By Cam Lucadou-Wells
Greater Dandenong has again topped the state for levels of homelessness, up 22 per cent in five years, according to the latest Census data.
It has sparked further urgent calls for more stocks of social and affordable housing, as cost of living and rental shocks bite.
In 2021, there were 2366 experiencing homelessness in Greater Dandenong – equivalent to one in 67 residents.
The next highest rates in metro Melbourne were Brimbank (one in 126), Melbourne (one in 128) and Port Phillip (one in 95) council areas.
Almost half (1111) in Greater Dandenong were crammed in “severely crowded” homes that required a staggering four or more extra bedrooms.
There was also a doubling of Greater Dandenong residents in boarding houses (724).
Twenty-two dwelled in tents, 382 in supported housing for homeless people, and 45 were temporarily staying in other households.
There were a further 2284 not classified as homeless but in ‘other marginal housing’, such as ‘crowded’ dwellings that required three extra bedrooms or in caravan parks. This was down 17 per cent from 2016 levels.
Meanwhile in neighbouring Casey, homelessness soared by 45 per cent from the 2016 census figures. In 2021, there were 1852 residents in homelessness.
Greater Dandenong’s 22 per cent rise mirrors a 24 per cent rise across Victoria.
As recently reported by Star News, housing agencies have warned of rising rental stress and a dire lack of affordable housing in Greater Dandenong.
Wayss homelessness and housing general manager Shari McPhail said the Census showed an “extraordinary” rise in children in families experiencing homelessness in the South East.
Up 115 per cent in Casey, 61 per cent in Greater Dandenong and 77 per cent in Cardinia Shire.
And since the 2021 census, the housing “crisis” had worsened into a “catastrophe”.
On any given night, Wayss has about 35 families, including 80 children, in crisis accommodation in hotels.
“Before now, we could put case management around these families and find longer-term rental accommodation. That’s now becoming more and more difficult,” Ms McPhail said.
“The capacity for us to assist is diminishing.
“We’re using government funds for crisis accommodation more than for getting people in affordable, long-term housing.”
Boarding houses aren’t suitable for families, the 64,000-strong public housing waiting list is growing and affordable rentals are harder to find.
So, hotels were being used for “significant” periods, until families find housing or family and friends to stay with.
“It’s really unsettling for them,” Ms McPhail said.
“These hotels do the best they can but they don’t have cooking facilities, the family all sleep in the same room and it can be difficult to get children to school.”
Ms McPhail said there was a desperate need for more social, affordable housing.
“Despite the State Government’s Big Housing Build, which has been a terrific investment in social and affordable housing, we’re decades behind in social housing per capita.”
According to the Big Housing Build website, there’s been 111 homes completed and 168 underway in Greater Dandenong and the Casey-Cardinia growth corridor at the cost of $104 million.
This isn’t close to housing the 4500-plus homeless in the region.
And it pales in comparison to the 1142 homes completed in City of Melbourne as part of the $5.3 billion Big Housing Build project.
Launch Housing chief executive Bevan Warner said “more housing is not enough and that supported accommodation is required to address health needs, which are correlated with homelessness.”
The Census shows a moderate rise in supported accommodation in Greater Dandenong, with 62 more residents in supported accommodation in 2021 compared to five years earlier.
Launch Housing is involved in Functional Zero projects to end rough sleeping in five council areas – Greater Dandenong, Frankston, Melbourne, Port Phillip and Stonnington.
As of February, there were about 37 people sleeping rough in doorways, parks, under bridges, in cars or in derelict squats in Greater Dandenong, according to Launch Housing stats.
This was down from 51 the previous month.
“We know that hyper-local approaches work here and around the world, focusing on where homelessness occurs – which is increasingly the outer suburbs and regions,” Mr Warner said.
“Of course, investing in more affordable housing and addressing cost of living pressures is essential.
“But with more resources toward Functional Zero projects, we can work together at a local level toward zero homelessness.”
Greater Dandenong Council’s community strengthening acting director Marcus Forster says homelessness in the area was different to Melbourne’s CBD, inner cities and coastal suburbs.
Greater Dandenong’s “ongoing migrant settlement” cohorts make up about 40 per cent of its population.
They face “challenges of low-income levels, high unemployment, unfavourable educational outcomes, a substantial rate of refugee settlement, lower levels of mental and physical health than the Victorian average, and elevated crime rates”, Mr Forster said.
Many of the 1,200 asylum-seekers living within Greater Dandenong “find themselves living in low quality housing, with highly precarious tenures, and inadequate physical standards”.
The council is advocating for more social and affordable housing in Greater Dandenong, as well as higher Commonwealth Rent Assistance payments, Job Seeker allowances and Status Resolution Support Services payments.
Mr Forster said the council was also seeking funding for a bespoke crisis-accommodation centre for women and children experiencing family violence.
Council to Homeless Persons called for the State Government to build 6000 new social housing properties each year for at least a decade, with 10 per cent owned by Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations.
It also urged $224 million to retain the state’s From Homelessness To A Home program over the next four years.
The program provided stable housing and supports for people sleeping rough during Covid.
A State Government spokesperson said the Census data was collected at the “height of the Covid-19 pandemic”, which skewed the causal factors behind homelessness.
Factors like social and affordable housing availability, federal income support payments, employment, family violence and access to support services.
Specialist homelessness services responded to more than 100,000 people experiencing or at risk of homelessness each year, the spokesperson said.
“In the latest Census, Victoria had the highest number of people (7,831 or 32.2 per of the national total) in supported accommodation for the homeless while the number of people counted as sleeping rough declined by 9 per cent.”
The State Government also offers the Private Rental Assistance Program (PRAP), the Housing Establishment Fund (HEF) and RentAssist bond loans to those in crisis, and $50 million for accommodation for 16-24 year olds at risk of homelessness..
