The Public Interest Advocacy Centre is very pleased to announce the appointment of Maddy Humphreys as our StreetCare Project Officer within the Homeless Persons’ Legal Service team.
As someone with her own lived experience of homelessness, Maddy has been an active member of PIAC’s homelessness consumer advisory committee, StreetCare, for almost two years and represents StreetCare on the NSW Premier’s Council on Homelessness. Maddy will be working closely with HPLS Managing Solicitor Roslyn Cook and our StreetCare members, as well as the many stakeholders in the sector, to advocate for effective change to help those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
In 2018, Maddy was employed by PIAC as our inaugural Employment Pathways Program participant with the generous support of a StreetSmart grant to undertake research into the experience of rough sleepers with the police, as part of an Australian Research Council linkage project with the University of NSW, University of Queensland and University of Wollongong. In August 2018, Maddy spoke at the National Community Legal Centre Conference on the importance of ensuring people with lived experience are heard and what it means to take a ‘human rights approach’ to homelessness. Maddy is currently studying a Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice combined with a Bachelor of Laws at UNSW.
Maddy recently hosted the first annual StreetCare planning day, where members worked alongside HPLS Managing Solicitor Roslyn Cook, Senior Policy Officer Alastair Lawrie and CEO Jonathon Hunyor to discuss StreetCare’s key priorities for strategic advocacy over the next 12 months.
PIAC is especially grateful to FACS, Plenary Group, Macquarie Group Foundation, QBE and the individuals who have helped us to raise the funds for Maddy’s position and continue the work of StreetCare: tackling homelessness by supporting people with lived experience to be effective advocates and advisors to government.