Housing Minister Richard Wynne says the state government's $66-million investment will go towards supporting 250 families, including 400 children.

They will be able to stay in hotels after next February's cut-off point until permanent homes that fit their needs are found.

He says the state government is planning to work with community housing organisations to acquire accommodation for families currently living in hotels.

Victoria's most recent (sixth) lockdown at the beginning of August seemingly its last, the program will be gradually wound back.

Council to Homeless Persons chief executive Jenny Smith is welcoming the $66 million commitment to homeless families. She is concerned some people would still fall through the cracks, however.

These will include homeless singles and couples, who aren't included in the new state government investment. They will need to work with support agencies to find new accommodation by February.

Smith says it's inevitable some singles and couples will need to move into "substandard and unacceptable" accommodation such as rooming houses once the hotels programme concludes.

"Until more social housing exists or the federal government increases its support to the homeless to an acceptable level, that's just the situation at the moment," she says.

She wants the state government to extend the permanent housing support to highly vulnerable individuals in the short and medium-term.

"We were concerned as a sector that we'd just be turfing people out of hotels. This is a fantastic outcome for those families, who can now enjoy a full-time home and build a trajectory towards a bright future," she says.

Somewhat further down the track next year, the state government's $5.3 billion housing build plans will create 12,000 new properties. The first of these won't open until the second half of next year at the earliest.

Wynne says the state government will support all residents in emergency hotels to develop a housing exit plan over the coming months.

"We are continuing to work with the community sector to provide the support needed, including transitional housing and private rental assistance," he says.

Peter Ruzyla, chief executive of social and community health organisation EACH, is welcoming the sharpened focus on homelessness and pragmatic about what can be achieved initially.

"It is a reality check that not everybody can be perfectly assisted at all times. The existing system is working at full stretch to absorb this amount of additional work, money and people in a very short period of time," he said.

Source

• The Age
• Image: Housing Vic

The Victorian Premier, a practicing Catholic, says Melbourne Archbishop Peter Comensoli is wrong to compare priests refusing to disclose allegations heard during confession to confidentiality between journalists and their sources or lawyers and their clients.

"I don't accept that comparison at all..." Andrews says.

Despite Andrews's protests, Comensoli says the Catholic community has "not been afforded the opportunity to view and provide comment on the draft bill prior to its public release".

Under laws introduced to parliament on 14 August priests can be jailed for up to three years if they flout the mandatory reporting rules. These rules currently apply to professions including teachers, medical practitioners and police.

Comensoli says while he supports mandatory reporting, he is prepared to go to jail rather than break the confessional seal.

"Confession is a religious encounter of a deeply personal nature. It deserves confidentiality," he says.

"Confession doesn't place people above the law. Priests should be mandatory reporters, but in a similar way to protections to the lawyer/client relationship and protection for journalists' sources."

Victoria's Liberal-National opposition went to the election with a similar policy, which they are currently reviewing.

Opposition leader Michael O'Brien says while he expects everyone including members of the church to obey state laws and that child safety is paramount, he also is concerned about religious freedom.

"What I do want to see though, is have the laws that are proposed been drafted in a way which achieves that end, and do they not unnecessarily go and infringe on other religious freedoms."

Andrews has attacked O'Brien for what he calls a "disgraceful" about-turn.

"No religion, no church, no person, no priest, no politician is free to do anything other than put the safety of our kids first," Andrews says.

"This was his [O'Brien's] policy, for heaven's sake, only a few months ago."

Clergy are already subject to mandatory reporting laws in South Australia and the Northern Territory, while Western Australia and Tasmania have announced plans to compel religious leaders to disclose knowledge of abuse.

Victoria's reforms will also allow survivors of institutional abuse to apply to the Supreme Court to overturn "unfair" compensation settlements previously signed with churches.

Source

• The Age
• 9 News
• Image:Crux Now