Friday, 14 November 2025

 Ann-Marie HERMANS (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (21:30): (2125) My adjournment is to the Minister for Housing and Building, and I must raise the urgent issue of mortgage stress in Berwick, Narre Warren and across the Casey region, which has recently been highlighted in the Star News. I ask the minister to listen to and work with local councils, community organisations and financial service providers to deliver targeted support to households struggling to meet their mortgage obligations.

Families in Berwick, Narre Warren and across Casey need real, coordinated action now from all levels of government to help them to stay in their homes and avoid homelessness and further financial and social harm. Recent data from Digital Finance Analytics reveals a shocking picture – that 100 per cent of the 18,324 households in Berwick and 94.4 per cent of the 19,385 households in Narre Warren are currently facing mortgage stress. Across the broader Casey region almost half of all households are struggling to keep up with their repayments. This is not just a financial statistic but one of a human crisis that is affecting families, children and communities. Families are being forced to cut back on essentials just to make mortgage repayments, and the stress of managing repayments is leading to increased social pressures, including rises in crime and family violence, with the latest Crime Statistics Agency figures showing a 23.4 per cent increase in crime and a 13.6 per cent increase in family violence incidents in Casey over the last year. Local residents and community groups, including the Casey Residents and Ratepayers Association, have highlighted that mortgage stress is compounded by council rate increases, rising living costs and insufficient local support services, not to mention the dreadful impost now of the emergency services levy.

The $4 million provided to Mortgage Stress Victoria offers free legal and financial counselling, but the reality is that a more coordinated, practical support is urgently required. Early intervention, hardship programs and accessible finance advice are critical to helping families avoid default, foreclosure and homelessness. The City of Casey has made efforts to assist households through flexible payment plans and local midwives, schools and social service providers are seeing firsthand the pressure on families, yet without a coordinated state-level response many households will continue to struggle. Mortgage stress is placing enormous pressure on families’ mental health, children’s wellbeing and the broader social fabric of the community. I therefore plead with the minister to listen to the struggling families in my area and work with them to develop a practical, targeted response to mortgage stress in Casey, including outreach programs, financial counselling and early intervention support. Will the minister commit to taking immediate action? Our residents cannot wait, and hope alone does not meet anyone’s needs realistically.