This section provides an overview of functions funded by the Victorian Government. These programs assist individuals and families at risk of or experiencing homelessness. This section also directs readers to more detailed program guidelines when available.
In 2025, Homes Victoria will begin a review of funded program guidelines. It will update Section 12 when new program guidelines are published. If there are program guidelines or extra guidance, you can find a link in the table for funded programs.
Initial assessment and planning (IAP) provide the first point of contact to a person seeking homelessness support. These may include:
- IAP site-based assessments at entry points
- IAP response at correctional centres, mental health discharge facilities and courts
- telephone information and referral (site and phone-based assessment)
- State-wide Homelessness After Hours Service (site and phone-based assessment)
- outreach assessment services.
IAP programs provide:
- clear entry points into the homelessness service system
- risk and safety assessment
- consistent initial assessment and referral practice by skilled workers
- triage and referral of individuals and families based on their risks and needs
- an allocation of available homelessness resources
- flexible funding to buy services and accommodation
- short-term support for immediate needs
- monitoring client welfare while they wait for access to relevant services.
The activities and the corresponding program guidelines or guidance:
- 94589 – Initial assessment and planning
- IAP at entry points guidance (not available at time of publication)
- IAP in Victorian Prisons - Corrections housing pathways initiative guidelines
- Mental health pathways (not available at time of publication)
- Statewide Homelessness After Hours Service
- 94846 – Aboriginal client support
- Aboriginal client support initial assessment at entry point
- 94841 – Support for people sleeping rough
Homelessness flexible funding offers an effective and timely response to urgent needs, like emergency housing. It can also address the overall goals in a client’s case plan. This funding helps individuals and families become self-sufficient. It includes brief and targeted support to divert people from entering the homelessness service system.
This function includes:
12.2.1.1 Program specific brokerage
Brokerage may be offered through specific programs to effectively response to housing and support needs. Program specific brokerage may differ between programs. Please refer to the appropriate program guidelines.
12.2.1.2 Housing Establishment Funds
Housing Establishment Funds (HEF) help meet urgent needs like emergency accommodation, private accommodation and discretionary items to establish housing or prevent a housing breakdown.
Information on client safety in accommodation purchased using flexible funds or HEF, such as hotels or motels, as well as regulation information are in Appendix 3.
Homelessness flexible funding aims to address and prevent homelessness. It offers financial support to people who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness or in housing crisis.
The activities and the corresponding program guidelines or guidance:
- 94113 – Housing Establishment Fund
- 94851 – Homelessness flexible funding
- Refer to the appropriate program guidelines for advice on program specific brokerage.
Support to establish and sustain tenancy programs assist people experiencing or at risk of homelessness to secure, stabilise and ensure tenancies in long-term housing. Such housing includes:
- private rental
- head leasing
- public housing
- community housing.
Homelessness support to establish and sustain tenancies programs:
- intervene early to stabilise and keep housing arrangements
- reduce eviction risk and its impacts on community connection, employment, schooling and recreation
- remove barriers to accessing private rental
- increase access to medium and long-term affordable housing in areas with very high demand.
The activities and the corresponding program guidelines or guidance:
- 94675 – Private Rental Assistance Program
- 94846 – Aboriginal client support
- 91423 – Tenancy Plus advocacy
- 91424 – Tenancy Plus establishment and intervention
- 20082 – Case management and THM support
- 94827 – Homelessness head leasing
- Head leasing (not available at time of publication)
- 94841
- RSAP Supportive housing guidelines
- Journey to Social Inclusion (not available at time of publication)
Client support and case management focus on people who are at risk of or experiencing homelessness. The goal is to secure long-term housing and improve health and wellbeing. Client support and case management includes but is not limited to:
- crisis resolution
- life skills training
- information
- advocacy
- support to access training and employment opportunities designed to help people access and sustain long-term housing.
Case workers also provide direct support to meet the goals and outcomes in a person’s case plan. A person can receive support regardless of their existing living environment, for example in rooming houses, transitional housing, squats and informal arrangements.
12.4.1.1 Homeless Children’s Specialist Support Service
Homelessness and related issues can cause serious and long-lasting issues for children. These effects can include developmental delays, social exclusion, interrupted education, and mental and physical health issues.
The Homeless Children’s Specialist Support Service offers various support responses for children and families. These include assessment and case planning support, enhanced case management support and therapeutic group work. The service aims to improve responses for children experiencing homelessness. It also helps the homelessness service sector improve their knowledge, skills and confidence in supporting children and families. Support responses tailored to children and families include:
- case management
- engagement in and maintaining education (including early education services)
- reducing social isolation by enhancing access to support, social and recreational opportunities within their community
- social and emotional growth opportunities for children, including to increase relational bonds between parents/carers and children.
Client support and case management responses may vary in resource, cohort, intensity and level of engagement. The principles that underpin responses will remain the same and include:
- intervening earlier to prevent housing breakdowns
- client focused practice which considers the trauma a client has experienced
- flexible and tailored responses
- targeted and specialist support.
The activities and the corresponding program guidelines or guidance:
- 20082 – Case management and THM support
- Homelessness Accommodation Options for Families guidance
- A Place to Call Home guidance
- Enhanced Housing Pathways Guidelines
- Case management in transitional housing
- Creating Connections Education Pathways (not available at time of publication)
- Drug courts (not available at time of publication)
- Intensive case management (not available at time of publication)
- Support for people residing in transitional housing properties guidance
- Support for Young People Who Really Count guidance
- Dual Diagnosis Youth Homelessness program guidance
- Young people life skills (not available at time of publication)
- Young people leaving care guidance
- Melbourne Street to Home (not available at time of publication)
- Family Reconciliation and Mediation Program guidance
- Creating Connections Education, Employment and Training (not available at time of publication)
- Families at risk of Homelessness (not available at time of publication)
- Better Health and Housing (not available at time of publication)
- Supporting Young Parents guidance
- 94846- Aboriginal client support
- Aboriginal Client Support Initial Assessment at Entry Point (not available at time of publication)
- Aboriginal Corrections Housing Pathways Initiative
- 94841- Support for People Sleeping Rough
- RSAP Supportive housing guidelines
- RSAP Assertive outreach guidelines
- Homes First program
- Journey to Social Inclusion
The homelessness staffed accommodation response provides crisis and medium to long-term supported accommodation.
Staffed homelessness accommodation includes 24/7 access to accommodation. These services have differing hours of case management support dependent on service type and funding. This includes upkeep and maintenance of facilities. Support includes trauma-informed and client-centred practices. This approach recognises the need for tailored, strengths-based strategies to help individuals build independence.
Some staffed accommodation receive contributions to facility re-establishment included in the funding model (under the same activity).
Youth refuges
Youth refuges provide temporary crisis and accommodation for people aged 16-24 (inclusive). Refuges support their social, emotional, and practical needs.
Youth foyers
Youth foyer models provide extended housing and support are for young people aged 16 to 24 (inclusive) years. Programs are for up to two years, with an emphasis on employment, education and training.
Congregate supportive housing
Congregate supportive housing (sometimes referred to as Common Ground programs) combines permanent, affordable housing with flexible support services on-site. The services focus on creating paths to independent living. They help develop life skills and provide renter-led support based on individual needs. It targets people experiencing chronic homelessness with high needs. It includes people on low incomes with mental health, drug and alcohol and other concerns. These issues restrict their ability to access secure housing and necessary support or treatment.
Congregate crisis accommodation
Congregate crisis accommodation provides short-term accommodation for people who have nowhere to live, may be sleeping rough or need immediate access to housing. It is a pathway to long-term housing.
Congregate crisis accommodation connects people to services to stabilise and improve their health and wellbeing. It also addresses issues that prevent independent living.
There are a range of congregate crisis accommodation models across Victoria, including three crisis accommodation centres which are funded to provide a specific therapeutic response. They offer on-site support services like counselling, health care, material aid, and help with income and employment options.
Homelessness Staffed Accommodation responses aim to improve client engagement, integrated care and positive outcomes for people through:
- trauma-informed service delivery principles that offer choice, control and continuity of care to people seeking to create or rebuild a life, home and community that they value
- integrated services for individuals and families with complex needs who struggle with treatment or case plans or accessing conventional community-based settings
- improved connectedness to family, education, employment and community
- generating suitable longer-term housing options for individuals and families.
The activities and the corresponding program guidelines or guidance:
- 94847 – Youth refuge
- 94848 – Youth Foyer
- 20081 – Staffed crisis supported accommodation
- Therapeutic supported crisis accommodation
- 94840
- 20081
- Better Health and Housing
Transitional Housing and Tenancy Administration manages both THM (Homes Victoria owned and leased properties), and head leased properties managed by community housing providers.
The tenancy administration function includes both tenancy and property management. Here, properties are efficiently tenanted must meet the minimum standards set by the Residential Tenancy Regulations 2021.
Head leasing means housing providers lease properties from the private market under a service agreement with the department. Housing providers guarantee the bond and rental payments to the rental provider. Housing providers then sub-lease to people at risk of or experiencing homelessness.
In some circumstances Homes Victoria directly head lease properties and provides them to a housing provider on a delegation arrangement.
Homelessness Transitional Housing and Tenancy Administration provides:
- efficient property management to keep all properties in the portfolio well-maintained
- tenancy support for people who need crisis and transitional accommodation
- support to assist people to maintain their tenancy and meet their obligations as a renter.
The activities and the corresponding program guidelines or guidance:
- 94587- Tenancy administration crisis
- 94588 - Tenancy administration transitional
Capital grants help to build or improve accommodation to assist people who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Funding is also available for other fixed and non-fixed assets to improve the quality and amenity of existing accommodation on private or government-owned land, including self-contained and relocatable accommodation. In most instances, capital grants are funded through a Deed of Agreement with Homes Victoria.
The function of capital grants is to:
- increase the number of dwellings on private or government-owned land
- improve the amenity of existing homelessness accommodation through one-off funding for small upgrades to existing properties.
The activities and the corresponding program guidelines or guidance:
- 94611 – Capital grants
- Kids Under Cover studio program (not available at time of publication)
Homelessness system enablers provide system-wide and/or state-wide support. At times HV may invest in capacity building for time limited periods where new core skills are required in the sector.
They help improve consultation, planning, policy development, program and service linkages and coordination to community service organisations responding to people at risk of or experiencing homelessness.
Programs funded under this activity may provide:
- evidence-based advice to the department and community service organisations on addressing homelessness
- training and/or community education sessions
- forums and consultations
- discussion papers and/or newsletters
- systematic advocacy
- education and training on trauma’s effects on individuals and families’ immediate and long-term emotional and physical wellbeing
- an opportunity to improve the homelessness service system.
Homelessness networks include the Victorian Homelessness Indigenous Statewide Network (VISHN) and local area-based Homelessness Network. These networks allow all SHS to collaborate at the local or state-wide levels. Their goal is to improve the system and responses to people including children experiencing homelessness in their local and Aboriginal and culturally diverse communities.
Homelessness peak bodies work to improve consultation, planning, policy development, program and service links and coordination. They support community service organisations that respond to people at risk of or experiencing homelessness.
The Statewide Children’s Resource Program Coordinators runs the Statewide Children’s Resource Program. This program aims to improve the skills of homelessness practitioners working with children. The program provides resources, training, information and secondary consultation to homelessness practitioners.
System capacity and enablers:
- improve consultation, planning, policy development
- program and service links and coordination to support funded homelessness responses
- improve the knowledge, skills and confidence of SHS to provide support.
The activities and the corresponding program guidelines or guidance:
- 20084 – Homelessness system enablers
- Council to Homeless Persons
- Statewide Children’s Resource Program (not available at time of publication)
- Statewide Homelessness Network Coordinators (not available at time of publication)
- Statewide systems stewardship for Aboriginal services (not available at time of publication)
- Victorian Indigenous State-wide Homelessness Network
- Project coordinators (not available at time of publication)
- Peer education program (not available at time of publication)
- Statewide Family Reconciliation Mediation Program guidance
- Journey to Social Inclusion (not available at time of publication)
This program helps people with their mental wellbeing by offering support and community connection. This program receives funding to provide material aid and community connections activities that may include:
- meals programs
- access to showers
- care packages
- laundry facilities
- community activities
- information and referrals
- supports from allied services.
The program’s objectives are to:
- provide essential needs and mobile drop-in centres
- provide access to critical wellbeing supports
- improve economic, housing and health outcomes
- reduce social isolation for people at risk of or experiencing homelessness.
The activities and the corresponding program guidelines or guidance:
- 20083 - Essential needs centre