Media Release from City of Port Phillip: Council puts out welcome mat for Everybody’s Home campaign
14/11/2018
Port Phillip Council has thrown its support behind a national campaign urging the Federal Government to tackle homelessness by boosting housing affordability and providing more homes.
Easily identified by a colourful doormat-themed logo, the Everybody’s Home campaign is calling on the Commonwealth – and all political parties – to address growing homelessness across Australia by committing to five actions:
- A National Housing Strategy delivering 500,000 new social and affordable houses
- Resetting the tax system to prioritise first home buyers over property speculators
- Stronger legislative protection for renters
- Immediate relief for renters in chronic rental stress by increasing rental assistance
- A plan to end homelessness by 2030, which includes delivering rapid access to
- housing.
The Everybody’s Home campaign is supported nationally by a range of community groups, housing providers, church organisations and councils. Sacred Heart Mission, Housing First, the Salvation Army, Southport Community Housing Group and Launch Housing are local partners while Port Phillip Council has now joined Star Health as a supporter.
Mayor Bernadene Voss said Council’s proud history of supporting and delivering social and affordable housing for the City is continuing through its 10-year In Our Backyard housing affordability strategy, endorsed in 2015.
“While we will continue to do what we can, we support the Everybody’s Home campaign as the Federal Government has the greatest capacity to make a difference by drawing on its taxation and policy levers.”
Cr Voss said the campaign was timely as Street Counts undertaken in February and June this year found 91 and 65 people respectively sleeping rough in Port Phillip. The June figure was likely lowered by the count being undertaken on one of the coldest nights in Melbourne when some people experiencing homelessness would have sought temporary indoor shelter instead of sleeping outdoors.
“Multiple studies show that getting people off the street and into safe and appropriate housing helps reduce trauma, drug dependency and mental illness. We hope this campaign will result in more housing for those who need it urgently,” she said.
“Everybody deserves to have a place to call home.”
There was no cost to Council for joining the campaign. For more information, go to:
www.everybodyshome.com.au