State government funding for homeless support announced on Saturday is set to help those in need in Ballarat.
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More than $45 million in initiatives was announced as part of the new Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Action Plan.
$19 million will be used to establish outreach teams in areas of greatest need across the state, including Ballarat.
But a pilot outreach program to support the homeless, called Street 2 Home, has already made an impact in Ballarat, Hepburn and Moorabool.
The program assisted 57 homeless people and placed 13 people into long term housing over the course of nine months, exceeding its initial aim to support at least 10 homeless people and secure long term housing for four.
Blake* had been sleeping rough in a dormant property for six years with no utilities before he came to UnitingCare Ballarat’s Street 2 Home program.
He was moved into single male transitional housing after consultation with an outreach worker and linked into Ballarat Community Health to receive regular health care. Blake is now awaiting a long term, appropriate housing offer.
As part of the new outreach programs to be set up across the state, workers will actively will seek out and engage with people experiencing homelessness and connect them with emergency accommodation, health services and ongoing support, according to a state government report.
In addition to the team in Ballarat, new outreach programs will also be established in Melbourne CBD, Dandenong, Frankston, Maroondah, Warrnambool, Geelong, Bendigo, and Swan Hill; areas identified as of the greatest need of support for the homeless.
Housing minister Martin Foley said the aim of outreach teams and additional housing was to give people a pathway out of homelessness.
“We want to break the cycle of homelessness in Victoria – that means intervening early and connecting rough sleepers with the services they need to turn their lives around,” he said.
*Not their real name
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