For a rural city of just 14,000, Benalla often punches above its weight, but one area where that’s not something to celebrate is its rate of homelessness.
Noticing the issue, and wanting to do something about it, Doris Billingsley decided to get proactive and has set up the Benalla Homelessness Response Group.
That was last year, and since then the group has already:
- Distributed community care packs;
- Given free tents to people sleeping rough;
- Met with council and other agencies to discuss solutions; and
- Distributed community care vouchers.
The group also has plans, including to:
- Work with council with the goal of installing showers in Denny St;
- Arrange short-term accommodation options;
- Finalise and print homelessness resource guides to give out; and
- Collaborate with the Wangaratta Night Shelter.
Ms Billinglsey said this was just a start and was looking for interested community members to get involved.
“We know that there is a lot of homelessness around and Kate (Holmes), who is involved with Waminda Community House, thought that we should get a committee going,” Ms Billingsley said.
She said the theory behind the committee was to have a group with a focus on addressing the issue and who would work collaboratively with each other, community groups, council and relevant agencies.
“We’ve already given out care packs and tents, but we want to work towards getting something a bit more substantial,” she said.
“These people are on the street, and they need help.
“There are showers homeless people can use at the pool (YMCA). I think that costs about $2.60.
“But the objective is to get things going for people who are in need. There’s families in Benalla with no roof over their head.
“There’s a lady who’s escaped family violence with three children who is homeless.
“We need to do something.
“There is an idea of getting a couple of caravans so that people will have somewhere to stay for a couple of nights at least.
“It’s one thing in summer, but we have winter coming up, which makes it worse for everyone without somewhere to call home.
“People can’t afford rental prices, if they can even find a rental.”
The homelessness issue is often much worse than it looks on the surface.
It is obvious to the community when they see a person experiencing homelessness.
However, as well as those sleeping rough or in a car there are many people currently ‘couch surfing’.
If they cannot secure housing it is only a matter of time before they might end up on the streets.
“We’re organising a community meeting. That will take place some time in May,” Ms Billingsley said.
“We’ll get something in the Ensign to confirm the date of that and put it on the community Facebook pages too, as soon as we finalise the plans for that.”
If any community members would like to get involved they can email benallahomelessnessrg@gmail.com