UnitingCare manager of housing and crisis support Wendy Ferguson has been working in the Ballarat homeless sector for more than 15 years.

She said a dire shortage in housing, lack of crisis accommodation for vulnerable youth and the increasingly complex needs of people facing homelessness were only adding to the severity of the city’s hidden crisis.    

“The issues leading to people to homelessness are becoming far more complex,” Ms Ferguson said. “They have higher needs. There are a lot of mental health issues, more alcohol and drug abuse, particularly higher rates of ice (crystal methamphetamine), family violence is a contributing factor and rising rates of family breakdowns are only worsening the situation.” 

The service’s rates of homelessness from the last financial year revealed more than 700 children, 631 single people and almost 100 couples sought emergency housing assistance. On any given day, the service was inundated by up to 40 people seeking emergency housing.  

“The main problem is lack of housing supply,” she said. “We urgently need more units of housing including more one bedroom stock for the rising rates of single and elderly people who find themselves homeless. But on top of this, we also need larger properties for families.”

Ms Ferguson also called for an after hours refuge program for homeless youth mirroring the highly successful motel style accommodation rolled out by the Salvation Army in Geelong. She also said more long-term housing options were paramount to breaking the cycle of homelessness in Ballarat.  

This week, the Halving Homelessness: Think Tank Ballarat forum will bring together people from all walks of life. The forum is the coinage of Leadership Ballarat and Western Region, Committee for Ballarat and UnitingCare Ballarat.  

The Halving Homelessness: Think Tank Ballarat will be held on August 18 at Housey Housey, 12 Armstrong Street North from 4.30pm.