By Cam Lucadou-Wells
A lack of stable, affordable housing is “destroying lives”, says the head of a South East family violence service.
Wellsprings for Women provides specialised family violence case management in Greater Dandenong, Casey and Cardinia council areas.
Chief executive Dalal Smiley says a lack of suitable and affordable housing was contributing to women being reluctant to leave abusive relationships.
“One of our clients is unable to reunite with her children as she is living in a women’s refuge.
“Until she finds suitable housing, she can’t have her children back.
“Not having stable housing is destroying people’s lives, driving others to despair and fostering a generation that has lost all hope of ever owning their own home.”
Another Wellsprings family-violence client, due to not finding any alternative place to live, was compelled to live with the perpetrator.
“Wellsprings is monitoring her situation as she is now at elevated risk of family violence.”
Casey has dwindling affordable rentals and rising mortgage stress. Homelessness has risen by more than 50 per cent since 2016, with Greater Dandenong and Casey ranked the state’s No.1 and No.2.
In a submission to the current State Parliament inquiry into the rental and housing affordability crisis, Wellsprings submitted for increased social, community and public housing for women and children impacted by family violence.
It also called for the release of State-owned land and funding for social housing, as well as affordable housing quotas for high-rise developments and inclusionary zones.
“Having a secure home is a basic human rights issue,” Ms Smiley said.
“How did we get here in Australia? A rich and prosperous first world country, yet we are facing a major housing crisis?”
Southern Homelessness Services Network submitted to the inquiry that there were no affordable one-bedroom dwellings in Casey and Cardinia, and just one in Greater Dandenong in the March quarter.
The “extreme” rental housing pressure was leading to increased use of “inappropriate” and “unaffordable” rooming houses. A room up to $250 a week may involve sharing a bathroom with up to nine people, the SHSN submitted.
It called for help focused on those at risk of homelessness – such as raising Centrelink payments above the poverty line, rent caps and freezes, and a mandatory inclusionary zoning scheme.
At the inquiry, Greater Dandenong Council proposed a 10 per cent mandatory minimum quota of social and affordable housing properties in new 10-or-more-dwelling developments.
Currently, providing “genuinely” affordable housing was voluntary for developers, Greater Dandenong strategic planning manager Brett Jackson told the inquiry.
In its negotiations with developers, the council “hasn’t been successful in getting one” affordable dwelling, Mr Jackson said.
“It’s hard to get that goodwill for that to happen.”
The inquiry resumes on 19 September.
