Each year, Homelessness Week, which runs from August 5 to 10, aims to bring the issue to light and on to the agenda of the various levels of governments. This year's theme is Housing Ends Homelessness.

In conjunction with the awareness week, organisations are encouraged to run events to ensure ending homelessness is a priority for communities, policy makers and legislators. And that is just what the Ballarat Homelessness Committee is doing.

The committee - comprised of Specialist Homelessness Youth Support workers from Ballarat Community Health, Berry Street, Cafs, SalvoConnect Western and Uniting Care- will launch its Pay It Forward initiative at the beginning of the week, with the idea to share good fortune by doing something kind for someone else.

Related coverage: A pathway out of homelessness for people struggling in Ballarat

The committee will be visible in public spaces around Ballarat during the week and handing out pamphlets with information about homelessness and a voucher for people to redeem a free coffee at participating cafes throughout August.

The pay it forward initiative means community members can purchase a coffee or a meal that will be redeemable by a person in need at the participating cafe.

The committee's Philippa Cane said the community often expressed that it wanted to help but did not know how.

"This gives a structure and a framework to helping the homeless while raising awareness and making an impact," she said.

Rowan Sweeney said the idea was being kick-started in homelessness week but the committee hoped it could continue year round.

"The biggest thing is community awareness. A lot of people are doing it tough so if the community show they are willing to help, these people will feel valued," he said.

According to the 2016 Census, 116,000 Australians identified as being homeless. More than 1500 individuals and families accessed Specialist Homelessness Services in the Ballarat region in the 2016-17 financial year, with one in three people turned away due to a lack of resources.

Poverty, a lack of affordable housing and family violence are the main factors causing homelessness but other contributing factors include unemployment, mental illness, psychological distress, disability, exiting out-of-home care and prison.

Have you signed up to The Courier's variety of news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in Ballarat.