Enhancing Community Development in Neighbourhood Centres Research Report

Abstract

Neighbourhood Centres and Community Centres [Centres] across Queensland are frequently a point of contact for persons seeking housing-related assistance.
Some of these Centres are channelling a considerable amount of their resources to this work.
Recently the Minister for Housing Communities and the Digital Economy recognised this role undertaken by Centres across Queensland.
The peak body for Centres in Qld QFCA joined forces with and Griffith University in 2020 and 2021 to research Community Development in the Queensland Neighbourhood Centre context.
This work points to opportunities for communities across Queensland to act together on issues of shared concern.
This potentially includes alliances between people affected by housing issues being supported to raise their concerns.
Support to build the capacity of persons to have a say in public forums in relation to the issues that negatively impact their lives. This support using a community development approach will lead to the shaping of shared system analysis, consideration and design of solutions built from experience and advocating for change and access to the resources to make the agreed change possible.
Community Centres for instance have supported citizens raising issues at events like meeting the candidates leading up to an election and at other times to meet with local elected representatives.
This research will give the reader further insight into such opportunities.
This report documents 10 Conversations between Neighbourhood and Community Centres about community development.
The initiative came from questions raised by Centres at the 2019 State CD Qld Community Development Conference.