WE NEED empathy not condemnation for homeless people.
The realisation that one is homeless creates despair. Twelve people in Bass Coast, many over 80 years old, have received an eviction notice.
The women and children sleeping in car parks have found the food and drinks supplied by local people sustain them physically and mentally.
The food filling the supermarket trolley and the outlet at Mitchell House keeps people alive.
It is important we understand why people are living, as they have called it in Australia’s two depressions, “rough”.
Cost of rental is high and is increasing primarily because of the investment properties industry, available affordable housing is not affordable and on top of this wages are not keeping up with the cost of living.
For Regional Victoria, when housing costs in addition to rent (gas, electricity, etc.) are taken into account, affordable housing procured through Victorian Housing programs means no one can
afford such housing.
For Bass Coast, if the current underfunding is maintained at the same level, it would take between 126 and 132 years to satisfy the present and forecast need of the next 12 years.
The above are a few brief findings from extensive research undertaken by Housing Matters.
Beth Banks, Member of Housing Matters, Wonthaggi
