New plan after Cowes homeless shelter underused

The Cowes Winter Shelter was underutilised this year in its second season, but organisers believe expanding the service into neighbouring towns could help increase use.

Former Bass Coast Winter Shelter project coordinator Linda Livett said the Cowes service had attracted more individual guests than during its previous season, but recorded fewer overnight stays overall.

She said despite the low numbers, the group remained positive about the future of the program.

The shelter’s low use came despite broader housing pressure across Bass Coast, where more than 570 people accessed specialist homelessness services in 2022-23.

Bass Coast Shire Council also reports that 672 local households have an unmet need for affordable housing, while more than 1100 people are on the Victorian Housing Register waitlist seeking housing in the shire.

“It has been disheartening,” Ms Livett said.

“But we don’t want people to feel disheartened. We want people to feel the vision of the possibility for next year, as opposed to, ‘This is what didn’t work this year’.”

The smaller number of stays can also partly be attributed to two regular guests finding accommodation.

“So in that sense, well, it was a roaring success,” Ms Livett said.

Ms Livett said the Cowes location and the shelter’s three-night weekly schedule were the main barriers to the shelter being used more often.

Some people sleeping in tents were reluctant to leave their belongings and established sleeping areas when accommodation could only be provided for part of the week.

Transport also presented problems.

“Cowes is at the end of a bus line. It’s a bit harder to get to,” she said.

One guest had to return to a caravan park and pitch a tent between stays, with no practical way to carry several bags, camping equipment and other belongings from central Cowes.

Ms Livett believed a shelter operating in Wonthaggi would be more accessible because of the town’s central location and larger population of people experiencing homelessness.

Australian Bureau of Statistics estimates show 52 people were experiencing homelessness in the Wonthaggi-Inverloch area on Census night in 2021, compared with 19 across Phillip Island.

The Wonthaggi-Inverloch figure had risen by 53 per cent from 34 people in 2016, while the total Bass Coast count increased by 47 per cent, from 45 to 66.

“I think if we were running three nights a week in Wonthaggi, it would have been fine,” she said.

Under the emerging model that volunteers are hoping for, Wonthaggi could operate for several nights before guests are transported by bus to Cowes for another portion of the week.

Ms Livett said Leongatha had also started forming a committee for a winter shelter, which could add yet another location for the project, and the ultimate goal, potentially accommodation for seven nights a week.

Ms Livett said most similar Victorian shelters opened for at least five nights each week, while many operated seven nights a week.

“We really do believe that that’s the only way we can make it viable now,” she said.

The proposal remains at an early stage, as permits, insurance, venues and a new organising structure would need to be settled well before next winter.

The Interchurch Council of Phillip Island currently owns the project, but Ms Livett said Wonthaggi was expected to become its central base if the regional model proceeded.

An invitation-only meeting will be held on September 17 to discuss the next steps for the project.

“I’m super excited because the mood in Wonthaggi is so positive, and there are so many different organisations that are absolutely behind it at this stage,” Ms Livett said.

“Despite the not-great parts of this year, there have been such positive things, and this is an exciting next step.”