An innovative art exhibition is making its way across Victoria, aiming to transform perceptions of homelessness, particularly female homelessness, as the world observes World Homeless Day. The exhibition, titled “Walk in Her Shoes,” features illustrations that tell the stories of three women who faced homelessness at different stages in their lives.
Local Melbourne artist Jo Waite, who has experienced housing insecurity herself, is behind the powerful visuals. Each illustration invites viewers to grasp the realities of homelessness through deeply personal narratives. The exhibition opened in Casey, a suburb of Melbourne, this week, coinciding with a community forum that included Harriet Shing, the Minister for Housing, and Brad Battin, the Opposition Leader.
The initiative comes on the heels of alarming statistics released by the Council to Homeless Persons, which revealed that the Victorian Government allocates less than $400 annually per person for social housing and homelessness support. This figure is particularly concerning as the housing crisis in the state continues to escalate.
Lucas Testro, Acting CEO of the Council to Homeless Persons, commented on the exhibition, stating, “This is a creative, yet raw way to understand what homelessness really looks like. Many people associate homelessness with men sleeping rough. But statistically, most people facing homelessness are women, and the majority of them are leaving abusive or unsafe situations.” He emphasized that the artworks serve as a poignant reminder of how women and girls are failing to receive adequate support from the current social housing system in Victoria.
The Council has been advocating for the state government to commit to building at least 4,000 new social homes each year for the next decade. This recommendation aligns with insights provided by Infrastructure Victoria, the government’s own infrastructure advisory body.
Mr. Testro urged immediate action, noting that there are currently more than 66,000 people on the waitlist for social housing in Victoria. “If we don’t start building much more social housing right now, we accept a reality in which tens of thousands more Victorians will be pushed into homelessness,” he warned. “We can’t let that happen.”
He hopes that the exhibition will foster greater understanding of the human stories behind homelessness, inspiring leaders to take action to address the pressing need for social housing. “Lives depend on decisive government action,” he added.
The severity of the situation is underscored by recent statistics indicating that in the 2023/24 period, 102,000 people sought assistance from homelessness services in Victoria, an increase of 4% from the previous year. Among those seeking help, 60,000 (or 58%) were women, and 13,000 were working Victorians—an increase of 23% over five years. Notably, one-third of individuals seeking homelessness assistance in Australia are located in Victoria, despite the state having the lowest proportion of social housing in the country, at just 3%.
As the exhibition travels through various localities, it aims not only to raise awareness but also to challenge the stigma surrounding homelessness, encouraging a collective push for change in policies and perceptions.
