Geelong project

 

Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (17:56): (1419) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Housing, and that seems very appropriate seeing that it is Homelessness Week. It concerns the really successful Geelong Project. I can see Ms Lovell here in the chamber, and Ms Maxwell. We met the Geelong Project during our inquiry into homelessness. In fact we were so impressed by the early intervention work that they did and the way that they could actually prevent homelessness amongst young people, and they did this through this really innovative work of working with schools and communities. We were so impressed that we made a recommendation for them. Recommendation 19 relates to the expansion of the community of schools and services model, better known as the Geelong Project or the COSS model. We know that this actually has achieved a 40 per cent reduction in adolescent homelessness at the same time as a 20 per cent reduction in early school leaving. It is quite an extraordinary program that does not take a lot of money, that just takes a bit of commitment from schools and government.

Positive outcomes like these are just rarely achieved, and it really again—which is what we learned in the report—highlighted the impact that early intervention can have. We know that if someone becomes homeless when they are young there is a great likelihood that that will go with them for the rest of their lives. There are seven new community sites waiting to implement this model right here, right now. I would like to call it shovel ready, but I am not sure they use a shovel. So the action I am seeking is really straightforward: that the Minister for Housing acts on this recommendation forthwith and takes immediate steps to expand the community of schools and services model to these additional seven community sites.

Fiona Patten MP
Leader of Reason
Member for Northern Metropolitan Region
Adjournment debate 4/8/21

 

 

Answer

Answered: 31 August 2021

I thank Ms Patten, Member for Northern Metropolitan, for her question. The Victorian Government appreciates the work undertaken by the Legal and Social Issues Committee’s Parliamentary Inquiry into Homelessness. The government will table its response to the Inquiry’s recommendations in September.

The Victorian Government is committed to ensuring that across Victoria, young people can access the assistance they need to prevent or resolve their experience of homelessness. The government supports the Community of Schools and Services (COSS) model currently operating through The Geelong Project and recognises the importance of place-based models for early intervention to address youth homelessness.

In the 2018-19 and 2020-21 Victorian Budgets, the Victorian Government allocated funding for the expansion of The Geelong Project to an additional four schools in the Barwon area. The Department of Education and Training has commissioned an independent evaluation of the model, which will inform decisions regarding future opportunities to expand the program, including sustainable funding models in partnership with community and philanthropic partners.

The Victorian Government has invested significantly to develop and expand supports for young people. Through the 2021-2022 Victorian budget, the Victorian Government committed over $193 million for the continuation of several successful initiatives for people experiencing homelessness, including young people. This includes:

  • $11.2 million over four years for accommodation responses for young people leaving care and youth homelessness services
  • $46.9 million over four years to continue delivering assertive outreach and supportive housing teams for people sleeping rough
  • $110.2 million over four years for the Private Rental Assistance Program (PRAP), including PRAP plus and the Aboriginal Private Rental Assistance Program
  • $8.4 million over two years funding for on-site delivery of essential therapeutic health and addiction services at three congregate crisis accommodation facilities
  • $4.1 million over two years funding for the H3 Alliance to prevent and resolve homelessness in the rapidly expanding Wyndham growth corridor
  • $7.4 million over four years for the Kangan Education First Youth Foyer

The Victorian Government has also invested a record $5.3 billion in the Big Housing Build to grow the supply of social and affordable housing. It will deliver more than 12,000 new homes across the state, including more than 9,300 new social housing dwellings prioritised for people in urgent need, including young people. The Big Housing Build demonstrates the Victorian Government’s commitment to providing more homes for more Victorians and sees the supply of stable, long-term housing as the key to meeting the needs of people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

……………………………………………

Hon Richard Wynne MP 
Minister for Housing 

Date: 29 / 8 / 2021