What does a road out of rough sleeping really look like?
This journey, illustrative of many journeys from rough sleeping in Melbourne, shows how systemic barriers delay a person’s way out of sleeping rough.
Lack of housing options, and lack of access to ID and Medicare mean people are sleeping rough for long periods, often with urgent or untreated health needs.
In Melbourne, Launch Housing support workers have supported 2,453 people sleeping rough across 8 local councils since 2019.
Persistent outreach, embedded healthcare and an approach that prioritises immediate accommodation contribute to a person sustaining safe housing.
Our outreach team meets with the client where they are, showing up consistently and without judgement. Over time, they build trust through genuine connection, offering support and clear information about their options. Once trust is established, the client agrees to referrals and joins the By-Name List as part of the Advance to Zero approach.
Outreach workers help replace lost ID and lodge a priority Victorian Housing Register application. The shortage of social housing means the client faces a long wait time. While waiting for housing, Bolton Clarke nurses address urgent health needs: wounds, infections, mental health crises.
Following a Housing First approach, our team provides intensive, assertive, flexible support. The client sets their support goals, which focus on legal, health and community connections. We can advocate for the client’s Victorian Housing Register application to be backdated based on their history of rough sleeping. While long wait times remain a barrier to securing housing, our flexible and sustained support ensures the client is not navigating this journey alone.
Once housed, we support the client to settle into their home, furnish their space, and connect with local supports and community. Ongoing health and wellbeing care are embedded in the journey. Over time, a sense of safety and stability builds.
