The State Government Legislative Council’s Legal and Social Issues Committee is inviting community members to share their views and ideas on addressing homelessness in Victoria.
An online submission form has been launched to collect information from people and organisations that have experience with homelessness and want to put forward suggestions to the committee.
“We are putting the spotlight on homelessness in our state, to assess the scale of it and to identify ways in which we can best address it,” committee chair Fiona Patten said.
“We want to hear from people across our community, living in urban and regional areas, so that we can make evidence-based recommendations on actions that are needed.”
The online submission form is aimed at making it easier for people to provide their views to the inquiry.
It is the first stage of the inquiry, which is investigating the many social, economic and policy factors that impact on homelessness.
The committee will also seek to identify policies and practices from all levels of government that have a bearing on delivering services to the homeless.
Star News Group has previously reported on the extent of the homelessness crisis in the City of Casey.
In July, we shared the story of Jason, who had been camping at the Salvation Army in Cranbourne as a lack of crisis centres in Casey meant he had no where else to go.
At the time, WAYYS CEO Elizabeth Thomas told Star News Group that during 2018-19 they supported 4,950 cases of people faced with homelessness in Casey and Cardinia.
At the Casey Council meeting on 16 July, mayor Amanda Stapledon successfully moved a motion to consider a pop-up shelter model currently being trialled in Brisbane for people experiencing homelessness.
The model called ‘Beddown’ aims to utilise spaces often left empty at night, where people are provided a bed in a safe and secure environment.
Charitable organisations would also help with laundry, showers, food, and clothing as well as a visit from a doctor and dentist, she said.
The council has its eye on transforming car parks, church buildings, community halls and other sites in Casey into pop-up shelters.
For more information on the inquiry, go to the Committee’s website: www.parliament.vic.gov.au/lsic-lc/article/4284.
