The City of Ballarat has released a new protocol on homelessness which aims to address the needs of those sleeping rough in the parks and public spaces of the town.
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The six-page document lays out the proposed application of principles and enforcement of local and state laws where breaches of those laws have been determined.
According to the document released yesterday, “council will respond to a person who is or appears homeless in the following circumstances:
- They request assistance;
- They appear distressed or in need of assistance;
- They are sheltering in circumstances that threatened the health and safety of themselves and/or others (e.g. in derelict buildings);
- Their behaviour threatens their own safety or the safety of others;
- Their behaviour is likely to result in damage to property or to the environment;
- Their safety is threatened by others;
- They appear to be under the age of 16.”
Homeless people will be referred to support services including the Uniting Ballarat Street 2 Home program, and information about resources such as Opening Doors crisis support will be supplied to them.
Compliance and delegated officers of council will have the power to remove and impound the personal belongings of homeless people where those belongings cause a hazard or obstruction, within certain parameters.
Grampians Homeless Network co-ordinator Jax Roan said the City of Ballarat protocol doesn’t go far enough to address the main driver of homelessness: a lack of affordable housing.
“They talk about recognising the different types of homelessness, but all they’re doing with this protocol is dealing with an individual,” she said. “It’s about what we’ll do about that person sleeping rough, not about addressing homelessness in town.”
“Council could have taken this opportunity to actually do something in the affordable living space.”
“We can throw all the money in the world at people sleeping rough, but if you don’t have somewhere safe and secure to go home to with support, what’s going to happen to you?”
The number of employed Australians needing homelessness assistance has increased 30 per cent over the last three years, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
Uniting Ballarat consulted on the document. Executive officer Sean Duffy said there is still more to be done.
“The number of people sleeping rough is increasing, and they’re probably the most at-risk population.
“Homelessness is a really complex issue, I applaud them for trying to consider it on a day-to-day basis,” he said. “There’s much to be done with City of Ballarat and other services collaboratively around creating more affordable housing.”
Centacare CEO Tony Fitzgerald agrees.
“The bottom line problem is we don’t have enough stock of social affordable housing, and the demand for that stock is increasing. We need a larger amount of single-dwelling houses where people can be supported, where we can supply wraparound services,” Mr Fitzgerald said.