Northern Rivers Zero
This project was initiated in 2024. The goal of the project is to end rough sleeping in the Northern Rivers by 2034 by making it rare, brief and non-recurring.
In time, the project will encompass all of the seven local government areas in the Northern Rivers: Tweed, Byron, Clarence Valley, Lismore, Ballina, Richmond Valley and Kyogle.
The focus of the project, initially, is on those people aged 16 and over who are rough sleeping. This includes people who are sleeping on the streets, in forests or parks, on riverbanks or water platforms, on railway embankments, on dunes, in buildings not intended for human habitation, in forms of transport (such as cars or boats) or with some form of makeshift cover such as a tent.
Governance
The project is overseen by a Homelessness Leadership Group (HLG). The function of the HLG is to make decisions to ensure that the project meets its purpose, goals and objectives.
Members of the HLG are senior representatives from homelessness, housing, health, Aboriginal-controlled and community organisations active in the Northern Rivers. It also includes people with lived experience.
The HLG is supported by a Project Coordinator that will provide the executive support to the project.
Collaboration Practices
The project is a collaboration amongst homelessness, housing, health and community organisations. The key collaborative practices that will underpin the success of the project will be:
Embedding use of the By-Name List.
Case Coordination
Escalation, being the process by which decisions are made to identify solutions for individuals who have blockages in their housing or support pathways under normal system parameters.
Systems Change, being the process by which improvement projects are implemented to change down-stream practices to lead to improved outcomes for rough sleepers. In time, it will also include moving up-stream to implement systems changes that act to prevent rough sleeping.