By KATH GANNAWAY
HOMELESSNESS and housing affordability are not issues for voting Australians if Vote Compass, and the lack of political discussion around it is any indication.
Neither is it listed on the ABC’s list of party policies in the on-line forum that almost a million people have tapped into to see how their views line up with the political parties vieing for their votes.
But with 1200 people showing up on the doorstep of emergency housing agency Anchor in Lilydale each year, CEO John Devine says it’s an issue that is as relevant in Yarra Ranges as it is for the more than 105,000 homeless people across Australia.
“It’s not on the radar at all, but it should be,” he said.
“With so many other issues that are being discussed, nobody is talking about it.”
Former Yarra Ranges councillor Tim Heenan agrees – with both propositions.
Mr Heenan has campaigned to raise awareness of homelessness since 2007, and says the lack of any profile for that issue and housing affordability in the current election debate is staggering.
He says the effect of people who can no longer afford to buy their own home, and who are now staying in the rental market is flowing down.
“Because there is an under supply of affordable housing, they are taking up rental options that could be used for the lowest level of rental and those people are the ones who are becoming homeless,” he said.
Mr Devine said while it was, perhaps, unfair to say people, and politicians, were becoming immune to the problem, it was fair to say that in the political environment that Australia had seen over the past three to four years, other issues had taken centre stage.
“Basically, there’s no money for housing at either federal or state level and the State Government is currently reviewing the sustainability of our public housing system,” Mr Devine said.
“We have an old public housing system that has not seen much in the way of maintenance, and the type of housing that we have is not suitable for current needs.
Mr Devine said that while recent research suggested that levels of homelessness had not increased, the complex of issues about the lack of affordable housing had increased.
“Those issues are around lack of stability, increases in both mental and physical health issues, the lack of connection with community and housing affordability.
“The reality is that affordable housing is becoming more and more a dream in our community for many people,” he said.
From Mr Heenan’s perspective, which has included sleeping out in a cardboard box in Lilydale to make the point, voters need to put it back on the agenda by asking their local candidates what they are doing about it.
