Council launches first western Melbourne Advance to Zero partnership

Published on 03 August 2026

Maribyrnong City Council and leading community service organisations have officially launched Maribyrnong Zero, making Maribyrnong the first council in Melbourne’s west to join the internationally recognised Advance to Zero initiative.

Maribyrnong Zero is a collaborative partnership that brings together local organisations with a shared goal of ending rough sleeping and improving housing outcomes for people experiencing homelessness.

The initiative recognises that homelessness is a complex issue that requires a coordinated response, compassion and long-term solutions. By working together and using shared data, partners will strengthen coordination between services and support people experiencing homelessness to access housing and support sooner.

Service partners include Launch Housing, CoHealth, Bolton Clarke, The Salvation Army Melbourne, Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, Melbourne City Mission, South East Community Links and Maribyrnong City Council.

Maribyrnong Zero builds on Council’s existing homelessness response, which focuses on connecting people with the right support, coordinating local responses and working housing and support services.

City of Maribyrnong Mayor, Cr Mohamed Semra, said homelessness is a complex issue that requires a coordinated community response.

"Everyone deserves access to safe, secure and stable housing. Through Maribyrnong Zero, we're bringing together the organisations that work with people experiencing homelessness every day to create a more coordinated and effective response."

"No single organisation can solve homelessness alone. By working together, sharing information and focusing on housing outcomes, we can better support vulnerable people in our community and create lasting change."

George Hatvani, Head of Systems Change and Advocacy at Launch Housing which has led the rollout of the Zero approach across Melbourne on behalf of the Australian Alliance to End Homelessness said that with 800 people housed since the initiative launched in 2019 the Zero approach is proof of how lives can be changed when services work together.

“There is no doubt that this is how you end homelessness. When we share our strengths and resources, we help people move on from the worst experiences of their lives and into a new home and a fresh start – something everyone in our community deserves," he said.

The partnership will use a data-informed approach, knowing every person sleeping rough by name, and in doing that better understand local homelessness, identify barriers to housing and gaps in support, and connect people with housing and services sooner.

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