AN initiative to combat the skyrocketing rates of local homelessness has been officially launched.
The Frankston Zero project was launched at an event online last week. The initiative was established by the Frankston City Strategic Housing and Homelessness Alliance, a group of 14 local organisations that have come together to tackle homelessness.
Frankston mayor Kris Bolam said that local rough sleeping homelessness has grown by 388 per cent since 2016, and that the initiative would help to fix this. “Frankston Zero – based on international best practice models to end homelessness – has reoriented the local service system to deliver a coordinated response for people sleeping rough,” he said.
“Frankston Zero defies traditional sector barriers by bringing together all services and sectors that have a role to play in supporting the pathway out of homelessness. These include health and mental health services, family violence and legal services, alcohol and other drug services, local government, and many more. Its aim is both simple and ambitious – to achieve functional zero homelessness for rough sleeping in Frankston City by 2023.”
Part of the initiative involves the maintenance of a “By Name List”, a record of every local rough sleeper’s name.
Cr Bolam said that a recent state government announcement that it would continue workforce funding for local organisations like Launch and NEAMI was “a crucial enabler for the delivery of Frankston Zero and without it we would not be celebrating the launch of this important initiative.”
NEAMI service manager of Frankston’s towards home program, Amanda Williams, said “Frankston Zero has already achieved some great outcomes including one person being placed into a public housing property after spending years of rough sleeping in the Frankston municipality.”
“We have had 12 people from the By Name List shortlisted for priority housing and two of our youngest persons on the list, both aged 17 years, have been prioritised into emergency accommodation while receiving a coordinated response of assistance. We now have 25 people allocated to a case manager and agency to receive tailored, wrap around supports,” she said.
To read more about Frankston Zero visit frankston.vic.gov.au/Your-Council/Advocacy/Tackling-Homelessness-in-Frankston-City.
