Melbourne squatters block Salvation Army bid to rehouse family violence victims

THE SALVATION Army has raised concerns homes set aside for domestic violence victims are being used by squatters, including backpackers and uni students.

The houses being occupied by squatters in Bendigo St, Collingwood.

THE Salvation Army has raised concerns that people squatting in inner-city homes set aside for domestic violence victims include backpackers and university students.

The Salvation Army and the Collingwood Football Club’s Magpies Nest Housing Project charity had leased three of the 13 occupied properties, for the use of disadvantaged people including women and children fleeing family violence.

“We have filled 17 properties with homeless people and women who are escaping domestic violence,” the Salvos’ Major Brendan Nottle said.

“However, while we were waiting for three of the houses to be handed over, the squatters occupied the properties.

“We’ve got people on our waiting list ready to go into those houses.

“Finding safe accommodation is hard enough. If those stories are true (about backpackers squatting), that is really disappointing.

Kelly Whitworth and Luci Spectre. Picture: Norm Oorloff

“We are more than willing to talk to the squatters (about finding them accommodation) if they are homeless.”

An interim Supreme Court injunction prevents squatters being evicted from the properties, which were acquired by the former government during preparations for the East West Link road and then left empty after the current government scrapped the project.

Pending the outcome of the legal battle, the State Government is paying water and utility bills at some of the properties as well as for security guards to work 24 hours a day to stop squatters from occupying other vacant homes.

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Fitzroy Legal Service, which received more than $640,000 in government grants in 2014-15, is working with the Homeless Persons Union of Victoria and with a corporate law firm on the squatters’ case.

The legal service’s Meghan Fitzgerald said the barrister who had been briefed in the case was working pro bono.

“We see over 3000 people a year. If there is any criticism, this is one case among thousands,” she said.

Homeless people in front of one of the abandoned properties. Picture Jay Town.

Homeless Persons Union of Victoria member Joel Bynon said overseas travellers had previously stayed at the homes to make a political point about overpriced rental and backpacking accommodation.

“Yes, from Spain and Italy,” he said.

Simone Bongiovanni said that a couple of months ago the squatters in homes in Bendigo St, Collingwood, had invited some Spanish backpackers to stay with them.

“They (backpackers) were living in a van and (the squatters) had an empty room and invited them to stay because it was winter,” he said.

He said there was nothing wrong with backpackers staying in the vacant houses.

Kelly Whitworth, who is squatting in 8 Bendigo St, said: “We want to see public housing, not community housing provided by the Salvation Army.”

Department of Health spokesman David Stockman said a decision to pay the utility bills at three of the properties had been made on health and safety grounds because of the potential for a fire hazard were power to be cut off.

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