2002 Victorian Homelessness Strategy

The 2002 Victorian Homelessness Strategy was a blue-print for change in the way we respond to homelessness.  It was released by the then Minister for Community Services and Housing in February 2002.

The key themes of the Victorian Homelessness Strategy were distilled into the following five strategic objectives:

• improving client focus and client outcomes
• developing integrated and sustainable service responses
• working across government and with the community to prevent homelessness
• increasing access to, and supply of, affordable housing
• supporting and driving change

To achieve these broad objectives, the Directions for Change report identified 15 immediate Actions and 16 longer term Strategies to deliver sustainable improvements in our service system.

Directions for Change (PDF Size: 1.70MB, Pages 162)

Cross-Government Programs

The Victorian Homelessness Strategy identified the need for a comprehensive and co-ordinated approach to meeting the needs of people experiencing homelessness.

Developing better integration across all areas of the Victorian government will not only provide more effective services to people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, but will reduce pressures on the services where clients are often over-represented.

The programs and initiatives listed below progressed from pilots to programs through further funding committed by the Office of Housing and program partners.

THM-Bail Support Program
Provides linked transitional housing and support services to offenders eligible for bail and homeless or at risk of homelessness.

Partners: Department of Justice, Melbourne Magistrates' Court, Court Services

Court Integrated Services Program (CISP)
The CISP program provides linked transitional housing and support services for people assisted by Melbourne, Sunshine and Morwell Magistrates' Courts.

Partners: Department of Justice, Melbourne, Sunshine and Morwell Magistrates' Courts, Court Services

Better Pathways
Better Pathways provides linked transitional housing and support services for women assisted in the criminal justice system; primarily those assisted by the Bail Support Program who are homeless, including Indigenous women in rural Victoria.

Partners: Department of Justice, Court Services

THM-Corrections Housing Pathways
This program provides a co-ordinated response to address the needs of people exiting men's and women's Victorian prisons who require housing and integrated support. It was extended in 2008 to cover all Victorian prisons with tailored responses for men through Link Out and for women through the Women's Integrated Support Program (WISP).

Partners: Department of Justice

THM-Drug Courts Housing Pathways
Provides transitional housing and homelessness support to people on drug treatment orders who are at risk of homelessness, referred through the designated Drug Court in Dandenong.

Partners: Department of Justice, Drug Courts in Dandenong, Department of Human Services

Mental Health Housing Pathways
Provides pathways out of homelessness for people with a serious mental illness and complex needs through provision of transitional housing and specialist support packages.

Partners: Mental Health

ForensiCare Housing Pathways
Assists people who are at high risk of homelessness. Targets residents of Thomas Embling Hospital and the Acute Assessment Unit at Melbourne Assessment Prison.

Partners: Mental Health, Thomas Embling Hospital, Acute Assessment Unit at Melbourne Assessment Prison.

Youth Justice Housing Pathways
Provides co-ordinated transitional housing and support for young people aged 17+ who are exiting youth justice facilities and who are at risk of homelessness.

Partners: Children, Youth and Families

Young People Leaving Care
A VHS initiative to address the social marginalisation often experienced by young people leaving care, through the provision of or linkages to stable accommodation and appropriate support to facilitate social participation. Children, Youth & Families have a range of funding packages for young people including brokerage funds and other types of funding not covered by SAAP, which may be accessed by young people participating in the Young People Leaving Care initiative.

Partners: Children, Youth and Families

Refugee Minors Housing Pathways
A joint program with Children, Youth & Families (Child Protection Unit) providing transitional housing and support to refugee minors who are at risk of homelessness and leaving Commonwealth funded on arrival facilities.

Partners: Children, Youth and Families (Child Protection Unit)

Disability Housing Pathways
Assists people with Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) who have experienced or are experiencing homelessness to access linked transitional housing and support.

Partners: Disability Services

Alcohol and Drug Supported Accommodation
Provides residential drug rehabilitation to assist people who have undergone a drug withdrawal program or who need assistance in controlling their drug use to achieve and sustain addiction-free living.

Partners: Drugs Policy and Treatment Services

Homeless and Drug Dependency
Aims to address the needs of the growing number of homeless people presenting at Crisis Supported Accommodation services with problematic drug dependency issues.

Partners: Drugs Policy and Treatment Services, Mental Health branch, Melbourne's major crisis supported accommodation services

Multiple and Complex Needs
Developed in response to continuing poor service received by a small but significant group of people in Victoria whose complex needs challenge existing policy, legislative frameworks and service systems.
This group are often unable to sustain appropriate accommodation, or require a level of support not available within the broader homelessness service system.

Partners: DHS support programs