WELFARE workers are calling for an end to the scapegoating of homeless people over thefts and anti-social behaviour on the Mornington Peninsula.
The call follows an incident on Tuesday 22 August near the Rosebud foreshore, where a 36-year-old woman allegedly assaulted a police officer after she was seen throwing objects into traffic and behaving erratically on Point Nepean Road.
The woman, from Dromana, allegedly spat at officers and was arrested at the scene. She was charged with assaulting police and remanded in custody to appear before Frankston Magistrates’ Court at a later date.
CEO of the Mornington Community Support, Ben Smith, said social media had run hot with claims that homeless people were behind many of the anti-social incidents on the peninsula, as well as a recent spate of thefts and break-ins.
He said the incident at Rosebud should not be classified as an issue with homelessness, but was related to lack of mental health support for “those with high needs”.
“There is an unrealistic expectation by some in our community that people can afford to live below the poverty line on Jobseeker or DSP, while trying to manage physical and mental health concerns, rapidly rising food and utility expenses, insufficient public transport, and lack of affordable housing, all the while remaining calm. Crime is a symptom of a larger problem,” Smith said.
He said there was no government money for homelessness outreach workers, outreach mental health workers, and extremely inadequate levels of public and social housing on the peninsula.
“Staff at the community support centres and Bolton Clarke are the doing that work, largely funded by philanthropy,” he said.
“We need outreach workers focused on mental health support. Our agencies are doing our utmost to feed those who are hungry, and connect people to services, but we are small and underfunded to do all the work required to completely transform poverty on the peninsula.”
CEO of Southern Peninsula Community Support, Jeremy Maxwell, said he was also concerned by recent Facebook posts suggesting there was an increase in crime related to an increase in homelessness.
“I don’t believe that’s true and to say so is demonising people who are marginalised and impacted by homelessness. I strongly believe that is neither fair nor appropriate,” he said.
“At Southern Peninsula Community Support we are not seeing any evidence of more crime generally, but rather evidence of increased distress and anxiety as people struggle with the cost of living and the affordable housing crisis.”
Maxwell said the cost-of-living crisis was impacting thousands of people across the peninsula.
“What I believe, and it stands to reason, is that the struggle to manage cost of living pressures has meant many people are desperately trying to find different ways to survive. Sadly, for a few, that probably includes crime,” he said.
“I think that if we were able to know all of the offenders, we would find that most of them would be housed but struggling. Yes, there will be some people committing crimes who are homeless but, in reality, most are victims of the cost-of-living crisis who have been forced to settle for a survival strategy of living rough or on a couch or in their car.
“For those of us who have good jobs or finances, we are privileged, let us not kid ourselves, we can easily make survival choices that don’t include crime.
“It seems to me that if we are truly concerned about crime then we should do everything in our power to help people to live better not just survive. At the very least let’s all have some empathy and caring for those struggling to survive, instead of demonising. Why not offer a hand of help.”
Maxwell said mental health services the peninsula were “generally inadequate”, but for those who were homeless with mental health issues, outreach services were “non-existent”.
“If people think untreated mental health conditions will suddenly get better by themselves then they are out of touch with reality,” he said.
Mornington Peninsula Shire Council mayor Cr Steve Holland said the state government was responsible for the providing social and affordable housing but the council was advocating for an urgent investment by the state and federal governments in social and affordable housing on the peninsula, as well as crisis accommodation.
“We are also advocating for measures to balance the number of short-term rentals and long-term rentals, and for funding for outreach workers to engage directly with residents at risk of becoming homeless.”
First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 29 August 2023
