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Wednesday 7 August 2024
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Rolling up their sleeves TEN volunteers from Hastings Fire Brigade gave the gift of life recently, donating blood as part of the Australian Red Cross Lifeblood 2024 Emergency Services Blood Drive. The Hastings donors were welcomed for a group donation at the Australian Red Cross Lifeblood Donor Centre in Frankston on 26 July, where six donated whole blood and four gave plasma. Six were first-time donors. The Emergency Services Blood Drive runs from 1 June to 31 August each year, with emergency service personnel encouraged to get behind the good cause and donate to save lives. Picture: Supplied See ‘CFA members give the gift of life’ - Page 6
Homelessness on the rise Keith Platt keith@mpnews.com.au
INCREASING numbers of homeless people and spiralling demand for emergency help are fuelling the housing crisis on the Mornington Peninsula. Rising costs and a shortage of affordable housing has led to six peninsula towns being categorised as “suffering housing stress higher than the Australian average”. With 35 per cent of residents facing rental stress and 16 per cent of homeless residents sleeping rough
every night, Mornington Peninsula Shire is ranked as the fourth worst local government area in the state. Statistically, things have worsened since the shire declared a “housing crisis” in 2021. The mayor Cr Simon Brooks said it was “alarming to know that over the past year, on any given night, there were 600 people experiencing homelessness on the peninsula”. In July 2021, Mornington Community Support Centre helped 21 clients, a number that jumped to 44 in July this year. At the same time, emergency relief assessments at Mornington went
from 274 to 413 last month. Western Port Community Support had 199 emergency relief assessments in July 2019, 473 last year and 608 in July this year. In July 2019, 38 clients were supported, 43 in 2023 and 58 this year. In addition to supporting those who are acutely homeless the program has a strong focus on prevention and providing critical interventions to stabilise an individual’s or family’s housing situation, aiming to avoid these people from falling into homelessness,” Western Port Community Support’s executive officer Georgia Hourn said.
“The demand for our program has increased in line with the current housing crisis and we are seeing new clients every day presenting for critical housing support. “Homelessness in our region is often very hidden and spread out across our extensive Western Port coastline. We are witnessing a lot more individuals and families couch surfing, living in overcrowded dwellings, living in cars, and rough sleeping. “In particular is the concerning rise in the number of elderly females experiencing homelessness or in serious housing stress and facing eviction.”
Southern Peninsula Community Support CEO Jeremy Maxwell said the centre had seen 771 “unique clients” in 2023-2024, a 33 per cent increase from the previous year. While seeing its “important role” as including planning scheme support, supporting services and land release, the shire says state and federal governments are primary responsible for social and affordable housing. The shire says it has “significant concerns that our local context will not be considered” and it may miss out on its “fair share” on money from the two other tiers of government. Continued Page 10
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