Gippsland’s homelessness crisis getting worse, says Bath MP

Gippsland’s housing crisis is coming to a head with 20 households to become homeless when temporary accommodation funding expires in July.

Member for Eastern Victoria Region, Melina Bath has asked the Minister for Housing, Richard Wynne to urgently look at every option to support these families who are at immediate risk of homelessness in state parliament.

“The state government funding expires on July 28, 2022 for 67 individuals including 41 children who are living in local motels due to the lack of public and social housing available in Gippsland,” Ms Bath said.

“Unless the Government intervenes these individuals will have nowhere to live next month.

“The State Government must forensically examine all options including transitional housing, public housing, and private rentals to put a safe and secure roof over the heads of these families, and no stone should be left unturned.”

Ms Bath said the emergency housing fund for two-to-three-night stays was extended during Covid to provide longer stay temporary accommodation.

“With the lack of available rentals, rental affordability, the rising cost of living and a serious shortfall of public and social housing, the homelessness problem in Gippsland is growing,” Ms Bath said.

“Rising homelessness is causing great stress to local families and it’s placing pressure on support services like Gippsland Homelessness Network.

“In 2020, the Gippsland Homelessness Network made a submission to the Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry into Homelessness outlining the lack of supply of affordable, accessible housing for people on low incomes in Gippsland:

· “Quantum Support Services reported in 2020 that their services were being challenged with the growing housing crisis and it was seeing an increase in individuals and families experiencing first-time homelessness.

· “Last financial year Quantum spent $624,144 spent on motel accommodation for clients in the Latrobe and Baw Baw area alone.

· “The homelessness crisis in Gippsland requires a long-term solution involving more public and social housing, but in the meantime these individuals need immediate support, so they do not become homeless next month.”

Affordable and emergency housing

There is a clear and immediate need for more Affordable Housing in the Bass Coast (## see below) and South Gippsland.

The Bass Coast Housing Story report found that the current amount and configuration of social and affordable housing in Bass Coast does not match local need.

The report estimated that there are 733 households in Bass Coast in need of Affordable Housing. This represents 5.1 per cent of all households in the Shire.

In March 2021, there were a total of 693 applications on the Victorian Housing Register priority list, of which 424 were for one-bedroom dwellings (218 from Wonthaggi).

The breakdown of applications by broadband area in Bass Coast was:

· Cowes 159

· Inverloch 172

· Wonthaggi 362

Part of the challenge for many households is the availability of private rental housing. The fewer opportunities there are in the private market, the more pressure there is on the Affordable Housing sector, particularly for social housing.

The Gippsland Regional Housing Network reported that there has been a decrease to rental vacancy rates over the last 12 months.

“In February 2021 the residential rental vacancy rate in regional areas was 1% compared to 1.7% 12-months earlier; and median rent $380 per week, compared to $350 12- months earlier. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the cost of rental has increased at the same time as there are fewer properties available to rent.”

A lack of emergency housing and then exit strategies for clients provided with support was highlighted as an urgent issue in an environment of rising rents and a lack of short-term accommodation options.

Motels and caravan parks have been used for short term emergency accommodation in the area, however many are now focusing on tourism and are more reluctant to take on emergency accommodation clients. The Gippsland Regional Housing Network reported that in Bass Coast and South Gippsland the lack of crisis accommodation and the limited availability of affordable housing for low-income earners were causes attributed to 769 people being turned away from services in 2018-2019.

Family violence makes a substantial contribution to the risk and prevalence of homelessness for women and their children.

In the year ending March 2022, there was a 4.4% reduction in ‘Total Family Incidents’ in Bass Coast, down from 936 to 895.

In South Gippsland there was a 9.3% rise in Total Family Incidents, up from 494 to 540, in the 12 months to the end of March 2022.

(##Source: Social and Affordable Housing Background Report Prepared by Hornsby & Co. with support from Activate Consulting and Ethos Urban for Bass Coast Shire Council August 2021).