Community members attended a vigil last Thursday as part of Homelessness Week to honour community members who are homeless and further galvanise the community on action happening locally to address the housing crisis.
The vigil was coordinated by My Home Network (MHN) and Castlemaine Housing Service.
Approximately 40 people gathered at the Castlemaine Market Building and reflected on the 17 lit candles that represented our community members sleeping rough on any given night. They also reflected on the 50 plus community members who are couch surfing or staying with friends or family because they have no affordable secure housing, as well as the 200 plus families in housing crisis seeking assistance from the Castlemaine Housing Service.
Vigil attendees had their photos taken holding signs with messages addressing homelessness, which were published on social media.
Pauline Bolch of Nalderun Education Aboriginal Corporation (NEAC) started the vigil with an Acknowledgment of Country in which she acknowledged the passing of Uncle Archie Roach and his significant contribution to restoration and reconciliation in Australia.
She also acknowledged that for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples home is also connection to Country, Community and Culture and for so many of them, including Uncle Archie, that was and continues to be taken away from them.
Dhelkaya Health’s Acting Manager of Housing and Family Services Purdy Buckle spoke about homelessness and the housing crisis in our shire and their housing services.
“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.
My Home Network coordinator Kaz Neilson, spoke of MHN’s short and medium term action already happening to address homelessness and the housing crisis locally including advocacy to Federal and State governments to increase crisis and transition housing and social housing, the increase in Home Share, engaging with shop top and vacant dwellings landlords to explore releasing vacant properties as affordable rentals, and engaging with local accommodation providers to release accommodation as crisis and transition housing.
Ms Buckle was moved by the response to the vigil.
“It was great to see so many community members supporting the vigil and joining local action to address the housing crisis,” she said.
My Home Network (MHN) 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.
Homelessness Week (August 1-7) is an annual national event coordinated by Homelessness Australia to raise awareness of homelessness and its impacts, as well as the broader and deeper systemic changes needed to address it.
For more information on the MHN contact Kaz at CarolynNeilson@bendigohealth.org.au