Daily support team
The team works with people in the city daily to find permanent pathways out of homelessness, referring people to support services and programs providing coordinated housing and health intervention. This program is a partnership between Launch Housing and the City of Melbourne.
If items or belongings are abandoned, accumulate, or block pedestrian access, our officers may instruct people sleeping rough to tidy up or leave the area. If this happens, we will work closely with partnered support services to make sure that people have the opportunity to access their fundamental needs, such as housing or health services.
We continue to work with the Victorian Government and housing and homelessness agencies to reduce homelessness in Melbourne. We acknowledge that a lack of affordable housing continues to be a critical issue in our municipality. We will continue to support a coordinated response from all government bodies to work towards homelessness being rare, brief and non-recurring.
Melbourne Service Coordination Project
We convene several support agency networks on homelessness, including the Melbourne Service Coordination Project, which brings together representatives from 14 agencies who work with people rough sleeping in the central city.
The project streamlines services for people experiencing homelessness, linking them with practical support networks and ultimately aiming to get them off the streets and into permanent housing solutions. The group includes specialist support workers from various services who work directly with people experiencing homelessness and rough sleeping.
The project provides housing, health, mental health, alcohol and drug addiction support.
Melbourne Service Coordination Project gathers data through the By Name List to link people to the support services they need and ultimately assist them off the street into permanent housing solutions. The By Name List is the most accurate, complete and timely list possible of all individuals experiencing rough sleeping in the City of Melbourne. It is an efficient effective method for monitoring outcomes for people experiencing rough sleeping and homelessness. To find out more, visit Melbourne ZeroOpens in new tab.
In late 2017, Council adopted a protocol to address rough sleeping in the city. As a result, the City of Melbourne and Victoria Police trialled a response on how we approach encampments in the city and have now signed the protocol that formalises this trial.
The protocol and our ongoing work to address homelessness means that we can act quickly to address public safety and amenity concerns, while also ensuring that the most vulnerable people in the city have access to the services they need.
We continue to work with the Victorian Government and housing and homelessness agencies to reduce homelessness in Melbourne and facilitate more affordable housing.
