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Housing debate’s big lie
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SPORT
Graffiti frustrations Community distaste for the graffiti plastered on the train track overpass on Clyde Road has reached a boiling point, as councillors and residents gathered in a push for action. Story page 3 Councillors and residents gathered at the base of the Pakenham train line overpass in Clyde Road, Berwick, as they expressed their frustrations about the graffiti’s impact on the suburb’s, and Casey’s character. (Ethan Benedicto: 493693)
Crisis response By Ethan Benedicto As the Southeast Homelessness and Housing Alliance takes shape across Casey, Cardinia, and Greater Dandenong, schools are emerging as unexpected, but essential, first responders in the fight against youth homelessness. Lyndhurst Secondary College has seen an alarming rise in students facing unstable living
conditions, with some as young as Year 7 turning up to class after nights spent couch surfing, sleeping in parks, or going without a proper meal. Educators and wellbeing staff are increasingly stepping into roles beyond the classroom, providing meals, after-hours supervision, and frontline mental health support. The growing pressure on schools reflects a
broader issue raised at the Alliance’s launch: that homelessness doesn’t begin with a loss of shelter; it begins with the absence of stability, support, and safe spaces. With term breaks identified as particularly high-risk periods for vulnerable youth, schools are often the only consistent refuge for at-risk students. The Alliance itself was launched as a coor-
dinated response to the escalating housing and homelessness crisis across the southeast. Bringing together councils, frontline organisations, and service providers, it aims to build stronger local networks to address systemic gaps, particularly for young people who often fall through the cracks. For the full stories, turn to Pages 4 and 6
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