Macedon Ranges council and Sunbury and Cobaw Community Health are hosting a community event to mark Homelessness Week.
The event will raise awareness of the issue, with a networking and service expo where the community can meet local services and find out what support is available in the Macedon Ranges.
Mayor Dom Bonanno noted that in some of the latest available data, being the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ March 2023 Estimating Homelessness report, homelessness in the Macedon Ranges had increased by 31.4 per cent between the 2016 and 2021 Census.
“Homelessness is a complex issue that touches more lives than many people realise. Events like this bring our community together, help reduce stigma, and connect people with the services and information they need,” he said.
“By working together and raising awareness, we can take meaningful steps towards ending homelessness in the Macedon Ranges.”
Cr Bonanno said that amid the state government’s recent housing targets, an essential aspect of meeting the future housing needs of the Macedon Ranges was to ensure the availability of local, affordable housing.
“A minimum $30 million investment has been allocated to the Macedon Ranges through the Victorian Government’s Big Housing Build; however, to date, only $12.5 million has been allocated to our region,” he said.
“We have requested confirmation from the Victorian Government as to the availability of the remaining $17.5 million and how it will be allocated, and we welcome future partnership opportunities to provide more local affordable housing.”
Homelessness Week is a national campaign that encourages community support and government action to end homelessness. It’s also a time to learn more about how the issue affects people in the region.
The event will be held on Tuesday, August 5 at the Kyneton Mechanics Institute, with doors opening at 10.30am for an 11am start. The networking expo will begin at 11.45am and include a morning tea.
The event is free and open to everyone, with no registration needed.
