A paper housing initiative will build upon a call for the state government to take action and help end homelessness.
The Victorian Homelessness Network will host its Houses at Parliament campaign to fold 60,000 origami houses to highlight the scale of the state’s homelessness crisis.
Barwon and South West Homelessness Network coordinator Rebecca Callahan said the number of origami houses represented a demand for more public and community housing.
“The first step to ending homelessness is ensuring people have access to housing they can afford,” she said.
“There needs to be a commitment to build a pipeline of public and community housing beyond the Big Housing Build.”
Meli Housing and Homelessness manager Jo Baillon said the campaign was an important way to honour National Homelessness Week, running from Monday, August 4, to Sunday, August 10.
“Victoria’s homelessness crisis is unacceptable, and local homelessness agencies are calling for urgent solutions,” she said.
More than 5,290 people from the Barwon region received support for homelessness during the 2023-2024 financial year, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
Close to 4800 households in the City of Greater Geelong were also found to be experiencing homelessness or family violence as of March 31, according to the Victorian Housing Register.
Visit vhn.org.au/housesatparliament for more information or to participate in the Houses at Parliament campaign.
