Hundreds of paper houses are appearing across Warrnambool this Homelessness Week, helping make the scale of the region’s housing and homelessness crisis visible to the wider community.
More than 700 origami houses will be displayed in the windows of the Lighthouse Theatre throughout Homelessness Week, from 3–9 August. Each house represents a Warrnambool household currently on the priority Victorian Housing Register and urgently needing access to safe and affordable housing.
The local display forms part of the statewide Houses at Parliament campaign, which aims to create 60,000 paper houses—representing the approximately 60,000 Victorian households waiting for public or community housing.
Across south-west Victoria, more than 2,188 people received support from specialist homelessness services during the 2024–25 financial year.
There are also more than 1,760 households on the priority Victorian Housing Register that have selected an area within the south-west as their preferred location. This includes:
- 733 households in Warrnambool
- 331 households in Glenelg
- 277 households in Moyne
- 229 households in Corangamite
- 195 households in Southern Grampians
These households have demonstrated that they are experiencing homelessness, family violence or other circumstances requiring priority access to housing.
This year’s Homelessness Week theme, Homelessness Action Now, highlights the urgent need for continued investment in public and community housing and greater access to homes that people can afford.
Community members are encouraged to visit the display at the Lighthouse Theatre and learn more about the Houses at Parliament campaign at vhn.org.au/housesatparliament.
South West Local Area Services Network Chairperson Gordan Saravanja says community support for the campaign shows Victorians are demanding the government step up to end homelessness for good. “Victoria’s homelessness crisis is unacceptable, and local homelessness agencies are calling for urgent solutions,” he said.
Barwon & South West Homelessness Network Coordinator Rebecca Callahan said affordability and commitment from policymakers was key.
“The first step to ending homelessness is ensuring people have access to housing they can afford. There needs to be a commitment to build a pipeline of public and community housing beyond the Big Housing Build.” she said.