Thursday, 23 March 2023

Homelessness

Sarah MANSFIELD (Western Victoria) (16:09): (141) My adjournment matter this evening is for the Minister for Housing. The Greater Geelong region is experiencing a housing and rental crisis. The latest figures from 2021 show almost 4000 people on the Victorian Housing Register waiting for public and community housing. The City of Greater Geelong’s rental affordability rate fell to a record low of 6.8 per cent in the most recent data. People who cannot find housing risk having to move away from their communities, where they have connections, where they might have jobs or their kids might have school, where they might have links to local services and where they have friends and family. They also risk becoming homeless. There are almost 300 people who are known to be homeless – a likely underestimate, as many may not be reported or seek formal housing assistance in Geelong. There is a higher rate of homelessness in Geelong among young people compared to the state average.

The From Homelessness to a Home program was implemented by the Labor government in 2020 to facilitate people who were temporarily provided with hotel or motel accommodation during COVID restrictions to find stable housing. The program has been life-changing for those who have been able to access it, adopting a Housing First approach. It provides a holistic approach to supporting people with housing, including linking them with additional services like mental health, social work and drug and alcohol counselling. The program has assisted hundreds of people in Geelong, and there are currently 131 From Homelessness to a Home packages for the region.

It is extraordinary then, in the midst of the housing crisis and given the success of the From Homelessness to a Home program, that the government will be cutting back the program at the end of June. Those working in the sector have actually been calling on the government to expand funding rather than cut it, as they want to see more people benefit from it. The action I am seeking from the Minister for Housing is to expand rather than cut funding for the From Homelessness to a Home program from 30 June 2023.