Homeless service providers say they're relieved the federal government has committed to extending their funding after a campaign which warned the sector was reaching crisis point.
A one-year extension allows providers to deliver vital services to the nation's 105 thousand homeless.
Melbourne man, Bushy, has been battling homelessness for years.
For much of his life he travelled around the country picking up work where he could, but his health deteriorated and he attended rehabilitation for his alcohol dependency.
He's been in and out of shelters and shared housing but says accomodation is often hard to come by.
"It's just that I had nowhere to go", he says.
"You go through any of the parks in Australia of a night time, and you'll find groups of 20 or 30 people sleeping cos they can't get accomodation."
If it weren't for a Salvation Army crisis shelter, he'd be sleeping rough a lot more often, and many others are in a similar situation to Bushy.
Their plight was made a little easier today with the Federal Government's $115m extension to homeless funding.
Minister for Social Services Kevin Andrews made the announcement in Melbourne today.
"Homelessness is a major issue in Australia. Over 100,000 people we know, each night, are homeless."
Glenda Stevens, CEO of Homelessness Australia, welcomes the 12 month investment but says it's a short-term solution.
"The continutation of this funding, provided it is matched by states and territory governments to the level it has been previously, gives certainty and delivery of vital services to those most in need in our community."
CEO of Australian Council of Social Services Dr Cassandra Goldie says the announcement follows a campaign which warned the sector would reach crisis point and staff would be laid off.
"Over 180 services, over 3000 staff and tens of thousands of clients can at least have this repreive so from 1July we're confident those services will continue to be provided for another 12 months."
The money will enable staff to continue running crisis relief shelters, but the federal government needs to work with the states and territorities to ensure other components are kept.
Dr Goldie says, "There are a couple of parts of the funding under the national partnership on homelessness that haven't been secured this morning, one part is for research, the other is for capital works."
The Australian Council of Social Service says those compenents - which cover prevention and early intervention, still have a question mark over them.
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