Hotels for Homeless program aims to reduce the number of homeless people across the city

Lord mayoral candidate Arron Wood says there’s no silver bullet to solving the city’s homelessness crisis but he says his $3m plan will offer a critical first step to supporting those in need.

Candidate for Lord Mayor of Melbourne Arron Wood with Deputy Lord Mayoral candidate Erin Deering. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Rough sleepers in Melbourne’s CBD will be taken off the streets and put up in hotel rooms as part of a bold new election pitch to end homelessness.

Lord mayoral candidate Arron Wood will on Tuesday unveil his Hotels for Homeless program which aims to reduce the number of homeless people across the city.

Under the plan, set to cost $3m each year, hotels will be used as a circuit breaker until more appropriate long-term accommodation can be lined up.

There is no set limit on how long a rough sleeper would have a room secured, but Mr Wood’s team said there would be a strong focus on securing appropriate housing as fast as possible.

Mr Wood is proposing a bold new election pitch to end homelessness. Picture: Luis Enrique Ascui

It’s not yet clear which hotels would take part in the program.

Daily outreach teams made up of Victoria Police, the Salvation Army and St Vincent de Paul will engage with Melbourne’s homeless community.

A community hotline will also be created so that members of the public can link homeless people in need with a dedicated support team.

The City of Melbourne has already unveiled its Make Room project, which will house up to 50 people into specialist housing within a council-owned building on Little Bourke St.

Last month, a shocking report from Homelessness Australia found that Melbourne had become the nation’s youth homelessness capital.

Across the city, 15,371 people – aged under 19 – reached out for assistance from homelessness services in the 2023 financial year.

Mr Wood – who is running as an independent candidate – said if elected he will push the Allan government to fast-track much-needed crisis accommodation within the City of Melbourne.

“In a city like Melbourne, we shouldn’t accept that people are forced to sleep on our streets – Town Hall needs to do more,” he said.

“Homelessness is complex and there’s no silver bullet – but we know that providing safe accommodation is such a critical first step. We also need to encourage the development and delivery of more affordable housing options.”

Mr Wood has also vowed to cut council red tape and fast-track more private housing, and pledged to remove road blocks to let under-utilised city buildings be transformed into homes.

And he’s flagged to fight for changes to state government imposed taxes such as removing stamp duty for first home buyers who purchase newly-built apartments worth up to $800,000 within the City of Melbourne.

“We need more of every type of housing – social, affordable and private housing. The more homes that get built means the pressure will be eased for renters and those looking to buy their first home,” he said.