What is Council doing?
Preventing and responding to homelessness is shared responsibility across all levels of government.
The Australian and Victorian governments are responsible for funding and delivering affordable housing and specialist homelessness services.
While Council does not provide these services directly, it plays an important role in supporting local responses to housing and homelessness.
Council helps by:
- Supporting more affordable housing across Frankston City
- Advocating for greater investment in housing and homelessness services
- Coordinating local partnerships to work on local solutions
- Supporting community-led initiatives
- Helping to connect people experiencing rough sleeping with support services
- Managing public spaces in a compassionate, consistent and safe way
Council works closely with government agencies, homelessness services and community organisations to support people experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness.
Supporting Affordable Housing
Affordable Housing Policy
Everyone in Frankston City should have access to safe, secure and affordable housing.
A safe and secure home is more than just a roof over someone’s head. It’s essential infrastructure for a diverse, inclusive and growing community. Access to affordable housing reduces housing stress, prevents homelessness and gives people the stability they need to stay connected to their community, access education and employment and plan for the future.
In 2025, Council adopted its first Affordable Housing Policy to define Council’s role in supporting an increase in the supply of affordable housing in Frankston City.
The policy responds to an estimated shortfall of more than 6,000 affordable homes across the municipality. Without coordinated action, this shortfall is expected to exceed 8,000 homes by 2036.
Through the policy, Council has committed to three roles:
- Supply enabler: Using planning and land-use responsibilities to support housing growth, encourage diverse housing options and increase the supply of affordable homes.
- Advocate: Championing our community’s needs and advocating for greater investment, planning reform and ongoing funding for affordable housing and homelessness services.
- Partner: Working with governments, the community housing sector, developer sector and community partners to identify affordable housing opportunities.
For more information, please visit Council’s Affordable Housing webpage.
Frankston City Housing Acceleration Taskforce
The Frankston City Housing Acceleration Taskforce has been established to provide strategic leadership on local housing challenges and support the delivery of housing outcomes across Frankston City, including affordable housing.
The Taskforce brings together senior representatives from all three levels of government, the community housing sector, development sector and other key partners. By working together, the Taskforce can identify opportunities, address barriers and advocate to support investment into new housing projects.
The Taskforce also monitors progress towards the long-term target of 33,000 additional homes across Frankston City by 2050.
Coordinating local responses to homelessness
Supporting people experiencing rough sleeping
Council’s approach to rough sleeping is guided by dignity, compassion, safety and respect for human rights.
Experiencing homelessness is not against the law. Council does not have the authority to move someone on simply because they are homeless. Responses must balance a person’s rights with community safety and the effective management of public spaces.
Council works with homelessness services and other agencies to:
- Connect people sleeping rough with outreach and support
- Coordinate responses across Council departments and external agencies
- Respond to safety and amenity concerns
- Protect and appropriately manage personal belongings
- Involve Victoria Police where there is an immediate safety concern
Council’s Responding to Rough Sleeping Protocol supports a coordinated, consistent, and compassionate approach across Council and helps connect people experiencing homelessness with the support they need, when they need it.
Frankston & Mornington Peninsula Zero
Frankston & Mornington Peninsula Zero is a local partnership working to make rough sleeping rare, brief and non-recurring.
Established as Frankston Zero in 2021, the initiative expanded to include the Mornington Peninsula in late 2024. This recognises that people often move across municipal boundaries to access housing, healthcare and other essential services.
Through this partnership, Council works with homelessness services, healthcare and community organisations to improve how the local service system responds to people experiencing rough sleeping. Participating organisations work together to identify service gaps, coordinate support and address barriers that prevent people from accessing and maintaining safe, secure and affordable housing.
A key part of the initiative is a By-Name List. With each person’s informed consent, participating services can securely share information to better coordinate support and connect them with housing, healthcare and other support services.
Frankston & Mornington Peninsula Zero is part of the Australian Alliance to End Homelessness’ national Advance to Zero movement. In 2025, Advance to Zero received international recognition through a World Habitat Award for demonstrating the power of community-led collaboration, quality data and a shared commitment to ending homelessness.
Community Connectors
Council partners with South East Community Links and Metro Trains Melbourne to deliver the Community Connectors program at Frankston Station and surrounding precinct.
Qualified practitioners provide immediate support to people experiencing housing insecurity, financial hardship and other complex challenges. They help connect people with local services, including emergency relief, homelessness services, mental health support, alcohol and other drug services, and family violence programs.
By providing early intervention and coordinated referrals, the program helps people to access the services they need before challenges escalate. It contributes to safer, more inclusive and welcoming public spaces for everyone.
For more information, please visit the Community Connectors Program.
Trader Support Directory
Council has worked with local traders to develop practical resources and tools to help them respond when they encounter someone experiencing homelessness.
The Trader Support Directory provides information about emergency and support services, explains the roles of different organisations, and encourages community-based reporting so that people experiencing homelessness can be connected with support services.
By helping local traders understand where to seek assistance, the directory supports a coordinated and compassionate community response to homelessness.
Download the Trader Support Directory.
Supporting local services and initiatives
Frankston Winter Shelter
Frankston Winter Shelter is a community-led initiative coordinated by local churches. It provides people experiencing homelessness with safe overnight accommodation, meals, and support during the winter months.
Council has supported the Winter Shelter since it commenced in 2022. This support includes:
- Assistance with Council planning and permit processes
- Funding towards permit and report costs
- Minor capital works grants for accessible bathrooms and food-preparation facilities
- Training opportunities for volunteers
- A dedicated Council contact to support participating churches
For further information, please visit Frankston Winter Shelter.
Monash University Social Work Clinic at Frankston Library
The Social Work Clinic at Frankston Library is a partnership between Frankston City Council and Monash University.
The clinic provides free support to community members through postgraduate social students, supervised by qualified practitioners.
Support available through the clinic includes help completing forms and applications, assistance with housing applications, connecting people with mental health and wellbeing services, counselling, parenting support, advocacy and referrals to other services.
For more information, please visit Frankston City Libraries.
Advocacy
Council regularly advocates to the Victorian and Australian governments for greater investment in affordable housing, homelessness services and programs that prevent homelessness.
Each election period, Council selects a small number of priority projects that require government investment. These projects form part of Council’s advocacy to secure funding and deliver important outcomes for the Frankston City community.
As part of the 2026 Victorian State Election, Council is advocating for ongoing funding for Frankston Zero, an evidence-based program is helping people experiencing rough sleeping access housing and support.
For more information, please visit Frankston City First.
More information
More information about housing and homelessness can be found through the following resources:
Data on housing and homelessness can be found through the following resources: