Homeless surge as housing crisis deepens

“We meet monthly to discuss growing needs and work collaboratively as part of our commitment to community wellbeing,” Yarrawonga Mulwala Community Learning Centre training manager Sharron Johnson said.

“We have had higher numbers of requests from people in Yarrawonga for assistance with our statistics showing that numbers are increasing throughout all our projects and programs.

“The growing need for extra assistance appears to be due to the financial burden of rising living costs across the board including gas, electricity, water, food, travel and medical.”

Beyond Housing, a not-for-profit organisation providing people with a pathway to home in the northeast and Goulburn Valley region, has seen an increase in people in this region looking for assistance.

They say there are several factors at fault.

“Action must be taken across Australia, and rural and regional communities cannot be forgotten,” Beyond Housing CEO Celia Adams said.

“Safe, secure, affordable, long-term housing is the key to solving homelessness.

“It must include a commitment to regional and rural Victoria, where private rental is scarce, services are stretched, and vulnerable people are out in the cold.”

Beyond Housing sees firsthand the growing number of people who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

In the past financial year, more than 3,000 people accessed the organisation, an increase of seven per cent on the previous year.

In the Goulburn Valley and Northeast, more than 500 people are being supported; homeless and waiting for accommodation and/or specialist support.

Among these, six per cent are escaping family violence, almost 20 per cent are sleeping rough compared to10 per cent a decade ago, more than a quarter are under 25, and a quarter were over 55.

Beyond Housing aims to build over 300 new social housing dwellings across this region by the end of 2027, valued at over $100 million.

This number, while significant, is not close to addressing the demand for social housing, or housing those in need.

“It is unconscionable that people who are vulnerable, including children, young people, and older people, are dealing with homelessness in this country,” Ms Adams said.

“Any increase in homelessness is unacceptable and this year we have seen an increase of nearly seven percent in homeless people coming through our doors.

“We urge the Federal Government to raise the rate of Jobseeker and Commonwealth Rent Assistance to levels that enable people to pay for housing and living costs.

“Adequate government action must be taken now to address this crisis."

A new report by the Tenancy Skills Institute entitled The Next Wave of Homelessness: Tenancies At Risk of Failing in the Private Rental Market Report highlights the enormity of risk that exists in the current private rental market.

Survey data reveals that an average of 4.84 per cent of tenancies surveyed are at-risk of failing.

When applying this trend across Australia, the number of people potentially living in at-risk households could be almost three times the current number of people experiencing homelessness on Census night.

In late 2022, Yarrawonga Mulwala Community and Learning Centre (YMCLC) together with the Moira Shire and Yarrawonga Senior Citizens launched the YMCLC Community Shower Program after noticing a need in town with the Moira Foodshare already established and seeing further increases.

The program provides a safe space to have a free hot shower that is a practical hygiene solution for people who do not have safe, dignified, and supportive access to showers.

Originally open once a week for a few hours, the space is now open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 8.30am – 10.30am.

Member for Ovens Valley Tim McCurdy, said now was a critical moment to highlight the alarming rise of homelessness in the North East, driven by skyrocketing costs and a lack of affordable housing.

“New data figures are not just numbers, they represent real people who can no longer afford to keep a roof over their head,” Mr McCurdy said.

“The cost of everything has gone up; food, rent, fuel, and power; and affordable housing is almost impossible to find, especially in our regional communities.”