Victoria’s new Ministerial Homelessness Reform Advisory Group (MHRAG) is an ongoing forum for the Specialist Homelessness Sector and people with lived experience of homelessness to collaborate with the Government to shape system reform, strengthen sector capacity and capability, and guide best practice evidence-based approaches to make homelessness rare, brief and non-recurring.
The MHRAG includes representation from metro and regional SHS organisations as well as the Homelessness Lived Experience Reference Group. It’s co-chaired by the Hon. Harriet Shing, Minister for Housing, and Council to Homeless Persons CEO Deborah Di Natale, and meets quarterly.
Following its third meeting in June 2024, the MHRAG has released a Communique to update the sector on its work.
You can read the full Communique here.
Steps towards creating a self-determined system
New MRAG members De-Joel Upkett from Ngwala Willumbong Aboriginal Corporation (Ngwala) and Simon Flagg from Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative (Wathaurong) shared reflections on the initial months of operation of these two new Aboriginal-specific entry points.
In response to the experience of racism exacerbating the system-wide difficulties with finding private rental housing for client, MHRAG members committed to supporting Ngwala and Wathaurong by sharing both processes that have worked for their organisations, as well as their knowledge of and connections with the broader system to link both organisations with accommodation options.
Reflections of the Victorian Budget
The Minister for Housing, the Hon. Harriet Shing MP, took members through the 2024/25 State budget
outcomes. Regarding the Budget’s commitment of $103.9 million in grants for evidence-based services that make homelessness rare, brief and non-recurring, the Minister emphasised that this investment will be developed with input on principles and approaches from the MHRAG, with a focus on evidence-based responses to the needs that the MHRAG consider to be most important.
Addressing pressure at entry points
The focus of the June MHRAG was seeking members’ advice on a plan to immediately respond to the challenges being experienced at entry points by both people seeking homelessness supports and frontline workers. The proposed plan that was discussed included:
- focusing on resources and responses that can create more accommodation and housing pathways for
people; - ways in which to improve the turnaround times for vacant transitional housing, including exploring
nomination rights, maintenance efficiencies, and the upgrade of homes that need them; and - looking at how vacant and new social housing can be better planned for to provide more options for entry points.
Next meeting: September
MHRAG members reflected that the key to resolving the pressures at entry points is the long-term work of designing a future system. These discussions will resume at the next meeting, which will be held in September.