Ballarat community comes together to raise awareness of homelessness
Everyone deserves a safe place to call home. Yet across the Central Highlands, more than 5,000 people are experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity.
As part of this year’s Homelessness Week, CCV participated in two community events in Ballarat that encouraged people to reflect on the realities of homelessness and housing insecurity. The Central Highlands Homelessness Alliance (CHHA) Community Sleepout on 31 July and the Ballarat Origami Houses event on 4 August each approached the issue differently but shared a common purpose: raising awareness of homelessness and gather important insight on how CCV can continue supporting the community and improving our services.
A Cold Ballarat Night and Meaningful Conversations
Despite the freezing conditions, with temperatures falling to 1°C and feeling closer to -3°C overnight, more than 30 people rolled out sleeping bags and spent the night outdoors as part of the CHHA Community Sleepout. Camping in Ballarat’s winter cold encouraged participants to reflect on the daily reality faced by many people experiencing homelessness, particularly during the colder months.
While the cold weather was impossible to ignore, some of the warmest moments of the evening came from the conversations shared around the campfire. Three people with lived experience of homelessness spoke openly and honestly about their journeys, answering questions from attendees. Nothing was off limits, creating space for raw and authentic conversations that helped people better understand the realities of homelessness beyond the headlines and statistics.
Among those taking part were CCV case workers, health practitioners and managers from our Homelessness and Housing Support programs, alongside Ballarat Mayor Tracey Hargreaves and Michaela Settle MP. Through the campfire discussions, staff had the opportunity to hear directly from people with lived experience of homelessness, gaining valuable insights into the barriers people can face when seeking support and the experiences that shape their journey. The conversations encouraged reflection on how our services and programs can continue to evolve to better meet the needs of people experiencing homelessness across our region.
“Whilst one night can’t help us understand what our clients deal with every day, it did help us reflect and open more discussion on what more we can do in our practice to better support our clients,” said CCV Case Manager
Turning Reflection into Action
While the Community Sleepout focused on listening to lived experience stories and fostering conversation, another Homelessness Week activity encouraged reflection through a visual display at Lake Wendouree. There, CCV staff and clients proudly supported the Victorian Homelessness Network’s Houses at Parliament campaign by helping to fold origami houses for display. Together, the 60,000 houses being folded across Victoria represent the estimated number of additional social homes needed to meet current housing demand.
Through listening to lived experience voices and engaging with the broader community, CCV continues to strengthen its commitment to supporting people on their journey towards stability, connection and a place to call home.
