30,000 VICTORIANS HOMELESS. Homelessness in Victoria is escalating, with the Mornington Peninsula seeing a growing crisis and the recent deaths of some of our most vulnerable serving as a tragic reminder of the urgent need for action. One Nation Victoria Leader Warren Pickering and Mornington candidate Ashley Beards have announced a plan to tackle homelessness and deliver safe, secure accommodation for those who need it most, along with a path for long-term stability. Our policy commits to: • Redirecting every dollar of the short-stay accommodation levy into housing and homelessness services. • Delivering crisis and temporary accommodation, including domestic violence shelters, using identified Crown and council land. • Working with NGOs and community organisations to provide ongoing support and wraparound services. • Trialling land tax exemptions for landlords to encourage more properties to enter the long-term rental market. • Establishing a Housing to Work pathway to help vulnerable Victorians rebuild their lives, return to employment and regain independence. We will also demand transparency and accountability over how housing and homelessness funding is spent. Every Victorian deserves a safe place to sleep, the dignity of a home and the opportunity to rebuild their life. It’s time for action, not more broken promises.

One Nation Victoria leader Warren Pickering has said homelessness in Victoria is a national disgrace, with a broken rental market forcing people onto the streets while promises of more social and crisis housing in the state had delivered only a fraction of what was needed. “We’re left with little choice but to put more resources into helping Victorians facing homelessness,” Mr Pickering said. “Around 35% of renters are in rental stress, more than 30,000 people are homeless in our state, and more than a thousand sleep rough on a given night. “We are seeing rough sleepers everywhere, from country towns to the Melbourne CBD, because there’s nowhere else for them to go. That changes under a One Nation government.” Mr Pickering said One Nation would create sufficient crisis, transitional and temporary places so no-one is forced to sleep rough. Dedicated beds will be provided in every region, including for women and children escaping family violence. The By-Name List will be resourced statewide and funded to connect every person to a genuine offer of housing and support. He said One Nation would run a statewide trial providing land tax exemptions for willing landlords who lease dwellings – including short-stay properties – to the state or community housing providers for 12 month tenancies. “This creates immediate housing stock for only about a third the cost of motel accommodation that’s currently being used,” he said. “We’ll also trial incentives such as wage subsidies or payroll tax offsets for employers hiring someone on the By-Name List, and we’ll create dedicated entry-level state government jobs for people exiting homelessness. “Squatting or camping in the Melbourne CBD and other high-visibility public areas will not be an option. We aim to provide enough beds so it doesn’t need to be. We will enforce clear rules and move-on powers consistently – but only after outreach workers have offered a place. The days of seeing tents lining the streets of our cities, towns and foreshores will be over because everyone will have somewhere safe to sleep.”