Out in the cold- Yarra Ranges councillor Tim Heenan is getting ready to brave the cold and sle

By Tania Martin and Casey Neill
SHIRE of Yarra Ranges councillor Tim Heenan says it’s time for him to get back in his box.
He is again planning to spend a week sleeping out in the cold, with just a cardboard box for shelter, to raise awareness of the growing plight of homelessness.
Cr Heenan announced his plan at a meeting last Tuesday 14 July.
He said the job was far from over and more needed to be done to raise awareness.
This follows the recent Counting the Homeless report, which revealed a jump in the number of homeless people in Yarra Ranges, Knox and Cardinia.
It showed 728 people in eastern outer Melbourne, which includes Knox and Maroondah councils, were homeless at the 2006 census.
Almost 270 of those were in homelessness assistance accommodation – 48 per cent more people than at the 2001 count.
More than 40 people were living in improvised dwellings on or the streets – three times more than in 2001.
In Shire of Yarra Ranges, more than 500 people were homeless in 2006, including 64 living on the streets.
The report also notes a 318 per cent jump in the number of people living rough in outer south-eastern Melbourne between 2001 and 2006 to 117 people – the third highest in Melbourne.
The area includes Casey and Cardinia shires.
The number of homeless people in the region jumped 17 per cent to 794 people.
Cr Heenan said he never thought the situation could get worse, but it had.
“We have to continually keep this (homelessness) on the front burner and I hope people will join me in sleeping out,” he said.
Anchor CEO John Devine said the relief organisation, which covered the outer east including Yarra Ranges and Knox, continued to experience a huge demand.
But Mr Devine said the Black Saturday fires had been a big contributing factor to the rising numbers. “Any private rental accommodation has been taken up by survivors and I believe we are yet to experience the full impact of the economic downturn,” he said.
Mr Devine said the biggest issue facing people today was the lack of affordable housing.
State Opposition housing spokeswoman Wendy Lovell said people who sought refuge in private rooming houses were “often at the mercy of heartless landlords” who charged “exorbitant room rates for disgusting conditions”.
However, Premier John Brumby last week announced a $1 million boost to stop this from happening.
The cash will be used to make sure that rooming houses are up to standard to improve living conditions for homeless people.
It will pay for inspections of rooming houses to make sure they are properly registered and comply with the minimum living standards.
Mr Brumby said he was taking action against predatory operators who offered sub-standard living conditions and preyed on some of the most vulnerable members of the community.
Cr Heenan is now calling on families and individuals to join the campaign and sleep out for a night or a week at Melba Park, Lilydale, in October.