Melbourne Assembly
Victoria, Australia, is launching a $27.8 million statewide expansion of an 'assertive outreach' program to combat homelessness. The initiative involves teams actively engaging with rough sleepers to connect them with housing and support services rather than waiting for individuals to seek help.
Why it matters
This shift in social policy represents a proactive approach to addressing chronic homelessness, which is a major urban challenge in Australia.
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Share A A A Melbourne Assembly brings together the people, ideas and conversations shaping the future of our city. See all stories . Street homelessness could be drastically reduced across Victoria over the next decade under an ambitious plan to find rough sleepers and connect them with services rather than waiting for people to seek help.
Under the $27.8 million statewide expansion of a program pioneered in inner Melbourne, teams of homelessness workers will be sent onto streets around Victoria to profile homeless people, build trust and connect them with housing and support.
Combined with new community housing projects and existing specialist services, experts in the sector say, the bolstered outreach offers a blueprint that can overcome rough sleeping and prolonged homelessness, provided current building efforts are stepped up.
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