The Northern Homelessness Network is a partnership of the 30 Specialist Homelessness Services (SHS) funded organisations in Melbourne’s north, that together manage approximately 100 homelessness and family violence programs.

This partnership meets every six weeks as the Northern Homelessness Local Area Service Network (NLASN). The NLASN provides an opportunity for all homelessness services to come together at the regional level to improve responses to homeless people in their local communities.

All homelessness services are required to participate in these activities. The Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (DFFH) provide funds for a network position as a resource to the NLASN.

Click here to access the Terms of Reference for the Northern LASN.

The LASN's were established by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) in 2008 as a mechanism for the Homelessness Networks to facilitate the implementation of the Opening Doors Framework across the Homelessness Service System (HSS). LASN's are formed by the SHS's in a local catchment area, and may include social housing providers and allied services.

The role of each LASN is to:

• develop, implement and maintain Opening Doors 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
• make evidence-based recommendations to the DHHS about responses to service gaps (changes in agency catchments/targets/allocation of funds/utilisation of funding).

In all areas the LASN's have been key to enhancement in service co-ordination, and have contributed to the development of mutually agreed and locally appropriate systematic approaches to quantifying and addressing homelessness.

Each member agency is asked to send a representative to the LASN who is authorised to make decisions on behalf of their agency. The LASN Terms of Reference require that member agencies abide by LASN decisions, where they are not in conflict with individual Funding and Service Agreements (FASA) with DFFH.

The 2022 LASN meetings dates are as follows and most will occur on zoom

• 22nd July NLASN 10am – 12.00
• 26th August NLASN 10am – 12.00
• 21st October NLASN 10am – 12.00
• 25th November NLASN 10am – 12.00

The NLASN develops an annual strategic plan following a survey of NLASN agencies.

The LASN is steered by a reference group of 6 representatives who meet 4 times a year to oversee the NLASNs’ strategic plan. Nominations for the Reference Group will occur in May 2022.

Current Reference Group Representatives are:

• Karren Walker, Launch Housing
• Tony Clarke, VCV 
• Molly O’Shaughnessy, Melbourne City Mission
• Bradley Stephens, VACSAL
• Felicity Rourke Good Samaritan Inn 
• Meredith Gorman, NMR Network Coordinator
• DFFH 

The NLASN run Orientation sessions to the Northern Metropolitan Homelessness Service System.

These 2 hour zoom sessions are suited to new workers and those wanting a refresher on the way we operate as a coordinated system in the north. We can organise “in house” sessions if you have a group of workers who can’t make the scheduled sessions.

Please contact meredith.gorman@launchhousing.org.au for more information.

All SHS funded services are required to adhere to a range of funding guidelines (as specified in the FASA with DHHS. Copies of all these guidelines can be found on the Statewide resources for homelessness workers page of the website, or by clicking here.

The Northern and Western Homelessness Services have developed a number of local guidelines outlining the coordinated homelessness service system arrangements negotiated by the LASNs. These can be found by clicking here