by Emma Ballingall

Gippsland is facing a homeless crisis with a bottlenecked system, desperation due to lack of housing options and violence towards those working in the sector.

This was the bleak picture from Gippsland Homeless Network co-ordinator Chris McNamara at a Parliamentary Inquiry into housing supply in regional Victoria.
After hearings in Colac, Melbourne and Ballarat, a Traralgon hearing included presentations from Gippsland Homelessness Network, One Gippsland, Caravan and Residential Parks Victoria, local builders and developers, Gippsland Family Violence Alliance, Wellington and East Gippsland shires, Safe and Equal, and Quantum.
Despite the introduction stating access to safe and affordable housing was a basic human right and homelessness should be rare, brief and non-reoccurring, the witnesses captured a different reality in Gippsland.
One repeating theme across the day's hearing was the need for youth crisis housing, with Youth Foyer recommended by several agencies.
Ms McNamara said family violence was a major contributor to homelessness as incidents continued to grow.
"We have no idea of the number of people who are sleeping rough," she admitted. "It's visible to us...five years ago I wouldn't have said that."
"We can't get out there to do anything about it."
Ms McNamara said Gippsland had only 16 beds for homeless youth, "which isn't enough."
She said a Youth Foyer program would provide two years of safe housing and allow youths to gain education, support and learn basic life skills.
Ms McNamara said properties sat unoccupied across Gippsland for a range of reasons and yet "homelessness entry points are overwhelmed" and taking appointments only.
"We have very, very little to offer apart from crisis accommodation for a few nights in a motel," she said. "The system is bottlenecked. We don't have the supply of affordable and public housing, we're not getting people out of transitional housing."
Ms McNamara said those seeking help were often "very frustrated; they are desperate" and this resulted in increased violence and aggression towards limited staff covering the vast Gippsland region.
"It's tough for the sector, it's impacting on the workforce," she said.
Gippsland Family Violence Alliance chair Peta Speight told of a never ending cycle of family violence where agencies mop up but don't address core issues.
She said grandchildren of women she'd worked with in her early years in the sector were now coming through the door.
"It's heartbreaking because we're not making an impact and changing the cycles for these families," Ms Speight said.
She said Gippsland incident rates continued to grow but funding hadn't changed. Added to that, funding of government programs aren't recurrent and an estimated three-quarters of the female-dominated workforce was currently waiting to see if they had a job next year.
Together with alliance principal strategic advisor Kim Adams, they asked for changes to make it easier for women and children to stay in the family home; and, expanded funding to hold perpetrators responsible and provide a supported place for them to go.
Ms Adams said perpetrators often had multiple partners, "they're not just causing violence to one family."
Ms Speight added "it's a really massive issue for us...and it's not a simple response".
Ms Adams said lack of social housing and especially transitional housing was another key issue and often impacted how quickly a woman or family could recover from family violence.
"When a victim of family violence is forced to flee their home...they are often forced to leave their home town," she said.
The pair also supported a Youth Foyer concept, with Ms Speight stating "it is something that is very, very desperately needed in this area" as child victims often had nowhere to go.
"We have children that are placing themselves in unsafe situations across Gippsland. I think that's incredible sad."
Member for Narracan Wayne Farnham was one of the seven member panel hearing submissions.
A report to Parliament is due by December 15.