Over 1000 people have joined the Melbourne Zero movement - people, businesses and community organisations like you who all want to see a Melbourne with zero street homelessness. A people-powered force for good is building across our city!
Over 1000 people have joined the Melbourne Zero movement - people, businesses and community organisations like you who all want to see a Melbourne with zero street homelessness. A people-powered force for good is building across our city!
Since the publication of our love letter to Melbourne in The Age on Valentine’s Day, we've welcomed even more like-minded organisations, including Justice Connect, The Salvation Army, and Melbourne Rebels, to the Melbourne Zero Network. Together, we're united in our determination to make Melbourne a city where every person has a safe place to call home.
Have you noticed our radio ads, digital ads and street posters around Melbourne? We are grateful to Beth, Alex, Patrick, Haryath and Susan for sharing their stories to help build an understanding of what it means to experience homelessness. We know building empathy is a powerful vehicle for change, and voices of lived experience need to be heard.
Please keep sharing our Call for Change with your community, and if you haven’t already, share your own doortrait to encourage others to get on board this movement to ensure Melbourne is liveable for all!
A Cup of Coffee and a Brighter Future in Bellfield
For Change Co., a founding member of the Melbourne Zero Network, has recently opened the doors to a new For Change Cafe - in the northern suburb of Bellfield!
This social enterprise cafe provides hospitality training and support to young people experiencing homelessness. Every purchase helps young people build a brighter future, with over 90% of graduates from their hospitality training program moving on to meaningful employment or education.
“Most of the young people in our programs are residing in supported housing, and with a large-scale social housing project underway – just down the road – this was the perfect place," said Tenille Gilbert, Managing Director of For Change Co.
This latest addition joins For Change Co's social enterprise cafes in Brunswick, Melbourne University, RMIT, and Middle Park, as well as their Crepes For Change food truck. Enjoy a delicious treat while supporting young people to break free from the cycle of homelessness.
Ending rough sleeping in Dandenong
Dandenong is one of 5 Melbourne Local Government Areas already embracing a place-based collective impact approach to reducing rough sleeping. By connecting with and getting to know each person, and adding them to the local ‘By Name List’, knowing everyone by name and understanding their needs is possible, with local services providing an integrated response to help people find and sustain housing.
A strong network of service providers works together and shares data, providing a truly client-centred approach and helping build trust with people who have often been moved from service to service over their many years of homelessness.
The ultimate goal is to achieve ‘Functional Zero’ homelessness in the City of Greater Dandenong by July 2025 - which means experiences of rough sleeping homelessness are brief, rare, and non-recurring. Dandenong Zero’s progress is thanks to a partnership between Launch Housing, WAYSS, Monash Health, and the City of Greater Dandenong.
“It's crucial that in addition to housing, we provide appropriate support for individuals and create a well-connected community, so they can succeed in life,” said partner WAYSS's chief executive Wayne Merritt says,
In February, the number of people experiencing homelessness on Dandenong’s By Name List dropped to 70 (trending down since October), with 13 people being housed.
Alex's Journey from Homelessness to Hope
“I feel safe. I don't feel like I'm ever going back to the streets anymore.”
Our empathy and compassion impact the lives of others. Hear the inspiring story of Alex, a member of the LGBTQIA+ community who has shared their journey from sleeping rough to finding a home as part of the Melbourne Zero campaign.
Spark Change with Melbourne Zero's Conversation Pack
Having conversations about homelessness is crucial to creating positive change in our community. By initiating discussions with colleagues, friends, family, and clients, we can raise awareness and promote understanding about the complex issue of homelessness.
Melbourne Zero's conversation pack can help you spark constructive conversations about creating a city with zero homelessness. By working together, we can become a powerful force for change.