Peninsula Community Legal Centre

20/10/2026

Many people talk and think about family violence as a personal issue.

What we're seeing is actually something much bigger. It's a public safety and economic issue.

Nearly half of the people (47%) seeking legal help from PCLC this year were experiencing family violence. And it's pushing people into:

• housing instability
• parenting disputes
• migration matters
• fines and debt
• financial abuse
• tenancy disputes
• homelessness risk

Find out how all these things are connected in our 2025-26 Annual Impact Report: t.ly/_lYqi

19/10/2026

If you want to understand what's happening in Melbourne's Southeast, you follow its legal problems.

And our last year of frontline legal work is sending a clear signal: the cost of living and family violence are driving a demand for support that exceeds what our services can deliver.

If you live in or serve the Southeast community, support our important work.

Read our 2025-26 Annual Impact Report. t.ly/Mh9wE

19/10/2026

Members of PCLC's team will be at Bring Your Bills Frankston, helping local residents understand the options available to them.

Come and talk with us face-to-face about your bills and fines. While you’re there, you can also connect with a range of other financial, legal, government and community services all in one place.

18/10/2026

Reminder: PCLC will be at Glen Eira City Council's Healthy Ageing Expo on Wednesday 28 October to talk wills, powers of attorney and protecting your interests later in life. We’ll look forward to seeing you there.

16/10/2026

Want to know more about keeping your children safe online, check out the eSafety Commissioner free parent and carer webinars

Final dates for our 2026 parent and carer webinars are here!

There is still time to build your knowledge, skills and confidence to help your children have safer, more positive experiences online 😊💻

Join us for practical conversations about:
👦 the online experiences of young men and boys
📱 navigating screen time
🤝belonging and connection
🔐online parental controls
🤖 AI.

Register now and join us for our final webinars of the year. Don't miss the opportunity to learn, ask questions, and feel better equipped to support your child in their online world: https://news.esafety.gov.au/41hNsb3

15/10/2026

Poverty doesn't happen overnight. It’s a spiral.

From a housing perspective, it often begins with a notice to vacate, unaffordable rent, or the fear of losing your home.

We're seeing renters spend more than 60% of their income on housing, older people forced into rooming houses, and families struggling to keep a roof over their heads.

A call to PCLC at the right time can help stop that downward spiral before it becomes homelessness.

Please contact us | 9783 3600 | [email protected]

14/10/2026

Relentless.

PCLC CEO Jackie Galloway describes how our neighbours in Southeast Melbourne are struggling to afford life. Housing stress, cost-of-living pressures and family violence are creating increasingly complex challenges and growing demand for support.

Read Jackie's comments in our 2025-26 Annual Impact Report: t.ly/_lYqi

14/10/2026

PCLC Chair Matthew Bolle points to a defining challenge for our region: housing insecurity, financial hardship, family violence and cost-of-living pressures are increasingly converging. The era of single-issue disadvantage is over. People are facing interconnected social and legal problems that our systems must be equipped and funded to address.

Read Matthew's statement in our 2525-26 Annual Impact Report: t.ly/iIKbm

13/10/2026

Housing is where poverty becomes visible.

Recently in our region, 67 people were recorded sleeping rough in Frankston, and more than 150 on the Mornington Peninsula. Many more are sleeping in cars or couch surfing.

Vacancy rates sit at about 1.3% in the South-East, creating a tight market for those who are housed.

PCLC is proud to have advocated alongside homelessness and housing partners, including Functional Zero, for increased State Government investment in homelessness responses.

This work is ongoing and requires all of our joint efforts. If you’d like to partner or know more, contact us | 9783 3600 | [email protected]

12/10/2026

Housing insecurity is one of the clearest indicators of poverty.

And on Anti-Poverty Week, it’s worth remembering that people don't call a lawyer because they're experiencing poverty.

They call because they can't pay the rent. Or because they separated from their partner, or life has thrown them a curveball that disrupts their stability.

Read *Mack’s story to see what this looks like up close | https://pclc.org.au/client-stories/rebuilding-security-through-outreach/