City of Melbourne considers plan to offer more beds and services for homeless in the CBD

Lord Mayor Sally Capp says hundreds of extra beds are needed in the inner city to cope with the scourge of homelessness and Melbourne City Council has come up with a plan to help.

More than 100 extra beds for the homeless could be provided in the inner city under a plan being considered by the City of Melbourne.

It’s understood that the city council is in talks with the state government, welfare agencies and the private sector to transform a CBD building into a centre to house rough sleepers and provide them with support services.

The ambitious project is still in its very early stages, and details about the facility’s possible location are under wraps.

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Lord Mayor Sally Capp says much more needs to be done for rough sleepers.

However, Lord Mayor Sally Capp said that homelessness was the council’s top priority, with the inner city short of about 300 beds every night.

“It’s about accommodation with services, it’s not about continuing to shut people into rooming houses and boarding houses,” she told the Herald Sun.

Cr Capp confirmed that the council could be involved in providing more beds in the city for rough sleepers, and it was in talks with agencies like the Salvation Army and Melbourne City Mission, who already provide vital services for the vulnerable.

“There’s been an absolute mutual commitment to doing this together,” she said.

“We’ve done an audit on who has what beds — it’s the first time we’ve had a joined-up conversation on rough sleeping.”

“I’m quite confident we’re going to be able to do something fantastic.”

This week, Cr Capp and the lord mayors of other Australian capital cities called for urgent action on homelessness and housing affordability amid a housing crisis.

Lord Mayor Sally Capp is about to complete her first year in office.

The Lord Mayor’s focus on homelessness comes as she marks her first year in office after the resignation of Robert Doyle amid a sexual harassment scandal.

In an exclusive interview with the Herald Sun, Cr Capp revealed that part of her drive in the job was the fact that she no longer had sons Nic, 21, and Will, 19, living at home.

“I’ve got empty nester syndrome,” she said.

“I am filling every single part of my day being the Lord Mayor, and doing things with the community and working here, which distracts me completely from the fact that I no longer have two beautiful boys living at home with us.”

Cr Capp confirmed that she will seek re-election in late 2020, but isn’t looking forward to the election campaign, which was “most traumatic” last time.

“I’m not a political person by nature, I really just to make good things happen,” she said.

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