OVER the past year, 390 young people on the Mornington Peninsula sought help because they had nowhere to stay.
Mornington Peninsula Shire is encouraging residents to try sleeping in their cars for one night to help draw attention to the homeless.
“It takes a village” is the theme of this year’s Sleep In Your Car event organised by Fusion Mornington Peninsula as part of Homelessness Week 1-7 August. The event will go virtual from 5.30pm, Saturday 7 August as residents give up their beds for a night to sleep in their cars at home or in a tent in the backyard.
“It’s so important to bring awareness to the issue of youth homelessness on our peninsula, especially during the winter months,” the mayor Cr Despi O’Connor said.
“We go home to our warm houses, yet there are hundreds of young people doing it tough. We encourage everyone to get involved and learn more – it takes a village.”
Community involvement will include watching interactive online experiences, online live music and guest speakers explaining homelessness.
By registering to raise money towards Fusion’s $27,000 target and sleeping out, participants will be supporting and assisting young people in need of a place to stay.
The shire partnered with Fusion and 10 other organisations in the Youth 2 Alliance, which advocates for state government-provided crisis accommodation and a tertiary education program for young people.
Last year, the shire joined 13 other councils in the south east to form the Regional Local Government Homelessness and Social Housing Group Charter. The charter highlights the need for more social housing and a more effective and supported homelessness system. About 40 per cent of the 44,000 people on Victoria’s social housing wait list come from the south east and east Melbourne.
Details and registrations at: mornpen.vic.gov.au/sleepinyourcar
First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 27 July 2021
