A LACK of affordable Limestone Coast housing is keeping the rate of homelessness steady, according to a leading wefare service provider.
In conjunction with Homelessness Week, Ruby’s Therapeutic Youth Centre will host its Pride in Your Stride community walk tomorrow to reduce the number of people without a home.
Marching through the heart of the city to collect shoe donations, the annual event has become a collaborative team effort between local organisations, with this year’s theme being “housing ends homelessness”.
Ruby’s Therapeutic Youth Service coordinator Sharon Gray said youths decorated shoes for the centre to donate to ac.care for distribution around the region.
“The shoes are a way to symbolise for our youth to give back,” she said.
“It is basically a pay it forward system to show they have services wrapping around them while many are still out there going through tough times.
“The shoes have been individually designed by our youth and are a way they can identify they are making a difference, with no two people sharing the same circumstances.
Ms Gray said homelessness was not necessarily about living on the street, but could include couch surfing and people dealing with transiant lifestyles.
“The walk symbolises the pride in knowing it is okay to walk alone,” she said.
“We are hoping the more people who are involved, the more people will have those conversations with local politicians to raise awareness of the lack of affordable housing in the Limestone Coast.
“Affordable housing is the main reason behind homelessness.”
ac.care Limestone Coast homelessness service program manager Jill Pulleine said this year the organisation helped almost 500 people across the region.
“Lack of affordable housing can make if difficult for people who are living in poverty,” Ms Pulleine said.
“We often see the stress of housing impacting everything around the individual and it has been proven a lifestyle strain for people.”
Ms Pulleine said it was becoming more common for rental properties to be sold, leaving tenants struggling to find another suitable property.
“We remind people the ac.care Community Centre provides a retreat when faced with difficult challenges,” she said.
“It provides a space for financial advice, emergency relief or a place to socialise and a cup of coffee.
“All Limestone Coast services work well together.”
Expected to be bigger than last year’s inaugural event, Ms Gray hopes to grow the walk.
“We have had the largest response from the public we have ever seen, with more preparation involved than ever before,” she said.
“We thank the community for its support, especially the rapid relief team for providing help for the barbecue and Red Cross for providing two buses to transport participants from the finish line back to the start.
“We want to lessen the barriers and fight the Australian-wide issue of homelessness.”
Participants can meet at the Commercial Street West side of Vansittart Park tomorrow from 10.45am for an 11am start.
The walk will then proceed to the ac.care Community Centre on Ferrers Street, with a barbecue lunch served from 11.30am.
