MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire councillors have rejected a motion to declare a homelessness emergency after the deputy mayor warned state and federal government inaction would pass “the burden onto the ratepayer”. The shire has had a housing crisis declaration in place since 2021 in response to the growing pressure on housing affordability and availability across the peninsula. But with the peninsula now having the highest number of people sleeping rough out of any local government area in Victoria, Cr Max Patton moved a motion at the council’s 2 September meeting calling for a homelessness emergency to formally recognise the worsening situation.…
Browsing: Homeless
POLITICIANS can expect to face increasing pressure to provide housing for the homeless, especially women, on the Mornington Peninsula.A report on the “homelessness crisis” by community group Peninsula Voice showed that more than 1000 people couch surf, sleep in their car or sleep rough every night on the peninsula. Increasingly, these people are women and children fleeing family violence. Emergency accommodation is virtually non-existent and women on the foreshore have experienced family violence and sexual assault before and while on the foreshore.These statistics and first hand experiences of the crisis were given to Housing, Water and Equality Minister Harriet Shingh…