This website provides information for homelessness workers in Melbourne's north and west, and for allied workers, on: 

• Data on homelessness in Melbourne's north and Melbourne's west
  
  
• the Northern Homelessness Network and the Western Homelessness Network (including orientation information, submissions written and advocacy undertaken
  
  
• the homelessness service system
  
  
• Working groups you can join
  
  
• Getting help - how to contact the homelessness access point services
  
  
• Resources for workers - including statewide guidelines, North West specific guidelines, case management guidelines, data tools and information and key forms and pamphlets used by homelessness workers in Melbourne's north and west; and
  
  
• Key projects and campaigns, including consumer surveys, the 'Crisis in Crisis' campaign, collaborative work with the AOD and mental health sectors.
  
  
  
  

The Northern and Western Homelessness Networks (NWHNs) are two aligned networks of fifty Specialist Homelessness and Family Violence Organisations, managing 180 homelessness and family violence programs operating in Melbourne’s north and west.

The Northern Homelessness Network covers the local government areas of: Yarra, Darebin, Nillumbik, Whittlesea, Moreland and Hume.

The Western Homelessness Network covers the local government areas of: Melbourne, Moonee Valley, Maribyrnong, Brimbank, Melton, Wyndham and Hobsons Bay.

The Northern and Western Homelessness Networks are two of the nine Homelessness Networks funded across Victoria to:

• develop and maintain coordinated homelessness systems arrangements in their particular geographic catchments;
  
  
• build on consistency and quality of service delivery practice amongst member agencies;
  
  
• coordinate referrals with allied services and services in other areas;
  
  
• undertake data monitoring and client satisfaction review for the purposes of identifying gaps and trends in service provision; and
  
  
• make evidence-based recommendations to the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (DFFH) about responses to service gaps (changes in agency catchments/targets/allocation of funds/utilisation of funding).

The Northern and Western Homelessness networks each meet six weekly to undertake this work. The Networks share advocacy and work together on a number of shared projects.

The Department of Families, Fairness and Housing provides funding for the operation of nine regional Homelessness Networks and one Victorian Indigenous Homelessness Network.

The Homelessness Networks bring together all Specialist Homelessness funded services in a local area to manage the coordinated homelessness system in that area. 

The Northern and Western Homelessness Networks are two of those Networks.

Below is the Operations Guide for the Regional Homelessness Networks, which outlines the role and responsibilities of the Networks. This has been developed by the Regional Homelessness Networkers as a resource for Network auspice agencies, governance bodies and new Network Coordinators.

The Networks meet several times a year as the Victorian Homelessness Network. (See: Victorian Regional Homelessness Networks | Houses At Parliament (vhn.org.au)