Thursday, 21 March 2024

 Ann-Marie HERMANS (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (13:00): (783) Minister, the Housing Establishment Fund exists to assist eligible clients to access overnight accommodation or private rental accommodation. With this in mind, can the minister provide what amount of money is being spent where and commit to transparent and sufficient funds in the next budget so that we can adequately meet the requirements of homelessness, particularly in the Frankston area? Data from the Frankston Zero project tells us that while 155 people have been added to the list of those sleeping rough since July 2021, the current projections indicate that over 400 people are probably homeless in that area of Frankston at any one time. The census data shows a 64 per cent increase in homelessness in the Frankston area alone in the five years from 2016 to 2021. With people sleeping on benches, at shopfronts, in tents, on people’s couches and in cars, this is simply not good enough in the Frankston area. We are not a Third World country.