Out of jail and forced on to street

VICTORIA’S peak body for homelessness says more support and housing for former prisoners is needed to cut crime and recidivism.

Council of Homeless Persons chief executive Jenny Smith said the tight and competitive rental market left vulnerable Victorians, including prisoners, at “grave risk” of reoffending.

Geelong police recently established partnership with Salvos Connect to assist homeless people frequenting the Little Malop St mall.

A Barwon homelessness report released this year revealed 7 per cent of all people without stable accommodation in Geelong had been released from custody, while national AIHW data reports an 188 per cent increase in former prisoners becoming homeless over the past five years.

“The prison population is growing at such a rate at the moment that there are more people in that vulnerable pos- ition not able to secure housing,” Ms Smith said.

“If prisoners come out without a destination they are much more likely to reoffend.

“We are seeing people on low incomes and prisoners over represented in the (homeless population) because they are trying to compete.”

According to Department of Health and Human Service data, cited in the Homelessness in Barwon South West Region report, no singlebedroom rental properties in Greater Geelong were affordable for people on Centrelink incomes between January and March, while 13.1 per cent of the region’s two-bedroom properties were deemed affordable in this period.

Ms Smith said while there were some services to support people in their transition from custody there was a lack of social housing or cheap private rentals for single people.

While acknowledging there was often a lack of empathy for former prisoners, she said investing in housing for people in vulnerable circumstances would benefit all Victorians.

“We are all concerned about crime and we are all concerned about keeping our community as safe as possible,” Ms Smith said.

“Having a secure home is important for everybody and it is also important if we to want to reduce reoffending.

“Every electorate in the state has significant homelessness and I know that the Barwon region is no exception.”

The council calling on all political parties to commit to investing in housing for former prisoners.

“The prison population is growing at such a rate at the moment that there are more people in that vulnerable position not able to secure housing.” COUNCIL OF HOMELESS PERSONS CEO JENNY SMITH