Huntly Lions Park campers remain despite Bendigo council eviction powers

Lawyers for one of the campers have secured a promise not to force the issue while the search for new housing goes on.

But it is not yet clear how long three remaining campers may stay at Huntly Lions Park as Bendigo's housing shortages drag on.

This week's extreme rainfalls are unlikely to stop homeless campers using the site when it is not at risk of flooding. They say there is nowhere else to go and have family and other support networks in town.

Lawyers for one of the current Huntly campers have had some "fairly productive discussions" with the council, ARC Justice chief executive officer Damian Stock said.

"The last time we met, the council essentially agreed not to take any immediate enforcement action on the condition the campers engage with housing services," he said.

"The issue we have here is that we know there are no immediate housing solutions. We are not sure of the exact timeframe it will take to find proper housing for the campers."

Multiple campers who have used the site this year have said they had already approached housing services for help but there was only so much those groups had been able to do.

ARC Justice runs a program helping people get tenancies, and to help those whose housing security has come under risk.

It could not keep up with demand, Mr Stock said.

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Landlords and others who managed rentals had become more open to enforcement actions since COVID-19 lockdowns ended, he said.

"People who are on the brink of homelessness are contacting us in greater numbers," Mr Stock said.

Some landlords have taken advantage of rising property prices to sell-up or have decided they want to move into homes they had been renting.

That has put even more pressure on limited and ageing social housing stock.

Managers at those sorts of facilities were often less lenient over tenancy issues than they were over the years of pandemic-inspired lockdowns, Mr Stock said.

"The consequence of all that pressure can very easily be eviction and, when there is no emergency or transitional housing in regional areas, the very real consequence is homelessness," he said.

The council is yet to set a final date for all Huntly campers to leave, its healthy communities and environments director Stacy Williams said.

"Our focus is on working with Haven; Home, Safe and the campers to find suitable, long-term accommodation," she said.

The council wanted to discourage more homeless people camping at the site by installing new signage, Ms Williams said.

It obtained the power to remove campers from the park last in September after deciding it was not equipped to keep allowing campers to remain for long periods.

"It is incredibly sad to see people in such vulnerable positions but people living in areas that are not designated for long-term stays, such as the Huntly Lions Park, is not a good outcome for the people staying there," mayor Andrea Metcalf said back in August.

"This site has a toilet but no shower and no power. It is not setup for camping and as such has never been intended for long-term camping. It was only ever intended as a rest stop and, at most, a night or two of accommodation."

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