The 140 residents who are now living in caravans and demountable units on the site were informed of the August end date to the facility at a December meeting.
Victorian Premier Dan Andrews was on site at Elmore last week to meet with residents and allay fears of what would happen post-August 15.
“We have been given assurances that every resident will have a personal case manager. If there home is not available by August 15 they will be provided with accommodation options,” Rochester Community House Flood Recovery Co-ordinator Tanya McDermott said.
“We've been kept in the loop. People can come to us for information, but people who are living there know the process.”
There is a tick over seven months until the site’s use-by date is reached and ERV, along with Anglicare and the Downer Group are working with Rochester Community House to transition the residents to alternative accommodation.
The Community House will continue to have an active role at the site until all residents are relocated.
Ms McDermott started in the flood-recovery role late last year and said last week the community house had been given a guarantee that no person would be left without an accommodation option when the site closed.
“Our role is to support the Rochester people who are living there,” she said.
“ERV runs the venue, while Downer has been contracted to look after site and Anglicare manages the people coming in.
“We come into play below those three organisations, to ensure the residents at the site retain their connection to the Rochester community.”
Ms McDermott joined the Rochester Community House team under the leadership of Amanda Logie, who now has a half-dozen-strong team under her management.
Youth project worker Jenna Harvey and recently appointed wellbeing officer Bernadette Wright have been working closely with the displaced residents from the 4Rs Diggora Rd temporary base of the Community House.
“Jenna is working to provide activities and entertainment, while Bernadette is available two days a week in a wellbeing role,” Ms McDermott said.
Ms McDermott herself will be at the Elmore site one day a week.
“There is a lot of positivity at the Elmore site, they have embraced what they are dealing with and were provided with great Christmas and New Year’s Eve events.
“They will soon have a residents committee up and running, taking some ownership of the site,” she said.
Rochester Community House is waiting on confirmation about a date for another community forum with the Insurance Council of Australia, which follows on from two days of meetings with insurance representatives last year.
There is a major gulf in the experiences of people, some having already been given the green light for repairs on their homes by insurance companies, while others struggle to come to terms.
“That was among the subjects that were spoken about with the premier, who is well aware of the shortfall in tradespeople available to assist in the recovery,” Ms McDermott said.
Ms McDermott said the role Mrs Wright would be playing with the Community House would allow community members to make appointments with her at no cost.
Together with the support of MIND Australia, a mental health and wellbeing organisation, there are four days of the week where support is available.
“MIND are here every Tuesday and Thursday, while Bernadette is available on Monday and Friday,” she said.
MIND are at the Elmore site as well. MIND will host a community lunch on Thursday, January 12, at the Rotunda alongside Rochester bakery.
“MIND is able to provide immediate support to people information and make the necessary referrals,” she said.
“The crisis that the town is encountering means that people should take advantage of these services.
“They have been meeting with people at the Cafe Rochester and the bakery and also mingling with the community.”
Ms McDermott said in the past two weeks there had been positive progress on a number of fronts in regard to the recovery effort.
She said the focus for the community house extended beyond insurance and mental heatlh issues, to providing free activities for children three days a week (on Monday Wednesday and Friday).
And repair work is well under way at the Mackay St community house site.
