By NICOLE VALICEK
HOUSING affordability is a burning issue in Hobsons Bay and according to experts it’s only going to get worse.
Laverton Community Integrated Services CEO Michael Pernar said homelessness was a problem in the municipality and housing affordability could displace people, especially those on benefits and low incomes.
“The housing affordability is a twofold thing. First and foremost people don’t have enough disposable income and rental has become a high proportion of their weekly expenditure,” Mr Pernar said.
He said 40 per cent of people that present to support services across Hobsons Bay claim inadequate income and don’t have enough to cover general living expenses.
And almost 30 per cent of people present to services for assistance because of housing, homelessness and rental arrears, with more than 80 per cent indicating they have some type of mental health problem.
He said 46 per cent of people that come through the service are men and 54 per cent are woman.
Mr Pernar said the people seeking assistance were predominantly 25-45 years old with a six per cent increase in young people aged 18-25 years.
“We’ve seen a lot more men present for services, years ago there was a low proportion of males coming in for assistance, now were seeing a lot more,” he said.
Mr Pernar said the suburbs of Laverton and Altona Meadows has a high proportion of rooming houses where people will pay $180 a week for packed house and a single room.
He said people in Hobsons Bay don’t recognise the high level of homelessness that is speared on by limited housing stock, limited rental properties and selective landlords.
“What we’re going to see is a lot more couch surfing, people sharing with friends,” he said.
“We will see an increase in homelessness that is the bottom line.”
Mr Pernar said there needs to be more government investment in public housing and more appropriate youth specific housing.
“It’s not a council responsibility the State and Federal Government need to invest more in addressing these housing issues.”
Latitude Altona manager Rhonda Collins said another concern was the current property boom reverting and turning rental real estate into a competitive market.
“It would be great to develop better relationships with real estate agents so they have an understating of the benefits of a Centrelink benefit,” she said.
