A total of 151 Denmark people, aged one year to 87, are homeless or live in caravans, sheds, vehicles, tents, in overcrowded housing, sleep rough or couch surf.

The number is expected to swell by 22 per cent by the end of the year due to people living in insecure housing.

Of the 151 people, 67 are men, 61 women and 23 children and men aged 30-60 account for 53 of these.

Denmark’s Bricks and Mortar Housing Alliance put together the statistics which they presented to the Denmark Shire Council on Tuesday night.

BAMHA representative Jennie Newman said her organisation had worked on the crisis over the past year holding two public housing forums.

The Shire of Denmark had responded with amending regulations relating to ancillary dwellings and for people living in caravans on residential blocks.

But more than 30 people were applying for each rental vacancy in Denmark, rents were ‘sky-high’, families were leaving Denmark and businesses were closing or reducing operating hours because of the staff shortage.

BAMHA called for faster, more radical action to fix the housing crisis.

BAMHA member Petra Thompson called on the council to declare a housing emergency in Denmark in time for the first Denmark Shire Council meeting next year.

Ms Thompson also called on the Shire to establish a working group by February.

She said that while BAMHA might have ideas, members lacked the expertise or power to implement those.

“We have had conversations with Jane Kelsbie (Warren Blackwood MLA) and have been told that Denmark is not on any list for State Government support,” Ms Thompson said.

“We have also had feedback that this is not a council issue.”

Other points raised were for the Shire to identify big blocks of suitable land to be obtained for no or minimal cost for affordable rental housing development.

Through the use of green spaces and small trans-portable housing these could be assembled in a ‘village’ development. Suitable zoned or potentially zoned blocks could be purchased by not-for-profit housing agencies as soon as possible.

The Shire was called on to allocate a town planner to work one day a week with not-for-profit agencies already operating in Denmark.

Additionally, the Shire was asked to liaise with the Denmark Homeless project and BAMHA to explore immediate solutions and potentially rezone land around the Morgan Richards Community Centre to place small portable homes.

These could be plumbed into, and be given access, to services at the community centre.

Another point was to look into how community halls with facilities could be used for temporary parking and sleeping areas.

This article appeared in the Denmark Bulletin, 23 December 2021.