Beyond Homelessness Week

VEC staff cutting BBQ vegetables at a table together

Homelessness Week is held annually to build community support and government commitment to end homelessness. We once again recognised the week by hosting a community BBQ lunch at St Mary’s House of Welcome.

On Friday 8 August, 8 of our staff (including Electoral Commissioner Sven Bluemmel) cooked and served lunch for approximately 150 people sleeping rough or experiencing chronic homelessness. This was a unique opportunity to engage directly with the people we serve, learning about the reality of homelessness in Melbourne.

‘Not only did we gain a more direct insight into the practical challenges faced by some of our fellow Victorians in engaging with our democracy, we also got to work together as a team in a very different context to what we normally do. All of this will make us more effective in delivering democracy to everyone. Above all, we got to meet lots of interesting people and hear their stories in a positive and caring environment,’ the Commissioner said.

Read more about corporate volunteer BBQs at St Mary's House of Welcome.

Our role supporting people without a home

We know that people without a home can find it difficult accessing our electoral system. They live with complex social needs, and their personal circumstances can change very quickly.

In line with our vision of all Victorians participating in their democracy, we aim to make voting more accessible for people without a home. Some of the ways we are doing this include:

  • providing accessible and inclusive voting options
  • delivering year-round outreach education, including in homelessness services for young people
  • building and maintaining relationships with key partners in the homelessness sector to improve representation of people without a home. 

These activities are largely guided by the advice, feedback and ideas provided by the Prisons and Without a Home (PAWAH) Advisory Group, of which St Mary’s House of Welcome is a member.

Read our Prison and without a home education and engagement plan (PAWAHEEP) for more about our work in this sector. To find out more or to express interest in partnering with us, contact education@vec.vic.gov.au.