Homelessness Week
Rachel PAYNE (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (17:58): (401) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Housing Minister Brooks. Homelessness Australia’s Homelessness Week was last week – a time when homelessness services and community groups seek to engage and advocate. This year’s theme was ‘It’s time to end homelessness’. To mark this week, I would like to shine a light on a book titled H: A Love Story, which was recently launched at the Richmond Library. This book tells the story of Cheryl and Troy, a couple who have been married for more than 25 years and spent 10 of those living on the streets of Melbourne addicted to heroin. Their story is one of many. The 2021 census data for Victoria showed a 24 per cent increase in those without a home, rising to more than 30,000 Victorians. Given the difficulties in collecting data of this kind, the actual figure is likely to be much higher. Nearly a quarter of those people experiencing homelessness are aged from 12 to 24 years, with young people aged 19 to 24 experiencing the highest incidence of homelessness. We know that for those who experience prolonged youth homelessness there is strong evidence they will experience homelessness later in life and require more intensive supports. This is why early intervention is incredibly important. We must shift from a crisis-oriented response.
The Victorian government is not ignorant of this issue, but we need urgent investment and support. In the meantime, thousands of Victorians needlessly suffer. They go without a home, and homelessness services are forced to turn people away. So the action I seek is that the minister specifically consider how resources, funding and early intervention can be targeted to meet the needs of young people experiencing homelessness and fund projects accordingly.