Social service groups are searching for ways to stem the “growing
problem” of Wyndham residents being evicted from rental properties and
defaulting on mortgage repayments.
Postcode 3024, spanning Wyndham Vale, Mount Cottrell and
Mambourin, is home to more people falling into mortgage arrears than any
other part of Victoria outside of Corio and Norlane, according to
figures from ratings agency Fitch.
It follows census data that showed 15.4 per cent of Wyndham
householders were in mortgage stress, defined as spending 30 per cent of
more of household income on mortgage repayments.
Wyndham Legal Service lawyer Shorna Moore said mortgage stress in
the municipality was well above the national average of 9.9 per cent.
She said programs such as a free mortgage stress legal clinic were
failing to connect with vulnerable borrowers before it was “far too late
in the process”.
As reported by the Weekly,
tougher times are also affecting renters, with Victorian Civil and
Administrative Tribunal figures revealing about 22 eviction warrants are
being executed in Wyndham every month.
Several welfare organisations are planning a working group aimed
at intervening earlier to help residents in housing stress. Financial
counsellors, community lawyers and emergency relief providers have
joined police and the Sheriff’s Office to tackle the issue.
Anglicare’s north-west financial counselling manager, Trish Reck,
said Anglicare would continue its financial counselling outreach into
suburbs such as Tarneit. “[We will] also build up networking with key
stakeholders and set up a forum for mutual resourcing and referral
pathways.”
Representatives from the working group will meet at the Sheriff’s Office on September 17.
