By ANEEKA SIMONIS
IN the past three years, 135 eviction notices have been issued to Pakenham residents ahead of ejection from their rental homes.
The finding comes as Pakenham is rated as one of the most disadvantaged communities state-wide.
According to Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA), Pakenham is among the 35 per cent most disadvantaged communities in Victoria.
Though house prices, mortgage and rental repayments are significantly less in the outer east compared to those recorded in inner Melbourne, dozens of Pakenham renters are falling on tough times financially.
In addition to high financial stress, debt often lingers over the heads of individuals and families living across Cardinia Shire.
According to a credit agency VEDA, Cardinia Shire residents experience the highest level of financial stress and debt across the state’s nine interface councils.
According to Cardinia Shire Council, an average of four families are moving into the area each day – one of which is estimated to suffer some sort of vulnerability affecting their quality of life.
Just under 20 per cent of children across the shire were identified as having some sort of developmental vulnerability in a 2012 Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) report.
Financial stressors, along with significant mental health and drug/alcohol issues experienced across the shire, are driving up local homelessness.
Pakenham 4Cs operations manager Abiola Ajetomobi recently told the Gzette that winter was a particularly hard period for people struggling with financial hardship.
“It’s one of our challenges to make sure that families aren’t left out in the cold or living in their car,” she said.
“People get sick in winter and many can’t cope. There are more expenses in trying to heat the house and buy warm clothing.
The Pakenham Gazette recently revealed the highest proportion of homelessness exists in the city’s south-east, a trend largely following the Pakenham/Cranbourne line.
Council described homelessness as a “critical” issue, compounded by the lack of local affordable or welfare housing options.
“Currently, there are limited housing options for those experiencing financial hardship or presenting with crisis and emergency situations, and local service providers are struggling to provide any short, long or sustainable rental support,” said council spokesperson Paul Dunlop.
Council’s Housing Strategy Strategic Plan 2013-’18 outlines commitments to relieve individuals or families at risk of homelessness by advocating housing service providers to develop in the area among other initiatives.
