Member for Lalor Hosts Housing Forum

Member for Lalor, Joanne Ryan has hosted a housing forum to address high rates of homelessness, eviction and mortgage stress in Wyndham.

“These are very serious issues that are having a huge impact upon our community,” Ms Ryan said.

“I've had multiple residents contact me to express their concerns and the forum was organised to tackle these issues head on.”

Ms Ryan was joined by representatives from agencies and organisations across the community, as well as local State Members of Parliament Tim Pallas, to discuss the challenges ahead.

“This forum is about working together to establish what's actually happening on the ground, why this is such an issue and what we can do to help.”

“As a whole community, we can plan, share ideas and together solve these problems.”

Ms Ryan said there were multiple issues influencing the high rates, but particularly raised the lack of local public housing and cuts to tenancy services and legal aid by the Victorian and Federal Liberal Governments.

“This is further exacerbated by the Abbott Government’s lack of commitment to the National Affordable Housing Agreement or the National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness.”

“With their cuts to the Schoolkids Bonus and the Income Support Bonus still to come, I am concerned this problem will only get worse.”