental effects on the potential of a person’s life. The Fitzroy Legal Service supports people with criminal records by advocating for removal of social and legal discrimination associated with having a criminal record.
The Fitzroy Legal Service believes when a person has ‘done the time’ that a criminal record should not continue to punish and limit the hopes and ambitions of a person. Fitzroy Legal Service campaigns in areas of legal and social policy issues to remove the stigma attached to a criminal record and to encourage positive reintegration into the community.
The Fitzroy Legal Service offers legal assistance to people with a criminal record and who are experiencing discrimination, it advocates for legal and policy reforms for a balanced approach to the availability of criminal record information. The Fitzroy Legal Service also provides community legal education and information to organisations and workers.
Our partners in this work have included: Federation of Community Legal Centres, Human Rights Law Resource Centre, Homeless Persons Legal Clinic, Flemington/Kensington Community Legal Centre, JobWatch, Loddon Campaspe Community Legal Centre, Council of Churches, Mental Health Regal Centre and Youthlaw amongst others.
Click here to review our submissions
Policing
A transparent and accountable police force is instrumental for maintaining a fair society that respects civil liberties. The Fitzroy Legal Service has a long history of advocacy for police accountability and carries out public interest casework, law reform submissions, community development and community legal education on police accountability.
Fitzroy Legal Service currently convenes the Police Issues Working Group of the Federation of Community Legal Centres etc
Our partners in this work have included: Federation of Community Legal Centres, Human Rights Law Resource Centre, Homeless Persons Legal Clinic, Flemington/Kensington Community Legal Centre, Mental Health Regal Centre; Youthlaw, RISE, Harm Reduction Victoria amongst others.
Click here to review our submissions
Work in the Alcohol and Drug Sector
Fitzroy Legal Service acknowledges criminalization processes contribute to discriminatory and harmful outcomes for affected communities.
Key advocacy strategies include:
- promoting self-determination of affected communities,
- promoting respect for the human rights of drug users
- supporting public health approaches over punitive interventions
Fitzroy Legal Service provides outreach casework services, community legal education, law reform advocacy and professional development to AOD sector workers. Fitzroy Legal Service strives to address the links between health, poverty, discrimination and the law.
Work engaged in:
- The Drug Outreach Lawyer provides in situ legal support to affected communities
- Innerspace Primary Health Service
- Living Room Primary Health Service
- Billabong Breakfast
- North Richmond Drug Safety Program
- Youth substance abuse Day Program
- De Paul House Residential Detox
Duty Lawyers based at the NJC engage supports within a therapeutic jurisprudence context.
Service Directory for drug and alcohol workers and users
Needle and Syringe Programs: Drugs, the Law, and You
Partners: Fitzroy Legal Service is a member of the Executive Committee of the Yarra Drug & Health Forum and sits on the Management Committees of Harm Reduction Victoria & Buoyancy.
Fitzroy Legal Service, Western Suburbs Legal Service and the Springvale Monash Legal Servcie co-produced the report titled:
"Boys, you wanna give me some action?"
Interventions into Policing of Racialised Communities in Melbourne
Authors: Bec Smith and Shane Reside
The report examines African young people's experiences of policing practices across three regions of Melbourne: City of Greater Dandenong, Flemington and Braybrook. The report particularly examines African young people's experience of 'community policing' activities in these areas.