Lived experiences reinforce need for homelessness support
Published on 24 July 2026
Frankston City Council is calling on all levels of government to make addressing homelessness a priority, with increased investment in outreach and crisis accommodation needed to support some of the community’s most vulnerable residents.
Homelessness remains one of the most significant social challenges facing Frankston City, with an estimated 50 people sleeping on any given night in our City’s streets and parks, and many more dealing with hidden homelessness; couch-surfing, sleeping in cars or relying on crisis accommodation.
Council has placed the issue at the heart of its Frankston City First advocacy campaign ahead of the 2026 State Election, calling for investment in key services, while also taking part in the statewide Vinnies Sleepout program.
Council is seeking a $2.5 million commitment towards Frankston Zero for the provision of assertive outreach services for people in Frankston City experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
Frankston Zero is a coordinated local response to rough sleeping, bringing services together to identify people sleeping rough early and provide coordinated support until safe and stable housing is achieved.
It includes a shared By Name List which ensures people are known to services, not overlooked and supported through clear pathways into housing.
Since its launch in 2021, 361 people experiencing rough sleeping in Frankston City have been added to the project’s By-Name List, with 94 people listed as of June 30; 49 sleeping rough and 45 in temporary or crisis accommodation. This a record high for the program, and a real reflection of the rising need for outreach services.
The initiative, as part of the national Advance to Zero movement, was awarded the World Habitat Award in January 2025, which recognises and highlights innovative, outstanding, and sometimes revolutionary housing ideas from across the world.
Council is also seeking $750,000 to extend the award-winning Community Connectors initiative, which provides essential support for vulnerable people within the Frankston Station and Young Street precinct. Council will match this funding, enabling the program to run for an additional five years.
Since its introduction in 2025, disorderly conduct incidents on Young Street have fallen by 15 per cent, and more than 200 people were referred into services to receive the assistance they required in 2025 alone.
Frankston City Council also has a Strategic Housing and Homelessness Alliance, which brings key services within the City to drive a shared agenda for improving, aligning and expanding the capacity of Frankston City’s housing and homelessness service system.
In addition, in 2022 Council established a Housing Advisory Committee to monitor, advocate, and provide advice to the Council on local housing needs within Frankston City. Current Mayor of Frankston City, Sue Baker, has served as Chair of the Committee, with a focus during her tenure as Mayor to continue her advocacy for further affordable housing in the City.
To raise awareness of the need for increased investment to tackle homelessness, Mayor Baker joined Frankston City CEO Tennille Bradley in taking part in the Vinnies CEO Sleepout on Thursday, June 18.
The pair swapped a night of warmth and comfort for a thin sheet of cardboard in an inner-city parking lot, sharing the space with more than 350 strangers to assist those sleeping rough every night.
Ahead of the sleepout, their $10,000 goal was eclipsed, reaching a combined figure of $13,000 by the end of June, helping to fund more than 110 beds, 450 meals and more than 40 individual support programs for those in need in Frankston City.
Mayor Baker said it was an eye-opening experience.
“Hearing that women and children fleeing domestic and family violence are in the largest group experiencing homelessness in Australia was confronting,” Mayor Baker said.
“On the train back to Frankston, I reflected on many of my decision points throughout my life, some conscious, some not, about how to spend money, when to save it, using it sparingly as a single Mum.
“It made me consider; what were my sliding door moments, when did I make one decision over another, turn left rather than right which could have landed me some where quite different.
“It reinforced just how quickly circumstances can change, and that homelessness can affect people from all walks of life. Everyone deserves a roof over their head and to feel safe.”
Tennille agreed with Mayor Baker and called for continued support in the space.
“Frankston City Council was proud to support the 2026 Vinnies CEO Sleep Out alongside leaders from across Victoria to raise awareness of homelessness in our community,” Tennille said.
“It was a defining leadership moment, an opportunity to demonstrate local government has an important role to play in advocating for change and being part of the solution for our community’s most vulnerable.
“The funding Mayor Baker and I raised will be used to address family violence, and support locals experiencing economic, food, and housing insecurity.
“What this experience taught me was just how significant our outreach programs like Frankston Zero are for the community, and the acute need to invest in them where possible.
“This State Election is an opportunity to put long-term solutions in place that we simply cannot afford to miss.”
You can continue to donate to Mayor Baker and Tennille’s campaigns online until the end of July.
Mayor Baker - https://www.ceosleepout.org.au/fundraisers/suebaker/victoria
CEO Tennille Bradley - https://www.ceosleepout.org.au/fundraisers/tennillebradley/victoria
If you or someone you know is experiencing homelessness, please contact the Salvation Army’s Homelessness Services on 9784 5050, or visit the facility at 37 Ross Smith Avenue East, Frankston.
Learn more about Council Advocacy priorities and the Frankston City First agenda at https://www.frankston.vic.gov.au/Council/Advocacy-and-Partnerships/Frankston-City-First