The ‘Homeless in Margs’ video series offers you the opportunity to watch and listen to three peoples lived experiences and find out how they became homeless, what that was like for them, and what community meant to them during this time.
Did you know that Margaret River is actually a very unaffordable community to live in?
Only 37% of renters in Augusta-Margaret River can afford the median rent without suffering housing stress.
When comparing rent prices to income, housing in AMR is ‘severely unaffordable’, and is comparable to Melbourne, Australia’s second most unaffordable city. AMR has the some of the lowest incomes and highest rental prices in the South West.
The high cost of living in the AMR area is due to lack of public transport, high food and fuel costs, and extensive casual and seasonal employment in the dominant tourism and viticulture industries. Underemployment and seasonal employment contribute significantly to the low incomes experienced in our community.
Decades of government funding cuts to the South West has also resulted in a significant lack of social services to deal with extensive social issues including mental health, underemployment, homelessness and housing stress, poverty, substance misuse, and family, domestic and sexual violence.
Augusta-Margaret River has a serious lack of public housing, whilst having the 9th highest level of ‘demand’ for public housing in WA.
Just Home estimates that AMR needs an additional 200 public housing dwellings to meet demand. Meanwhile, approximately 27% of homes in AMR are unoccupied, with most being holiday homes.
We participate in advocacy and activism that promotes community health, care and wellbeing regarding housing related self-determination.
It is very difficult to know exactly how many people are homeless in Augusta-Margaret River. Through our Housing Information and Referral Service, Just Home estimates that over 150 people are homeless or at risk of homelessness in our community.
Shelter WA www.shelterwa.org.au
End Homelessness WA www.endhomelessnesswa.com
Access Housing www.accesshousing.org.au
