Vic homeless services to be reviewed

Pop-up charities helping Melbourne's homeless may be cut back as part of a bid to get people into accommodation.

Soup kitchens, shower buses and other "pop-up charities" for Melbourne's rough sleepers could be cut back as a way of encouraging them into long-term accommodation.

The government wants to better "co-ordinate" mobile help for homeless people in order to get them off the streets and into available housing.

Melbourne City Mission's director of homelessness and justice services Sherri Bruinhout told that AAP long-term solutions needed to be more attractive to rough sleepers than living on the streets.

"Absolutely people need shower buses and they need to be warm and have blankets and food, but sometimes if it's not co-ordinated, people can have far too much for what they need and it can be hard for my staff to compete," Ms Bruinhout told AAP on Friday.

Victoria has announced a $10 million package to find new homes a large group of rough sleepers at Flinders Street Station, with permanent housing and two-year follow-up support.

The group set up at the start of the Australian Open tennis, sparking an angry response from Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton, who said they were beggars trying to "shake down" tourists.

Housing Minister Martin Foley said the rough sleepers at Flinders Street would need to be moved by Monday because renovations at the historic station would start next week.

He said 40 transitional housing units were available to the group.

"If it was just goodwill and intentions that was needed to end homelessness, it would have happened a very long time ago," Mr Foley told reporters.

"What we need is a co-ordinated, dedicated and - if needs be - assertive outreach that offers rough sleepers a guaranteed pathway out of their situation."

Brotherhood of St Laurence executive director Tony Nicholson will oversee the emergency response package and will undertake a census of who is living in the city so their needs can be better met.

Ms Bruinhout said she welcomed news of the package, which would "tide us over" until a promised $109 million arrived later in the year.

Greens MP Ellen Sandell said the package was a small investment and "won't solve this crisis".

"Every day around 100 people are turned away from homeless shelters and housing services due to lack of funding," she said in a statement.


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Source: AAP


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