Launch Housing

It’s Book Week! 📚 Children across Australia are celebrating the magic of stories and taking part in one of the most cherished activities - dressing up as their favourite book character. At Viv’s Place, home to women and children who have escaped family violence and homelessness, we’ve been creating special memories of our own. To help the families join in the fun, we set up a costume shop where kids could choose their outfits for the week. This wouldn’t be possible without the incredible generosity of our community. This year, Our Village donated over 100 costume packs for the 89 children who call Viv’s Place home, offering an amazing range of choices from Bluey to Where’s Wally to Wonder Woman. Thank you to Our Village and all our donors for bringing the magic of Book Week to the children at Viv’s Place!

Last week, a few of our senior leaders attended the Homelessness Conference in Adelaide.   This year's theme was Gathering Momentum, a fitting theme for the sector, as we know there is still a lot of work to be done to end homelessness, but there are fantastic initiatives, innovation, and proven solutions taking place across Australia to change the lives of people experiencing homelessness.    Our very own, Laura Mahoney, Executive Director of Homelessness Solutions and Impact and Deb Batterham, Researcher, spoke during three sessions;   🟣Providing meaningful responses when there is no housing  🟣How private rental is being accessed and sustained  🟣Designing housing for women and children fleeing domestic and family violence   Over two days, the sector shared insights and practical strategies, created new relationships and heard from lived experience.    Whilst in Adelaide, our colleagues had the opportunity to hear from Catherine House Inc accommodation and support service provider for women experiencing homelessness in South Australia and had the privilege to visit too. Learning about their programs and seeing their impact was a great way to round off the trip.    We know that we can't end homelessness alone, but together we can.

This week we released an Insights Paper: How to End an Avoidable Homelessness and Health Emergency.   We know that homelessness is a health emergency and housing is good health care.   People experiencing homelessness often have multiple physical and mental health conditions, and those sleeping rough are at risk of dying 30 years earlier than people with stable housing. Those must vulnerable are those most affected.   Our Insights Paper shows the inextricable relationship between health and homelessness by showing evidence from successful integrated programs around the world.   We’re calling for more cross-sector collaboration, and investment in programs that work, to save lives.   Read our full Insights Paper here 👇 https://lnkd.in/gA3jS_xF

Yesterday we celebrated the unveiling of our Melbourne Zero mural 🎉   We were joined by some of our closest supporters and sector partners this National Homelessness Week to share updates on the Advance to Zero Framework and reveal our much-anticipated mural.    Thank you to the Minister of Housing, Harriet Shing MP and Lord Mayor Nick Reece for addressing the room, sharing how we can make Melbourne a liveable city for all, and the importance of busting the stigma that comes with homelessness.   The evening demonstrated the incredible support we have across the community, we know we can’t do it alone, but together we can end homelessness in Melbourne, starting with ending rough sleeping by 2030. Photos taken by Mat Lynn.

We are thrilled to reveal our Melbourne Zero mural!    Painted by artist Matt Adnate, recent winner of the Archibald Packing Room Prize, this legacy artwork will remain on Albion Alley for the next 15 years, inspiring pride in Melbourne that we can be the most liveable city for all.   Thank you to Mercure Hotels & Pullman Melbourne City Centre, with support from ERDI for providing the wall for this incredible artwork, City of Melbourne for being incredibly supportive of the idea ever since it was first proposed, and DuluxGroup for supporting with paint.   So next time you’re in the CBD, head to Albion Alley and have a look at the mural, you won’t regret it!

In 2022, we co-designed the unique Better Health and Housing Program (BHHP) in partnership with St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne, Brotherhood of St Laurence and Homes Victoria.   This vital program saves lives. It provides people experiencing chronic homelessness, who also have complex health conditions, with a home for six months while they receive specialised healthcare and social supports. Since August 2022, 93% of those who had a planned exit moved into stable accommodation and had improved health.   The Guardian recently spent a day with staff and residents to learn about how this integrated health and homelessness program has changed the lives of some of our community’s most vulnerable.   Read the article here 👇

Break the Cycle: Ride to End Homelessness 🚲 On Saturday, to mark the beginning of National Homelessness Week, Inspire Cycle Box hosted a spin class in partnership with us.  We're so grateful to Inspire Cycle Box for welcoming us into your wonderful community. Together, 25 people sweated, sang and cycled together to break the cycle of homelessness.  We know that we can't end homelessness alone, but together we can.

Last weekend, over 60 people braved the cold and rainy weather to join our Open House Melbourne Eyes Open Ride, supporting Melbourne Zero! 🛴 The tours revealed a side of our city often overlooked, encouraging participants to consider what our city is like for people experiencing homelessness and giving them an insight into the organisations and people working hard to end it. In collaboration with Neuron Mobility, participants scooted through iconic Melbourne streets and laneways, meeting some of our staff and people from the City of Melbourne, City Library, Youth Projects, and The Big Issue Australia. Attendees also had a sneak peek at a new mural... stay tuned for the launch next week. A huge thank you to our partners and to the participants for coming out and showing that they care – the days were cold, but our hearts were warm.❤

Last week we launched a prospectus, showing the areas in Greater Melbourne most in need of Education First Youth Foyers, a demonstrated solution to youth homelessness that gives young people a safe place to sleep while they complete their education. The priority areas identified were Western Melbourne, Dandenong, Darebin, Casey and Greater Geelong. Read more about this here 👇

Only 1 more sleep until Open House Melbourne weekend and our Eyes Open Ride city tours! With the support of Neuron Mobility we are leading a series of unique e-scooter tours of the Melbourne CBD which will open people’s eyes to the experience of homelessness in our city. Participants will have the opportunity to speak to people from organisations working to end homelessness including Launch Housing, Youth Projects, The Big Issue Australia and the City Library. There are still limited spots available, so visit the link: https://lnkd.in/gpCBZYn2 to get your tickets. 🗓️27-28 July ⏰2pm or 4pm for 75 minutes 🎟️$7 booking fee applies