Hunt for affordable housing

By Kath Gannaway
HOUSING – supply and afforability – was acknowledged as a major issue at the Prime Minister’s 2020 Summit on the weekend.
On Monday, the issue will be pushed around again at a more local level.
The Upper Yarra Community Building Initiative (CBI) will host a forum in Yarra Junction aimed at establishing what the problems are and, hopefully, finding solutions.
CBI members Pastor Luke Whiteside and Bernadette Douglas are coordinating the forum.
The Mail has reported consistently in recent years of the lack of affordable housing for low-income families and there is an acknowledged lack in particular of rental accommodation.
The pressure of rising interest rates is further impacting on the rental market with landlords being forced out of the market as rent payments fail to match rising mortgage repayments.
Pastor Whiteside said the forum is aimed at anyone who is affected by housing issues.
“It will be a time to hear from people and get some good information from those who are affected, working with it and from people with ideas on how to solve some of the problems,” he said.
“It’s about working as a community to find some answers.”
Representatives from the organisations at the coal-face of housing issues – Community Housing, The Office of Housing and Salvation Army East Care as well as Gembrook MP Tammy Lobato – are among those taking part in the forum.
Ms Lobato said unemployment and the increased cost of living are just two factors which are having an impact.
“I’m aware that more people are facing homelessness in the Upper Yarra with the economic realities of increased petrol and grocery prices, higher rents and rising interest rates beginning to bite,” she said.
“Issues of unemployment in the Upper Yarra are also adding to the problem and I know first hand of people sleeping in cars and tents. This should not be the situation in a just society.”
Ms Lobato said she was looking forward to taking part in the forum and congratulated Luke Whiteside and the CBI for his initiative in organising it.
“As someone who has provided affordable housing concepts to the forum for discussion, I am keen to explore with the participants different ideas about how we can tackle the housing issue,” she said.
“I have already raised the issue of homelessness in the Upper Yarra with the Minister for Housing and he has assured me that the Government is committed to increasing the supply of social housing. I think the forum will be helpful not only in exploring ideas but in getting an accurate picture of the current difficulties faced by people in the region.”
The forum will be held at the Eastern Access Community Health offices (the Purple Church) at 2468 Warburton Highway, Yarra Junction, on Monday 28 April from 10am to 2.30am.
For further information contact Pastor Whiteside on 0423 652 388.