Working Together for those Sleeping Rough.

Last week, I had the honour of representing the City of Whittlesea as Mayor at a powerful and purposeful community leadership meeting held at the St Peters Anglican Church in Bundoora. This significant gathering brought together a diverse and dedicated group of leaders from across our region, including representatives from Banyule and Whittlesea City Councils, local business leaders, volunteer organisations, community advocates, and ministers from several local churches.

This was no ordinary meeting it was a community driven think tank focused on achieving real outcomes and lasting impact. Together, this group began laying the groundwork for the formation of a working group tasked with developing an operational model to support individuals sleeping rough. With the colder months now upon us, the mission is clear to ensure no one in need is left without temporary overnight shelter, food, support, or hope.

Homelessness is a complex challenge in our municipality. While rough sleeping accounts for a smaller portion of the overall homelessness picture, it remains one of the most visible and urgent concerns particularly as we see a rising number of young people and women with children without access to safe and secure accommodation.

I was deeply honoured to witness the compassion, leadership, and shared commitment of this group as they initiated plans for a collaborative, community led model to support some of our most vulnerable residents. A model that is different from those fantastic organisations already providing similar services in our city.

This is community leadership in action people and organisations coming together across sectors and local government boundaries to make a real difference where it matters most. I look forward to joining with our Deputy Mayor at the group’s first official working group meeting as this vital work continues to take shape.