By ALESHA CAPONE
MORE than 40 rooming houses have been discovered operating in Brimbank over the past 12 months, as homelessness figures for the region continue to soar.
Brimbank City Council’s director of city development, Stuart Menzies, said building inspectors identified 44 boarding houses between July 2012 and July 2013.
Nineteen of the rooming houses were located in St Albans, seven in Sunshine and four in Sunshine North.
Sydenham and Deer Park had three boarding houses each, Sunshine West two and the rest were situated in Kealba, Derrimut, Delahey, Albanvale, Albion and Ardeer.
Rooming houses are defined as homes with individual bedrooms and a kitchen and bathroom shared by four or more people.
They are meant to be registered with councils, but many operate illegally.
A report from 2011, carried out by the Salvation Army Adult Services Community Outreach Services, found rooming houses operating in Brimbank were being utilised by people who would otherwise be homeless.
The report found overall the quality of life for rooming house residents was “poor, with significant safety issues, negative impacts on health, and lack of basic facilities such as cooking equipment and bedding”.
Last week, the Council to Homeless Persons (CHP) released new data from the 2011 Census, showing the rates of homelessness in federal electorates across Victoria.
Within Brimbank, Melton and Maribyrnong there were more than 3200 homeless people, up from 1390 in 2006.
The CHP is campaigning for the government to establish an Affordable Housing Growth Fund, as the election approaches on 7 September.
Mr Menzies said during April 2010, the council received a complaint regarding a home in Bianchi Court, Keilor Downs.
“Council’s building inspectors inspected the premises and found it to be a boarding house, with nine bedrooms,” he said.
“The owner subsequently lodged a planning permit application this year, the planning application is for use of a residence with 10 habitable rooms.”
The council has not yet mada a decision on the permit, which was recieved in June.
Brimbank City Council has given the breakdown of boarding houses detected in Brimbank between July 2012 to July 2013. They are St Albans – 19, Sunshine – 7, Sunshine North – 4, Deer Park- 3, Sydenham – 3, Sunshine West – 2, Kealba – 1, Derrimut – 1, Delahey – 1, Albanvale – 1, Albion – 1 and Ardeer -1.
