Geelong group joins the fold for homelessness support

A GEELONG community organisation has sent hundreds of handmade houses to Victoria’s Parliament as part of a powerful demonstration of the need for social housing investment in the region.

Meli staff members folded almost 700 origami houses in recent weeks that it placed on the steps of Parliament House, and these were among 6,000 made as part of a campaign from the Victorian Homelessness Network (VHN).

Meli staff members, including Keith Hunte, folded almost 700 origami houses in recent weeks.

The paper structures represented the properties required across Geelong to house the number of people experiencing homelessness.

The figure had surpassed 1,500 at the 2021 Census, which is more than double the same statistic just four years earlier.

The VHN initiative was in preparation for Homelessness Week this week (August 6-13), and called for the state government to commit to building at least 6,000 new social houses each year and a national plan to end homelessness.

The 6,000 houses were placed on the Parliament House steps.

“At Meli we believe all people deserve safe, stable and affordable housing,” Meli director of youth, housing and south-west Josephine Taylor said.

“There are very limited rental options across the region, and when there are rentals available, they are often unaffordable for the people we support.

“It is becoming more commonplace for us to have to rely on refuge placements outside of the region, which can put strain on a person’s relationships and supports, including staying connected with school, a familiar GP and caseworker.”

Meli supports people experiencing homelessness or who are at risk through programs including The Geelong Project and the Youth Entry Point.

The organisation’s programs support people who could be living in their car, staying somewhere temporary such as a friend’s couch, in a shelter or refuge, or have nowhere to go at all.