Newly arrived Afghan refugees in Melbourne’s south-east are struggling to find stable housing, with some families living in motels and garages.
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00:0011-year-old Waslat has found safety in Australia.
00:07I'm happy I can learn here because in Afghanistan they don't let girls to learn.
00:12Her family arrived as refugees a year and a half ago.
00:16They've spent four months living in this motel room in Melbourne's outer southeast.
00:21Eating two-minute noodles and whatever they can cook in the microwave.
00:27She said I'm frustrated of eating this much stuff every single day and I would like it so much to cook a meal from Afghanistan.
00:42Half the students of Waslat's primary school now come from Afghanistan.
00:47We're having to play a role for families in terms of they're coming to us for help, for aid.
00:54So we've all of a sudden had to be, you know, put our heads in that sort of housing, social work kind of space.
01:01The Australian Government has dedicated more than 26,000 humanitarian visas to Afghan nationals in the wake of its exit from Afghanistan.
01:10Many are drawn here to Dandenong because of the large established community.
01:14But support services are struggling.
01:17She's near here in the garage.
01:19Dandenong has the highest rate of homelessness in the state.
01:23The Southern Migrant and Refugee Centre sees multiple Afghan families in housing distress every day.
01:30We're trying to refer them to the local housing services,
01:34but it's still the local housing services overwhelmed due to the large number of newly arrived who are looking for housing.
01:43The demand from the community is so large, so we do need more support.
01:48The Federal Government says it covers 28 days of accommodation when refugees first arrive in Australia,
01:54as well as help finding private rentals, some household goods and other wraparound supports for up to 18 months.
02:02But Dandenong Councillor Rhonda Garrard, who is standing for the Greens in the Federal election, says the current system isn't working.
02:09I don't think we should pretend that it's not happening.
02:13I think we should deal with it proactively with the community.
02:16Mommy! Mommy!
02:19Waslat's family recently secured a year's emergency accommodation in a purpose-built unit for single parents.
02:26She's worried about the future, but for now, Farzana can cook for her children.
02:31Waslat is busy making plans.
02:34I would want to be a teacher because that has been my dream since, like, when I was in Afghanistan.
02:43Looking ahead to better days.
02:47Thank you very much.
02:48You're welcome.
02:49I'm going to be a teacher that will have a question.
02:51I'm not going to be a teacher, but I will have a teacher.
02:52We are going to be on the goal of it proactively, but I will definitely get the job.
02:55Here we are, here we are.
02:56We are going to be on the goal of the city.
02:58Let's take a report to our school, and we need to interview the schedule.
03:01You can't see the work that you've done.
03:03You can see the work that you've done in the study on the day.
03:06For a dinner, I will not be able to have a school, because the bamboo.