Homelessness
What is homelessness?
People experiencing homelessness, and those at risk of homelessness, are among Australia’s most socially and economically disadvantaged.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics defines someone as homelessness if their current living arrangement is in a dwelling that is inadequate, has no tenure, has a short and not extendable tenure, or does not allow them to have control of, or access to, space for social relations. Whereas rough sleeping the most visible form of homelessness, it is estimated that rough sleeping only makes up around 7% of homeless. The remainder of homelessness is ‘hidden’, and includes those in supported accommodation for the homeless, rooming houses, sleeping in cars, severely overcrowded dwellings, couch-surfing or staying in other temporary types of accommodation.
Homelessness rates in Frankston City are growing and impacting different groups of people, and can happen to anyone at any point in their lives. Data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare shows that the main causes of homelessness in Australia are the lack of affordable housing, escaping family violence, poverty and financial hardship, relationship/family breakdowns and mental or physical illness and/or addiction.
Where can I find help?
There are a range of services that offer support and information that you can access if you are experiencing homelessness, or at risk of becoming homeless. See the details below:
The Salvation Army Homelessness Frankston – Entry Point
Emergency accommodation for people experiencing homelessness.
37 Ross Smith Avenue, Frankston
Phone: 9784 5000 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm)
After hours toll free: 1800 825 955
Community Support Frankston
Provides emergency relief, local information and essential supports.
35 Beach Street, Frankston
Phone: 9783 7284 (Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 3.30pm)
Web: www.frankston.net
Launch Housing
Provides short-term, crisis accommodation and a range of services for individuals, couples and families experiencing homelessness.
Phone: 1800 825 955 (free call number, open 24/7)
Web: www.launchhousing.org.au
Melbourne City Mission, Detour
A service for young people aged 12 to 24 at risk of or recently experiencing homelessness.
Headspace, 62 Playne Street, Frankston (Tuesdays 2pm to 5pm)
Phone: 1800 474 993 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm)
Web: www.mcm.org.au
WAYSS
Information about local housing services.
24 Fairway Street, Frankston
Phone: 9770 2687 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm)
Web: www.wayss.org.au
Department of Families, Fairness and Housing, Office of Housing
Information about housing and housing assistance in Victoria.
Level 1, 431 Nepean Hwy, Frankston
Phone: 9784 3100 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm)
Web: www.housing.vic.gov.au
What we are doing to reduce homelessness
Homelessness is an increasing issue in Frankston City requiring a sophisticated and coordinated approach along with new innovative solutions.
Council is committed to reducing homelessness by providing information and referrals for people requiring assistance to appropriate service providers, monitoring data, building awareness and advocating for change.
Council also provides community infrastructure for much-needed community services, including for the Comfort Station Shower for People Experiencing Homelessness and Frankston’s emergency relief provider, Community Support Frankston. Council also has a land use planning role to support and manage housing growth and change across all residential and activity centres within the municipality.
Frankston Strategic Housing and Homelessness Alliance
The Frankston City Strategic Housing and Homelessness Alliance is represented by all key services with a commitment to alleviating homelessness in Frankston City. The Strategic Alliance develops and drives a shared agenda for improving, aligning and expanding the capacity of Frankston City’s housing and homelessness service system to better respond to the increasing pressures of homelessness within the municipality.
Members of the Strategic Alliance are:
Frankston Zero
Launched during National Homelessness Week in 2021, Frankston Zero is a major initiative to combat homelessness and assist rough sleepers in Frankston City.
Frankston Zero was established by the Frankston City Strategic Housing and Homelessness Alliance as a local solution to addressing the rising rates of rough sleeping homelessness in Frankston City. The goal of Frankston Zero is to achieve Functional Zero homelessness for people sleeping rough in Frankston City.
Functional Zero homelessness will be reached when the number of people entering and experiencing rough sleeping homelessness within a month is less than the average 6-monthly placement rate into long-term housing. Once achieved it must be sustained and any future experiences of rough sleeping homelessness in Frankston City are brief, rare and non-reoccurring. This will be because the housing, accommodation and support resources required to end rough sleeping homelessness are sufficient and efficiently coordinated enough to meet the needs of all people who sleep and live in Frankston City.
Frankston Zero is based on international best practice models to end homelessness, and involves a coordinated homelessness response where information and resources are shared to minimise the time spent experiencing homelessness for individual rough sleepers.
The initiative operates beyond traditional funding models and includes holistic support including mental health, family violence and trauma support, while working with the person to find secure housing.
The State Government has offered continued funding for local Assertive Housing and Supportive Housing Teams (Launch Housing and Neami National) for an additional two to four years. This was a crucial enabler for the delivery of Frankston Zero.
Listen to Amanda Williams from Neami National chat to 3RPP about Frankston Zero.
Download a transcript of the audio here(DOCX, 25KB).
Youth2 Alliance
Council is one of 12 organisations that has formed the Youth2 Alliance to advocate for solutions to address the absence of crisis housing and support services for young homeless people in Frankston City and the Mornington Peninsula.
The Youth2 Alliance asks local, state and federal governments to work together to fund and source crisis and transitional housing support for young people aged 16-24 years who live in the Frankston City or Mornington Peninsula local government areas, for:
- Crisis accommodation in both Frankston and Rosebud with the capacity to accommodate 24 young people.
- An Education First Youth Foyer to support best practice outreach and education for eight to 20 young people per annum.
Member organisations:
- Brotherhood of St Lawrence
- Frankston City Council
- Frankston Mornington Peninsula Primary Care Partnership
- Fusion Australia
- Melbourne City Mission
- Mornington Peninsula Shire Council
- Neami National
- Southern Homelessness Services Network
- The Salvation Army
- Whitelion
- YSAS/Headspace
The Youth2 Alliance also involves young people and community member in developing its advocacy position.
The Youth2 Alliance draws attention to the findings and recommendations relating to young people from the Victorian Parliament’s Legislative Legal and Social Issues Standing Committee’s Inquiry into Homelessness in Victoria in 2019. Link to read the report: Legal and Social Issues (parliament.vic.gov.au)
Regional Local Government Charter for Homelessness and Social Housing
Council is one of 13 Councils that has formed the Regional Local Government Charter for Homelessness and Social Housing to highlight regional homelessness and housing issues and advocate for reform. Read more about the Charter.
Frankston City Health and Wellbeing Plan 2021-2025
The Frankston City Health and Wellbeing Plan 2021-2025 and new Safer Community Policy and Strategy (in development) aim to address challenges impacting our community’s safety, health and wellbeing through the implementation of various initiatives and partnering with various community organisations. Read more about Council’s Health and Wellbeing Plan.