Information and referral
Many enquiries come from someone who has seen a person who appears to be ‘camping’ or is homeless. These people are often sleeping in makeshift shelter, also known as sleeping rough.
People also contact council because they, or someone they know are struggling to get or to maintain affordable housing.
Council’s role in homelessness is to provide information about where to get help and make referrals into these agencies. Council does not provide specific services or case management to people experiencing homelessness.
Community safety
Outdoors or offsite staff also come across people who are homeless or sleeping-rough. Most of these situations involve people who have no other housing options and are doing so without causing a risk to safety.
Where there is a threat our Community Safety team have a legislated requirement to respond. This includes when a person and their belongings or their pets are breaching a local law by causing a nuisance or hazard.
Our Environment Health Officers also specific legislated responsibilities that they will carry-out in certain situations.
Advocacy and support
We work with our partners to improve homelessness services and to increase social and affordable housing. We do this through proving grants, advocating for funding and building partnerships.
Through various grant programs between 2019-2022 we have provided over $1.2m in grants to community groups responding to homelessness. We have committed a further $780k so far, to support their vital and effective work in supporting those in the community who really need it.