Increase in community understanding of and engagement in ending homelessness

Summary

• Ending homelessness includes shifting people’s perceptions about who is experiencing it. Change can only happen when there is increased empathy for people experiencing homelessness, broad visible community support for systemic changes, and increased momentum behind the solutions that work. That’s why we engage with our community, media, philanthropy, corporates, and governments – together we can end homelessness.
• 39% increase in number of people supported through philanthropic and corporate support.
• 22% increase in active donors.

Analysis

Our partners enable us to pilot innovative solutions that help end homelessness for people across Melbourne

An increase in philanthropic and corporate support directly supported 2,400 people who were at risk of, or experiencing, homelessness – an incredible 39% increase from last year.

Philanthropic and corporate support is a key enabler for our work in piloting and scaling up solutions to ending homelessness. This impact report demonstrates their critical role in some of our most high impact programs.

For example, REA Group have been partnering with Launch Housing for 10 years and have generously donated over $2M in that time to turn houses into homes. At the heart of our partnership is the National Rapid Rehousing Fund, jointly created to support people and families at risk of or experiencing homelessness maintain or secure a home. Launch Housing and seven other community organisations across Australia have utilised the Fund to prevent or end an experience of homelessness for thousands of people, by covering the cost of bond, rent, utility bills, removalists, and essential household items.

Crucial nursing support at Elizabeth Street Common Ground — our site providing permanent supportive housing, health and community support — is made possible through The Brian & Virginia McNamee Foundation.

And our Advance to Zero programs — which aim to end rough sleeping in Melbourne by 2030 — are supported by generous donors, including Erdi Foundation and The Bowden Marstan Foundation.

Together the partnerships are changing the lives of thousands of people experiencing homelessness across Melbourne. A full list of our generous philanthropic and corporate partners can be found at the end of this report.

Reach, Action, Change

Removing the stigma surrounding homelessness, drawing attention to the solutions that work and providing opportunities for our community be part of change to end homelessness in Melbourne are essential parts of our work.

We measure our success in three stages: ‘Reach’ includes indicators that we have raised awareness of the issue, solutions and empathy for people experiencing it. ‘Action’, that our reach has inspired personal action. ‘Change’ indicates our initiatives are influencing community-wide perceptions and behaviours across Melbourne.

Looking ahead

We will continue increasing community understanding of and engagement in ending homelessness. One key priority in the year ahead is building our Melbourne Zero campaign to end rough sleeping in Melbourne by 2030.

This empathy-led campaign is building a movement of Melbournians from across our city who recognise the humanity of people experiencing homelessness. 

It calls on the State Government and all local governments across Melbourne to: 

1. Create and maintain a By-Name List that enables every person sleeping rough to be known personally by the services supporting them 
2. Work to improve supply of and pathways to social and affordable housing, with the services people need to escape the cycle of homelessness 
3. Support the creation of a metropolitan wide By-Name List, to ensure no one falls between the cracks if they move to different parts of the city trying to find the help they need.

Learn more about the Melbourne Zero campaign and add your voice at melbournezero.org.au.

Thanks to our partners