The Geelong community will come together to mark World Homelessness Day through unity and by raising awareness during a vigil for increased social housing.
Members of the Real Deal Geelong Alliance will host a vigil at Norlane Community Centre on Friday 17 October from 5pm, following the national day held on 10 October to draw attention to the needs of homeless people.
Community organiser Sally Fisher said it was important for community members and leaders to hear about the current housing situation from people with lived experience of the issue.
“It’s fundamentally important that we get housing right so that we can have people actually flourishing in our community,” she said.
“A lot of households are paying well above 30 per cent at the moment, and that’s creating a lot of hardship which flows through to other issues such as food insecurity.
“We’ve got over 5000 households now waiting on a priority wait list for social housing, and they could be stuck on that list for years and years while waiting for a home to be available.”
Ms Fisher said there were “disadvantaged and vulnerable populations” within the Greater Geelong region that were impacted by the housing crisis.
“One of the biggest drivers of people needing social housing is domestic and family violence, so women and children who need a safe place to live so that they can live a safe and productive life,” she said.
“It’s important that we have this social housing available so that we can stop that cycle of family violence and reduce the impacts that it’s having in that community.
“First Nations people are overrepresented in homelessness as well, and that injustice needs to be addressed through better access to social housing.”
Ms Fisher said the Real Deal Geelong Alliance would also continue to advocate for retention and use of well-located public land for building social housing, which is currently being considered by council.
Vigil coordinator Orisi Qaranivalu said he was glad to see City of Greater Geelong council supporting the call for state-regulated mandatory inclusionary zoning.
“(This will) ensure enough social housing is built in new housing estates and that the city is calling for a state government social housing target and delivery timeline,” he said.
“But we need all governments to act now as the housing crisis is getting worse every day, especially for those on the lowest incomes.
“We oppose the sale of council-owned land which had been identified for social housing and want to see the council use some of its vacant land for the community’s greatest need; a safe, secure home.”
