Anchor’s Rapid Response Project is set to continue for four more years, thanks to a $120,000 grant provided by the Yarra Ranges Council’s Partnership Program.
The program enables Anchor to meet the most immediate needs of people sleeping rough in the Yarra Ranges with food, clothing, and in-place health care.
In 2022, the program supported 34 rough sleepers with basic needs as well as important access to health, mental health, alcohol and drug addiction services, and other wellbeing needs.
The Rapid Response Project has improved collaboration between Anchor, Council and other services in the area, helping to paint a clearer picture of the numbers of rough sleepers in the Yarra Ranges.
It is hoped that data collected will give police, ambulance, and crisis services a better idea of individuals’ locations, safety status, and health needs in times of emergency such as bushfire and flood events.
Collecting data on rough sleepers was made hard during the Covid pandemic, with many homeless people put in temporary housing during lockdowns.
So far, the volume of those sleeping rough in the Yarra Ranges has far exceeded initial expectation for the program, due to underrepresentation in ABS statistics.
Contact
You can contact the Rapid Response Program, as well as alert the Council to people sleeping rough, via the Council’s Housing and Homelessness support page, or by calling the Council on 1300 368 333.
For more information on the Council’s Partnership Program grants, visit their website.
