General News
11 August, 2024
The issue of homelessness can be solved: 600 registered across the Wimmera
More houses, less homeless is Uniting Care's aim in the Wimmera
More than six hundred people registered as homeless in the Wimmera last year, but numbers could be much higher if people are couch surfing, sleeping in cars, or out of sight in the region were registered.
"There is a simple cure for homelessness; it's housing," said Network Coordinator for the Wimmera Homelessness Alliance Michelle Twigger, at the sausage sizzle fundraiser on Thursday, August 8, in Horsham.
"We know the issue of homelessness can be solved, but we need more houses to solve it.
"The housing shortage is at crisis level, and until that is addressed, we will see more people sleeping rough as the cost of living increases," she said.
The fundraiser was hosted by Uniting Care and supported by Horsham Rotary Club members who cooked the barbeque.
Sausages in bread with an assortment of condiments, including coleslaw, were free, but those who could were encouraged to donate for sleeping bags and tents for people experiencing homelessness.
"Providing sleeping bags and tents is not the answer, and it is not what our mission is; we want people to have houses, but in the interim, we have had to use these measures to make sure people are warm and dry in the winters months especially," she said.
"We have 130 people registered sleeping rough in Horsham at present," she said.
Uniting Care offers support in many areas, including homelessness support, crisis accommodation services, homeless emergency accommodation, transitional emergency accommodation, and tenancy rights.
Uniting Care's challenge in providing these services is the need for more housing.
"We use motels and hotels for short-term emergency accommodation, but we frequently find they are fully booked with tourists and workers, so finding that short-term accommodation is becoming more of a challenge, too," she said
Statistics show that many of the homeless are women and children, and in the case of family violence, the women flee to escape violence when, realistically, the women and children should remain in the family home.
With the increase in rents and mortgage payments, the number of people looking for affordable housing in the region is expected to increase, placing more pressure on the housing market and community care agencies.
Barbeques were also held in Stawell and Ararat on Homeless Week 2024 this week.