Housing stress alarm

Face of homelessness changes amid dire rental shortage

GEELONG’S housing crisis is continuing to worsen, with demand for support services soaring.

The Community Housing Industry Association (CHIA) and University of New South Wales analysed housing stress in Australia based on census data and found 5.9 per cent of households in the Geelong region were not appropriately housed.

That is an estimated 7500 households with unmet need.

Council to Homeless Persons chair Jane Barnes said almost 5000 people across Victoria reached out to specialist homelessness services for help last year.

“Demand for homelessness services is soaring as more people and families struggle to find somewhere to live,” she said.

“That’s why it’s so critical that these organisations, which play a crucial role in Geelong, are funded properly.”

Ms Barnes said the region’s housing crisis was “pushing more people towards homelessness” with less than one in 10 properties being affordable.

“That’s just 135 affordable rental properties in Greater Geelong,” Ms Barnes said.

“Twenty years ago, it was three in four properties.

“For someone looking for a two-bedroom property, only one in 50 are affordable.”

Bethany’s South West, housing and therapeutic services executive manager Sharlene Gillick said housing affordability and stress had a significant impact on families and individuals’ mental health, feelings of hopelessness and disconnections from their communities.

“The significant increase in regional rents and significantly low vacancy rates means that people are competing for suitable and affordable properties, and they are becoming out of reach, for not only people on low income, but also people earning a decent wage,” she said.

“The face of homelessness is changing, and more people are unable to get a lookin when applying for a rental.”

A Homes Victoria spokesperson said through the Big Housing Build, Greater Geelong was allocated a $180m minimum investment guarantee – which has already been exceeded – to create “modern, accessible, energy efficient homes for people who need these most”.

“To date, $204m has been invested in Greater Geelong under the Big Housing Build and other social housing programs, to create 541 new homes,” the spokesperson said.

Ms Barnes said the state government needed to build 6000 social housing properties a year for at least the next decade.

“The Big Housing Build is a really welcome first step, but that funding runs out midnext year,” she said.

“The uncertainty of not having a safe and secure place to live is a deeply distressing experience, particularly for children.”

Ms Gillick said the rental crisis needed a “whole of regional” approach that included all levels of government, community, and business.