By KATRINA BRANDON

 

THE state government has launched a program to help Aboriginal Victorians struggling to find or keep rentals, and to allow more people to access stable and secure housing.

Minister for Housing and Building, Harriet Shing announced a more than $17 million investment to help Aboriginal renters at the Victorian Aboriginal Housing and Homelessness Forum in Melbourne.

The Aboriginal Private Rental Assistance Program was co-designed by Homes Victoria and Aboriginal housing organisations to provide rental subsidies, bond support, and targeted programs for tenants.

The program began in 2020 and has helped house more than 2000 Aboriginal families, including Latrobe Valley locals Karen and Peter Ouslinis.

“We rented a house in Trafalgar and had been there for about seven years. The landlord got cancer and he was dying, so he had to sell the house. We had to find another place,” Mr Ouslinis told the Express.

Having to look for another rental, Mr and Ms Ouslinis were referred to the Victorian Aboriginal Child and Community Agency (VACCA), which helped find housing for the family.

Unfortunately, the rental property that the Ouslinis occupied was to be subdivided, so they had to move again.

“The real estate agent didn’t tell us that he (the owner) was going to subdivide the house, and there was no use staying there. So they (VACCA) helped us get another house, which was this one. VACCA came in, helped us move into a home, and paid the rent, the truck removal, and other things, which was very good,” Mr Ouslinis said.

“We had to wait a year. We had to wait till the lease ran out there. Then they had funding again; if it weren’t for that, none of this would have been possible if we weren’t in that program. It would have been hard for us to sort of get another place because of the rental crisis.”

Alongside the housing issues, Mr and Ms Ouslinis received ongoing VACCA support, and were incredibly grateful for their efforts to help them.

“We had visits with one of the ladies there, Amanda, she came around the house maybe once every month, or something like that, to see how things are going and if we need anything,” Peter said.

“It’s ongoing support. It’s not like, see you later, we helped you. We keep in contact every now and then. We’re still under the program. If anything happens here, they can still help.”

In addition to housing support, the Ouslinis have also been included in other VACCA programs and courses.

Ms Shing said the state government had a raft of programs in place to help people.

“We’re continuing our partnerships with First Nations organisations to design and deliver housing programs that are culturally safe, effective, and tailored to the needs of the people they serve,” she said.

“We know that these initiatives make a real difference – since launching our rental assistance program, the majority of applicants have been able to find or stay in their private rental.”

Minister for Treaty and First Peoples, Natalie Hutchins added: “We see the best outcomes when Aboriginal communities design and lead solutions – that’s exactly what this rental assistance program does, so that more First Nations families can find and secure long-term housing”.