Launceston Homelessness Walk | The Examiner - video Dailymotion

The Examiner

The St Vincent De Paul Society is holding its annual Homelessness Awareness Walk from the City Park Rotunda to Royal Park in Launceston tomorrow as a part of Homelessness Awareness Week which runs until August 13.

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00:00 The purpose of our event today, a walk from City Park to Royal Park, is to build awareness.

00:08 We want to start conversations about what can be done.

00:11 When we look at the statistics from the Census 2021, we can see that the level of homelessness

00:17 across Tasmania increased by 45%.

00:20 Obviously the cost of living pressures since that time have increased further.

00:24 We're seeing an ongoing increase to support agencies such as Binny's Tas from those who

00:30 are really struggling to make ends meet.

00:33 So raising awareness about those situations is something that's really important to us

00:38 this week.

00:39 I think one of the major drivers to the increase in homelessness is a chronic shortage of appropriate

00:45 housing.

00:46 So we know that the vacancy rate for rental properties is extremely low.

00:50 We know that there is a shortage of social and affordable housing.

00:53 Similarly we know that state, local and federal governments are working to stem that supply

00:59 issue, but it can't happen fast enough.

01:02 We look at the vacancy rates in the major areas across Tasmania and we know that people

01:07 are waiting weak signal months to find a safe, appropriate and stable roof over their heads.

01:14 At the end of the last financial year, so as of 30 June, our support that we do gain

01:19 from federal and state government should provide emergency relief.

01:22 We've far exceeded those grand funds, so we do need to fundraise in order to be able to

01:27 keep providing food.

01:29 We deliver relief, whether it's assistance with energy bills, fuel, transportation, pharmaceuticals.

01:37 There are a whole lot of moving parts that go towards making the lives of others better

01:41 in a more dignified way.

01:42 And that's where those funds go directly into.

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Launceston Homelessness Walk | The Examiner

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