Urgent Action Now on Homelessness as Crisis Escalates

Almost 3000 people were experiencing homelessness or at risk of becoming homeless across the Goulburn and Oven Murray regions in 2023-2024, according to data released by Beyond Housing in the lead-up to Homelessness Week (5-11 August).

The statistics also reveal a surge in people seeking assistance for the first time, with 1,211 individuals accessing Beyond Housing’s specialist homelessness services over the past year at its offices in Seymour, Shepparton, Wangaratta, and Wodonga.

This significant influx, many of whom have never accessed homelessness services, points to a growing crisis in our regions, according to Celia Adams, CEO of Beyond Housing, who expressed deep concern and called for immediate action.

The leading reasons for people seeking support include housing crisis or eviction, family violence, housing and financial stress.

“These statistics underscore a crisis that has been escalating for years despite continuous warnings from service providers like us.

“The data also highlights the grave and disproportionate impact on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, who make up nearly 17% of the homeless seeking support despite being only 3% of the general population.”

Ms Adams said the prevalence of rough sleepers in the regions is particularly alarming and paints a stark picture of the extreme conditions many individuals and families face. The data shows that 310 people were sleeping in parks, caravan parks, or couch surfing, 125 were sleeping in cars, 121 were living in tents, and 35 were living in overcrowded, improvised or inappropriate dwellings such as sheds.

“This persistent neglect and lack of action is unacceptable. We must urgently address the systemic issues driving homelessness and commit to providing meaningful, long-term solutions.”

The theme for Homelessness Week 2024, “Homelessness Action Now,” calls for urgent action on these pressing issues and the changes necessary to ensure everyone has access to safe, secure, and affordable housing.

“We need substantial investments in social housing, increased JobSeeker payments, higher rent assistance, and incentives for affordable private rentals and key worker housing,” Ms Adams said.

“We must act now to address this crisis head-on.”

Over the next two years, Beyond Housing will build 300 new social housing properties in 18 locations across the Goulburn and Ovens Murray regions.

“While this is a step in the right direction, this clearly isn’t enough to meet the growing demand for safe, secure, affordable housing,” Ms Adams said.

“We need a sustained commitment to significantly increase social housing. Without this, we will see even more people forced into unsafe and unstable living conditions.

“Governments at all levels must make the construction of new social housing a top priority beyond the current election cycle. The time for action is now.”

Key homelessness statistics for 2023-2024:

Total number: 2949 (2,777 adults, 172 children)

New clients: 1,211

Identified as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander: 18%

Female clients: 57%

People over 55 years: 341

People citing mental health issues: 1,239