Echuca Neighbourhood House manager Sarah Peake said the rate of homelessness had been steadily increasing during the past 12 months as a direct result of housing and rental prices going up.
“Not everyone is getting a fair chance at housing,” Ms Peake said.
“Long-term renters with good rental history have been forced out of homes that landlords have either sold for a significant amount of money or put new tenants in to charge more money.”
The topic of rising house prices is not a new conversation in Echuca Moama.
According to the Victorian Government’s Rental Statistics Report for the March quarter in 2022, the median rental price in Campaspe has gone up to $380 per week — up from $325 per week in the 2021 March quarter.
Ms Peake said homeless people in the region were often visiting ENH to ask for food relief, for showers or for direction as to where they can find housing.
“We are doing the best we can. The problem is that every emergency housing provider has their hands tied because everywhere is at capacity,” she said.
“I know that some of the providers have resorted to handing out tents just so people can have a bit of shelter over them.
“There’s nothing worse than having people come to you in their time of need, full of desperation, and you are not able to do anything for them except give them a number to a service provider that you know won’t be able to take them in because they’re at capacity.
“The best thing we can do is give them a hot meal and a shower but we’re in week two of winter and it’s already freezing so I can’t even imagine being out in a tent.”
Ms Peake said the ages for people was varied and included young people right through to elderly people.
Even families with young infants have been making an appearance at the house.
According to Ms Peake, there is a family from Bendigo which has been couch surfing in the Campaspe region just so they can have a roof over their heads.
“The father of the family lost his job in the pandemic and couldn’t find replacement work,’’ Ms Peake said.
“They tried for rentals within 100km of Bendigo, but kept getting rejected.’’
“They came to Campaspe, but still couldn’t find anything so they ended up resorting to couch surfing, Ms Peake said.
“That was a family with very young children.
“This family is not alone in their desperation. Last year there was a woman with her nine-year-old sleeping in their car in Moama.”
Ms Peake said the showers at ENH were being used every day by at least one person, and up to a few people, which was an increase of about two to three people each week, when compared to 12 months ago.
“We are anticipating that this number will drop off during winter, as people will be trying to keep as warm and dry as they can, particularly if they are in a tent,” she said.
In terms of food relief, ENH has been getting about five referrals from agencies a week on top of frequent walk-ins, however, volunteers are concerned that people who are camping and have been given food relief packages may not have access to cooking facilities or appliances.
As to what can be done to help alleviate the problem of homelessness, Ms Peake said the community needed more public housing facilities.
“I’ve heard that there are self-contained units in Shepparton that are specifically designed for situations like this — for crisis accommodation,” she said.
“I don’t understand why we don’t have something like that in Echuca Moama when we do have vacant land and we do have empty buildings available.
“For example, look at the Echuca East Primary School. We could put portables on site there for people.”
Ms Peake said the government needed to start addressing the issue of homelessness.
“This is not just a local problem, it’s national,” she said.
“We need their assistance because it’s not getting any better.”
Community members have been urged to donate non-perishable food items and hygiene products to the Echuca Neighbourhood House at 261 High St, Echuca.
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