By ANEEKA SIMONIS
LIMITED social housing availability is becoming an increasing problem for thousands of people across the city’s south-east.
The state government has flagged the housing problem as a high priority, creating a new register to remove the red tape for many people including the area’s increasing homeless population.
According to the Victorian Department of Human Services, there are more than 3800 people on the waiting list for housing in the southern Melbourne region including in Cardinia shire and the City of Casey.
The south-eastern region has the greatest number of people on housing wait lists state-wide.
The new housing register aims to reduce the difficulty faced by people who are in need of social housing by allowing them to fill in a single form rather than multiple forms for different housing organisations and better co-ordinate the state’s housing providers.
But the register does not solve the growing issue of homelessness, with demand for shelter soaring in the region.
According to 4C’s crisis relief centre in Pakenham, a lack of affordable housing is sending more people onto the streets.
The centre, which focuses on supplying food to those in crisis, only has enough funding for one crisis accommodation property – its House of Hope, which provides families with temporary accommodation for up to 12 weeks.
Nearby, the Pakenham Caravan Park provides tent space for those in need.
However, the park has only two tent spaces available, each with a four-day stay limitation to help manage the demand.
“It would be great to have more land so we could accommodate more people but, unfortunately, we don’t,” said a spokesperson from Pakenham Caravan Park.
“We have a lot of people here that have nowhere else to go.
“We are trying to serve the community as best we can.
4C’s Client Services Manager Bec Burr said the centre is now issuing knapsacks for people who come to them for housing.
She said the weatherproofed swag is a small contribution to a problem that is out of control.
