Australia can reduce the number of people experiencing homelessness by half over the next 10 years, according to new analysis from Homelessness Australia.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The national peak body for homelessness services is calling on all sides of politics to make election commitments to ending homelessness, starting with a 50 per cent reduction by 2032.
It comes as data from Ballarat's homelessness entry point Uniting reveals there are more than 200 households waiting for housing and support of priority lists.
Sixty households are currently residing in emergency accommodation in hotels and motels, including families with children.
A lot of people have received notice to vacates from the their rentals and there are not enough rentals in Ballarat to find another property.
- Adam Liversage, Uniting Ballarat
Uniting Ballarat senior manager homelessness Adam Liversage said he was 'extremely concerned' about how these people would survive moving forward, with extra COVID funding for the sector running out.
He said people may have to exit motel accommodation into homelessness as there were no other options.
"Our entry point responding to homelessness has continued to see an increase of presentations, including an increase of those over 50 years of age," Mr Liversage said.
"A lot of these presentations have received notice to vacates from the their rentals and there are not enough rentals in Ballarat for these people to find another property. This is a new trend."
Homelessness Australia released its election platform last week, showing increasing income support by $35 per day would prevent 35,800 households from experiencing homelessness this year.
By 2032 this would have helped 456,400 households to avoid homelessness.
Homelessness services in Ballarat, including Uniting, are calling for more housing and support for people.
RELATED COVERAGE: Ballarat's rate of homelessness almost doubles Australia's average
Homelessness Australia analysis shows 25,000 new social housing properties per year and the programs to needed to sustain people in the homes would end 275,000 instances of homelessness.
The same investment would prevent 175,000 more instances of homelessness in the ten years to 2032.
Data reveals the number of households without homes is expected to grow over the next decade from 165,000 to more than 220,000 without these measures.
RELATED COVERAGE: Ballarat innovators with plan to address homelessness crisis
Mr Liversage said the Street 2 Home team working with rough sleepers in the region was at capacity, case managing 46 rough sleepers, attempting to engage with a further 24 and six yet to be assessed.
This totals up to 76 people sleeping rough in Central Highlands region, a number that has doubled in the past six months.
"Assertive outreach workers have advised there are less options and no access to affordable housing," Mr Liversage said.
"People are struggling to maintain basic needs, battling with mental ill-health, accessing medical services and other relevant essential services."
Homelessness Australia chair Jenny Smith said it was time for all political parties to commit to ending homelessness.
"In 2020, while the COVID supplement increase to income support was in place, we saw a massive reduction in homelessness. We're calling on political leaders to make that permanent," she said.
Have you signed up to The Courier's variety of news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in Ballarat.