General News
7 August, 2025
A thousand origami houses call for action on homelessness
The Wimmera community marked National Homelessness Week (August 4-10) with a poignant display to raise awareness of the current situation agencies are facing
A thousand origami houses, each representing one of the more than 1000 individuals experiencing homelessness in the Wimmera region, adorned the Firebrace Street Post Office wall.
This local initiative highlighted the broader statewide demand for more social housing, a need underscored by the 60,000 origami houses folded across Victoria this year.
Wimmera Homelessness Alliance representative Lindsay Stow said the entry point team at Uniting had 877 presentations of people facing homelessness last year.
"That's just under 17 per week," he said.
"In the last year, they were unable to assist 763 people on the day that they presented with their homelessness issue.
"Currently, there is an eight-day wait just to get an appointment to see a worker."
The reason for seeking homelessness support varies, with 17 per cent facing financial difficulties, 10.7 per cent having housing affordability stress, 9.4 per cent living in inadequate conditions, 9.3 per cent having mental health issues, and 8.5 per cent having been evicted.
"These are not just numbers," Mr Stow said.
"They're real people with real lives, just like you and me, who unexpectedly find themselves with no home."
Twelve per cent were aged 20 to 24, 14 per cent were 25 to 29, and 24 per cent were 30 to 39.
There were 38 people under 18 experiencing homelessness, and 11 of these people were attending secondary school.
Eight people were aged 75 and over.
Mr Stow painted the devastating picture, putting attendees in the shoes of someone who has found themselves without a home.
"Let's just say that you're facing eviction because your private rental property has been sold, or perhaps you've lost your job and you can't pay the rent, if you can't afford to buy a house, if you can't afford to secure another private rental property, or if there are just none available for you, if you have to wait years for a public housing property to become available, what do you do?," he said.
"Well, the answer is, you sleep in your car. You bunk it temporarily with friends, and move from place to place. You stay in a tent, or if you're lucky, you might happen to secure a rare emergency accommodation placement.
"Everybody has the right to a safe home to live in, and in a country as wealthy as Australia, families should not have to live in cars."
Mr Stow said there was too many harsh realities of insufficient housing supply.
"Women and children who are experiencing family violence should not have to stay in unsafe situations," he said.
"Elderly people should not end up on the street because they can no longer afford the rent, or their rental property is being sold out from under them. But they do.
"This is what's happening because there are not enough homes."
During the last financial year, Uniting Wimmera's assertive outreach program located 158 rough sleepers and of these, only 10 people have secured long-term housing.
"So we're calling on the state and federal governments to commit to building at least 60,000 additional social homes to meet the current need in Victoria," Mr Stow said.
"We're also calling on them to implement their 10-year National Housing and Homelessness plan with a commitment to end homelessness.
"Why? Because housing ends homelessness."
Read More: Horsham