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A critical shortage of housing and escalating rental prices are triggering a catastrophic level of homelessness across the Border and North East.
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Besieged service providers say they are buckling under the demand with an unprecedented number of people facing housing insecurity.
With rental vacancy rates at less than 1 per cent and a social housing wait of up to 10 years in parts of the region, affordable housing is in critically short supply, says Albury-based support agency Yes Unlimited.
Young people, families, victims of domestic violence and those with mental health issues are being hardest hit but front-line workers also report previously unseen groups of people are seeking help from services.
Yes Unlimited CEO Di Glover said Albury's youth refuge was full, necessitating a waiting list for young people in crisis.
"We haven't seen this probably ever in my 20 years, it's a bad situation," Ms Glover said.
"It's a crisis and my fear is things are going to get worse before they're going to get better.
"All the great crisis and early intervention programs like youth refuges mean nothing if there's not housing."
Ms Glover said some people were applying for 50 to 60 rental properties and still making no headway.
"We've got people on much higher incomes, people who are working, who are taking affordable properties because there's nothing else," she explained.
"We're seeing professional people who can't get housing, people who have had very successful long-term tenancies."
Over the border at Wodonga's Junction Support Services, Rachel Habgood says one of the most alarming aspects of the current crisis is the number of new people seeking support from their service.
"I think we're talking about a whole new level of disadvantage," she said.
"We're quite used to working with people who have struggled with poverty for a long period but we're now seeing this middle group of people coming through who would never usually need to utilise our services.
"We've had people turn down jobs here at Junction because they haven't been able to find accommodation locally.
"These are professionals, people earning a great wage but just can't get into the market.
"So what does that look like for the disadvantaged in our community?"
- The Border Mail will examine the extent of the housing crisis with a series of special reports over the coming week: 'Without a place: new homelessness crisis'.
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If you need help:
NSW
(During business hours)
- Yes Unlimited: 1800 885 355(During business hours)
- headspace Albury-Wodonga: 1300 332 022
- Albury-Wodonga Health- Mental Health Triage Line: 1300 104 211
(24/7)
- Link2Home: 1800 152 152
- Domestic Violence Line: 1800 60 64 63
VICTORIA
(During business hours)
- Beyond Housing: (02) 6055 9000
- Junction Support Services: (02) 6043 7400
- NESAY Wangaratta: (03) 5720 2201
(24/7)
- Emergency After Hours Homelessness Service: 1800 825 955
- Safe steps Family Violence Response: 1800 015 188
NATIONAL 24/7
- National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Services: 1800 RESPECT or 1800 737 732
- Lifeline 13 11 14 or text online 0477 13 11 14 from 12pm to midnight or the Lifeline chat www.lifeline.org.au/crisis-chat/ is available 7pm to midnight
- Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467
- eheadspace provides free online and telephone support and counselling to young people 12 to 25 years, their families and friends: visit headspace.org.au/eheadspace/
- If your life or the life of someone you know is in danger call 000