It’s been another year for enormous numbers of local people seeking our support.

Our CEO Celia Adams says we have assisted thousands of people who are in a housing crisis, at risk of homelessness, or in financial stress.

“Our homelessness team across the Ovens Murray Goulburn regions assisted 3,538 households in 2021-22, this is consistent with the level of support from the previous year. BeyondHousing sees more than half, 56 per cent, of all people who sought help from specialist homelessness services across the region.

“We supported 6,442 households across all our client services, which includes people who need help to find and keep a home in the private rental market.”

---

Homelessness can happen to anyone

The demand for our services is growing and the solutions are harder to find. High homelessness rates in the region have been worsened by the current cost-of-living crisis.

Rates of homelessness did not increase because there isn’t a clear-cut solution to homelessness, there is and that’s safe, secure affordable housing and adequately funded support services.

Having enough housing, in the form people need it is critical. With the safety and security of a home, and a tailored support service people can connect with employment and education opportunities, with family and within their community.

---

• 3,538 households sought help from our homelessness service
• We supported 6,442 households across all our client services, which includes people who need help to find and keep a home in the private rental market
• We are particularly concerned with the rates of people experiencing repeated homelessness, with 63% of our clients having sought our assistance for homelessness before.
• There are currently 2,062 households already on the lengthy priority housing waitlist, a social housing shortfall of at least 5,600 homes and rental vacancy rates as low as 0.1%.

Housing ends homelessness

Since Homelessness Week last year, BeyondHousing has completed construction of 34 new homes and is currently constructing or planning construction of over 150 new homes in the next two years.

This has been possible through our own funds in addition to funding from the Peter & Lyndy White Foundation and through the Victorian Government.

But significantly more homes are needed. Even at the current rate of construction we could not build enough homes for the 2,062 households already on the lengthy priority housing waitlist, let alone respond to the demand for affordable housing given a dire shortage of private rentals in the region

Housing stress is only going to worsen for people on low and middle incomes. People’s ability to maintain their current housing situation is being increasingly compromised by the rising cost of food, petrol, and other living expenses.