Starting June 1, 2026, four churches in Melbourne's northern suburbs will provide overnight accommodation for up to 10 homeless guests each night through the Winter Accommodation Resource Movement (WARM) program, which runs until August 31.
Key Details
- The participating churches are St Peter's Anglican Church in Bundoora, Heidelberg Uniting Church, and Church of Christ parishes in Thornbury and Preston.
- Meals and bedding will be provided, and volunteers with skills in healthcare and hairdressing will offer services.
- The program is modeled on the Stable One program, which began in 2017 in the Yarra Valley.
Background
Brendan Murphy, president of Bread Hub Victoria, initiated the program after observing homeless individuals sleeping outdoors and in a coach's box at Yulong Reserve in Bundoora.
Vicar Stephen Monsiegneur of St Peter's Anglican Church collaborated with Murphy to organize a community meeting last winter, leading to the development of WARM.
Statements
Banyule City Council deputy mayor Rick Garotti stated that the council will vote on allocating $30,000 to the project for 2026-27. The council has also trialed an outreach service through Merri Outreach Social Service (MOSS) since October.
"Homelessness in the Banyule area is driven by the cost of living, lack of affordable housing, and pressures on community service funding." — Garotti
Monsiegneur stated that WARM was designed to be independent, unlike Stable One's Christian-centric approach, even though all venues are churches.
Murphy stated that while WARM won't fix homelessness, it is worthwhile to help individuals and make them feel human again.
"This program is not a solution to homelessness, but it is a meaningful step to help people and restore their dignity." — Murphy