INCREASING numbers of homeless people and spiralling demand for emergency help are fuelling the housing crisis on the Mornington Peninsula.Rising costs and a shortage of affordable housing has led to six peninsula towns being categorised as “suffering housing stress higher than the Australian average”. With 35 per cent of residents facing rental stress and 16 per cent of homeless residents sleeping rough every night, Mornington Peninsula Shire is ranked as the fourth worst local government area in the state. Statistically, things have worsened since the shire declared a “housing crisis” in 2021.The mayor Cr Simon Brooks said it was “alarming…