Homelessness
Implementation
Plan 2020
Community Report Card 2022-2023
Council’s Homelessness Implementation Plan (the Plan) reflects Council’s
commitment to support people in Brimbank without a home, following
recommendations of the Homelessness Research Report. This Report Card
provides a summary of key achievements over a twelve month period.
;
The Homelessness Protocol was implemented,
providing an integrated, consistent and flexible
process for Council departments to safely engage
and support people experiencing homelessness.
Between 1 July 2022 and 30 June 2023, Council
received 88 homelessness notifications, and where
suitable, referred people to homelessness services.
;
Training was delivered to 106 Council staff and
councillors in July 2022, in collaboration with the
Council to Homeless Persons, to raise awareness
and develop staff skill in responding to people
who find themselves without a home. The
training included an online module, followed by
a live session led by people with lived experience
of homelessness.
;
A Question and Answer session was organised for
Parks Services during Homelessness week (August
2022). Posters were printed and distributed to
raise awareness of the Homelessness Protocol in all
Council sites.
;
Council established the Brimbank Hotspots Working
Group, which provides a forum for Council and
relevant partners to support improved health,
safety, amenity and wellbeing outcomes for
communities in identified hotspots in Brimbank,
using a holistic human rights based approach. The
Hotspots Group meets bi-monthly.
;
Council officers attend monthly drop-in emergency
relief sessions at the Tin Shed Neighbourhood
House in St Albans. These sessions provide an
opportunity to promote council services, including
libraries and early years activities that assist
people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
;
Council officers shared knowledge and pursued
collaboration activities with local services and
other councils . This included presentations to
the North Western Alliance for Mental Health,
Brimbank Service Providers Network & Brimbank
Social Justice Coalition, CCCLM/LGPro Community of
Practice Housing and Homelessness and Southeast
Councils Homelessness and Housing network.
;
Council libraries offered computers, charging
stations and programs to people experiencing
homelessness. It is recognised that people without
a fixed address have limited borrowing rights;
libraries provided resources and access to library
cards to community members at four locations
across Brimbank.
;
Council successfully advocated to the Federal
government to re-instate the Equal Remuneration
Order (ERO) supplementation for homelessness
services. Cessation of ERO funding would have
resulted in cuts to an already overstretched
homelessness service system, impacting on
their capacity to support vulnerable Brimbank
community members.
;
Council convened meetings with senior
representatives from key homelessness service
providers to identify ways to establish assertive
outreach as part of an overarching a service
coordination model for the Brimbank area.
;
Council participated in the Inter-Council Affordable
Housing Forum with representatives from State
and local government and relevant agencies.
;
Council met with the Department of Families,
Fairness and Housing, Community Housing Industry
Association (CHIA) and providers to discuss
opportunities to increase the supply of community
housing in Brimbank.
;
Council raised community awareness of
homelessness through promotion of Homelessness
Week on Council social media platforms.
;
Council engaged with Victoria Police, health and
community service providers, homelessness
services and DFFH to develop a coordinated
approach to address rough sleeping, alcohol and
other drug use and mental health issues for people
using public spaces at Errington Reserve, St Albans.
Key Achievements
252 - 0823
Brimbank City Council
Telephone
9249 4000
Email
info@brimbank.vic.gov.au
Post
PO Box 70, Sunshine, VIC 3020
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