Community members are invited to attend a vigil next Thursday afternoon, August 4 to honour those who are homeless and further galvanise the community action happening locally to address the housing crisis.
The event coincides with Homelessness Week (August 1-7) an annual national event used to raise awareness of homelessness and its impacts and the broader and deeper systemic changes needed to address it.
Homelessness Week is coordinated by Homelessness Australia and this local vigil is being coordinated by the My Home Network (MHN) and Dhelkaya Community Health Housing Team to highlight how this issue impacts those in our local community.
Dhelkaya Community Health housing services manager Purdy Buckle said on any given night 64 community members are homeless in Mount Alexander Shire.
“More than 250 families are seeking support for housing crisis, there is a shortfall of around 100 diverse, safe and affordable rental homes,” Ms Buckle said.
“Our shire needs at least around 687 social housing units and far more crisis and transition housing to meet current demand. Currently there is only one motel room for crisis housing,” she said.
“Homelessness and the risk of homelessness can profoundly affect a person’s mental and physical health, education, employment opportunities, connection to community and their ability to fully participate in society,” Ms Buckle said.
Everyone is invited to attend the vigil at the Castlemaine Market Building on August 4 from 4pm-5pm and hear about the local housing supports and how we can increase crisis, transition and longer term affordable housing in our shire.
My Home Network is a collaboration of community and government organisations, community members and lived experience of homelessness formed in response to increasing concerns about the lack of affordable, safe, secure, sustainable and appropriate housing in Mount Alexander Shire. It is coordinated by Central Victorian Prevention and Population Health of Bendigo Health.
For more information about MHN and the love push to create more affordable housing email CarolynNeilson@bendigohealth.org.au