Sean Giuliani had been privately renting with his aunt in Shepparton when his circumstances changed and he had to reconsider accepting the government housing accommodation for which he’d been eligible since 2005.
The 53-year-old said he was on a disability pension because he was plagued by mental health issues and had been on a priority waiting list for more than six years but had never taken advantage of the housing.
However, for legal reasons, he could not remain in Shepparton and requested accommodation within an hour’s drive of the city through the Victorian Department of Families, Fairness and Housing.
He was moved to Ouyen, a town in the Mallee more than 350km away with a population of 1191.
“I was shifted to a place where there’s no opportunity, half the town is closed down, it’s like a ghost town. It’s hard to access anything,” Mr Giuliani, who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and severe depression with suicidal ideation, said.
“As far as a doctor, I can see a locum and that’s it, and it’s a different locum each week.”
In the almost four months he’s been there, he said his mum, who lives in Mt Beauty, had a cancer scare, the aunt who raised him was rushed to hospital and a family member died.
“I just cannot be involved because I’m far too distanced to get there or be anywhere near,” Mr Giuliani, who is also without a car after crashing it on the unfamiliar winding roads back to Ouyen, said.
“It’s been an absolute hell ride.”
Mr Giuliani said he had felt pressured to accept the accommodation offered to him in Ouyen, which was advertised as pet-friendly, after seeing only four dark photos of the inside.
The DFFH responded by saying all applicants and their support workers or carers were encouraged to view properties in person before relocating.
Mr Giuliani chose not to carry out a pre-inspection, citing the property’s remoteness as making it too difficult a task.
“I couldn’t tell much from the photos. The place is neat though — that part of it’s fine — but there’s no yards, the backyard isn’t enclosed, there’s not even a spot for a little clothesline,” he said.
“I just feel like, at the very least, that’s an incredible omission.”
Without a fence, Mr Giuliani’s dog has no outdoor space to roam unleashed. He was also concerned the lack of a secure yard compromised his own safety after stray dogs recently rushed him at the rear of his home.
The DFFH confirmed it was still working to find Mr Giuliani a suitable property in his preferred areas closer to Shepparton and would explore temporary fencing options to secure the rear yard of the Ouyen property.
Mr Giuliani said the isolation had left him as depressed as he was after his partner took her own life 20 years ago.
“That’s how bad I feel,” he said.
“I feel so deceived. I’m not trying to cause trouble, but you get shuffled around the system by the bureaucracy and get told ‘Well, you’re safe now, aren’t you?’.
“How safe are you when you’ve got no supports around you, no family, not one friend in the world and you struggle with PTSD, depression and suicidal ideation, you know?”
Besides his ailing mental health, Mr Giuliani was also concerned that now he had been granted accommodation, he was no longer considered a priority and that he might be isolated in the Mallee for years.
“It’s unfair and, at the very least, I don’t want this to happen to other people,” he said.
Mr Giuliani said he didn’t mind being moved to a small town as long as it was close enough to a bigger hub for services, opportunities and variety, allowing him to save money.
The DFFH said waiting times for social housing depended on several factors, including the number and types of properties available, the demand in the areas an applicant requested and the number of people who had been deemed priority cases.
“Mr Giuliani’s application remains on the priority list of the Victorian Housing Register and the department is working with him to find a suitable home in surrounding areas of Shepparton,” a DFFH spokesperson said.
“We’re working hard to house as many people as possible, as quickly as possible, right across Victoria, with more than 7000 households moving into social housing last financial year, an increase of 29 per cent from the previous year.”
Locally, more than $86 million has been invested across Greater Shepparton under the Victorian Government’s Big Housing Build and other social housing programs to build more than 200 new homes.
More than 140 of those are complete.
Additionally, the government is investing $1 billion in a Regional Housing Fund to deliver more than 1300 new homes across regional and rural Victoria.
Despite the boost, homelessness is still on the rise in Greater Shepparton, with 489 people seeking assistance for the first time from Beyond Housing in the last financial year.
Data released by the housing provider ahead of Homelessness Week showed more than 1200 people experienced homelessness or were at risk of becoming homeless in the 2023-24 period ending on June 30.
Beyond Housing will also build 97 new social housing properties in Greater Shepparton in the next two years.
“While this is a positive step, it’s clear that this alone won’t meet the growing demand for safe, secure and affordable housing,” Beyond Housing chief executive Celia Adams said.
“Governments at all levels must make the construction of new social housing a top priority beyond the current election cycle. The time for action is now.”
Lifeline provides crisis support and suicide prevention help. Call Lifeline on 131 114.
If you are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, call 1800 825 955 for crisis support.