Tuesday, 5 April 2022

Homeless to Homemaker

Mr EDBROOKE (Frankston) (13:04): I recently had the pleasure of visiting Charlie, Rob and the team at the 3PE Build in Yarraville with the member for Melton, secretaries from the AMWU and the Health and Community Services Union and also reps from the Youth Support and Advocacy Service to check out a great project called ‘Homeless to Homemaker’.

Whilst it is this government proudly rolling out the Big Housing Build, we are also exploring every option to put a roof over every Victorian’s head. Charlie, who runs 3PE, is a successful businessman. He could just sit back and relax, I think, and watch life go by, but he is not your average person, and he is really passionate about his community. He is passionate about housing as well. He wants to make a difference, and he will in a big way. It is so inspiring to hear Charlie talk about the work that his experienced team have put into making unique, well-designed, quality modular housing. You cannot help but be impressed.

This is a forward-thinking solution to assist vulnerable community members and also supports recommendations made by the Victorian inquiry into homelessness. The Homeless to Homemaker initiative is a tangible solution to a complex problem. It is people like Charlie and these unions that have more community spirit and are showing more leadership in their little finger than some of the opposition MPs preaching that discriminatory, condescending, white privilege rubbish that we have heard recently. Let us face it—it only divides our communities, it does not bring us together, and it compounds intergenerational disadvantage in our communities as well, unlike solutions like Homeless to Homemaker. Congratulations to everyone involved. I support this project 100 per cent and would like to see it flourish.