More Geelong people pushed to homelessness in 2020-21, new data shows

As the pandemic continues to drive up competition for affordable rentals in the Geelong region, new data reveals those most vulnerable seeking support.

Thousands of people from the Geelong region accessed homelessness services in the 2020-21 financial year, new figures reveal.

In 2020-21, 4774 Greater Geelong clients accessed specialist homelessness services (SHS), down from 4829 the financial year prior, the data shows.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) data said there were 142 clients from the Surf Coast in 2020-21, up from 115 in 2019-20.

The data determines client location by where they resided in the week before their first support period in the financial year.

Council to Homeless Persons chief executive Jenny Smith said in the past year as more people moved from Melbourne to regional areas such as the Surf Coast, competition for rentals had increased and prices skyrocketed.

Homelessness in Victoria has risen once JobSeeker support during the pandemic was removed. Picture: Jonathan Ng

“It has become very hard for locals on low incomes to find a rental they can afford, pushing more people into homelessness,” she said.

Ms Smith said when JobSeeker was effectively doubled during the pandemic, homelessness in Victoria fell significantly.

“But homelessness spiked when that support was removed, and is now on the rise again,” she said.

“That trend will continue unless income support payments are increased to levels that enable people to afford rent.”

One in 63 people in Victoria received homelessness assistance, higher than the national rate (one in 92), according to the AIHW.

SHS assisted almost 278,300 Australians during 2020-21, including 116,200 people who had experienced family and domestic violence.

In 2020-21, 4774 Greater Geelong clients accessed specialist homelessness services.

The SHS annual report 2020-21 included information from 1698 agencies, which received government funding to help Australians who were experiencing homelessness, or at risk of homelessness.

“People experiencing homelessness and at risk of homelessness are among the most socially and economically disadvantaged people in Australia,” AIHW spokeswoman Gabrielle Phillips said.

“SHS agencies help people in a variety of ways, such as providing accommodation services, assistance to sustain housing, meals and showers or laundry facilities, counselling and general support.”

Dr Phillips said of the clients SHS supported in 2020-21, 111,100 were homeless when they presented for help and 144,500 were at risk of homelessness.

“The majority of clients were female (60 per cent or almost 167,400 clients) and three in 10 clients were aged under 18 (28 per cent or over 78,500),” Dr Phillips said.

The number of clients assisted in 2020-21 was lower than in 2019-20, and the AIHW said one of the reasons for this may have been people accessing services provided by other organisations – not SHS – as part of government responses to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Originally published as More Geelong people pushed to homelessness in 2020-21, new data shows