Last year on our Peninsula there were 390 requests for assistance from young people under the age of 25 who were experiencing homelessness.
To help raise awareness about this issue, the Mornington Peninsula Shire is encouraging our community to support Sleep In Your Car 2021, an initiative run by Fusion Mornington Peninsula.
Sleep In Your Car is an annual event during Homelessness Week (1-7 August) where our local community can come together to show support.
This year the event is going virtual from 5.30pm on Saturday 7 August. We encourage you to give up your beds for the night, opting to sleep in your cars at home or a tent in your yard. There will be community involvement through interactive online experiences, so jump online to enjoy live music and listen to guest speakers to better understand homelessness.
The theme this year is 'It takes a village'. Young people are relying on our community to be a safe and caring place where they can access support to prevent homelessness.
This year Fusion Mornington Peninsula aims to raise $27,000. By registering to fundraise and sleep in your car, you will be raising crucial funding to support and prevent local young people experiencing homelessness on our Peninsula.
The Shire has a long partnership with Fusion, including partnering with them and 10 other organisations in the Youth 2 Alliance. This alliance has been advocating State Government to provide crisis accommodation and a tertiary education program for our young people.
Last year, Council also joined with 13 other Councils in the South and East of Melbourne and formed the Regional Local Government Homelessness and Social Housing Group Charter. The Charter is highlighting the urgent need for more social housing and a more effective and supported homelessness system. 40 per cent of the 44,000 people on Victoria's social housing wait list come from the south east and east Melbourne.
Home isn't just a building. It's connection, support, and shared hope. Together we can build it!
