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Last Week's Meeting 22 July 26

To view the recording of Meeting proceedings, click here.

MC:                 Bernie McIntosh

Reflection:      Past President Philip Endersbee.  Read the transcript elsewhere in this Bulletin.

President Carol began proceedings welcoming members, visitors and guest, highlighting our guest speaker, Sherri Bruinhout, CEO Launch Housing, and a Launch Housing front line worker, Education Pathways Program Coordinator Faith Wells.  The full list of visitors and guests can be read later in this Bulletin.

Immediate Past President Phillip Cornish came forward to complete some unfinished 2025-26 business: the presentation of the annual Forth Bridge Award, to Vice President John Peberdy, and the annual Rotary Melbourne Mentoring Award in memory of David Wittner, AM, to Marg Leser.

Citations for both Awards are posted elsewhere in this Bulletin.

John and Marg both responded with thoughtful remarks, highlighting opportunities the Club had made possible for them to serve others.

Richrd Parker then came forward to introduce, guest speaker Sherri Bruinhout, CEO of Launch Housing and Faith Wells, to bring a client facing perspective to the presentation.

The central message of Sherry’s address was that homelessness can be ended.

The scale of the challenge is serious. Victoria faces a large housing shortage, rising rents, long social housing waiting lists and increasing numbers of working people seeking support.

Rough sleeping causes profound damage to health and life expectancy.  Aboriginal Victorians remain heavily over-represented. Women, children, young people and older people may experience forms of homelessness that are largely hidden from public view.

Yet the evidence about solutions is strong.

• Housing First demonstrates that people who have experienced chronic rough sleeping can sustain permanent housing when support is provided.
• Youth Foyers demonstrate that young people can overcome homelessness, complete education, obtain employment and avoid lifelong housing disadvantage.
• Education support helps children remain connected to school despite family crisis.
• Household packs reduce the financial and emotional strain of moving into a new home.
• Government investment in housing and support saves money by reducing reliance on hospitals, police, courts and emergency services.

The task is not to discover whether homelessness can be solved. The task is to implement proven responses at the necessary scale.

More Than a Roof

Faith’s contribution reminded the audience that a home is more than physical shelter.  A home allows a parent to cook a favourite meal. It gives children a bedroom to show proudly to visitors. It provides cupboards in which belongings can remain. It gives families a place to sit together, welcome guests, prepare for school and recover from trauma. It allows a mother to serve strong Ethiopian coffee and fresh treats in her own kitchen.

These ordinary moments are among the first things lost through homelessness and among the most important things restored by housing.  A property becomes a home when people regain security, routine, privacy, connection and the ability to care for one another.

Rotary Melbourne’s Make a House a Home project reflects that understanding.  The project does not solve the housing shortage, but it makes the transition into housing more humane. It places practical support at the point where a person or family is trying to begin again.

Reasons for Both Anger and Hope

Sherri’s description of Launch Housing as “cranky” about homelessness captured the dual tone of her address.  There is reason for anger.  People are sleeping rough despite known solutions. Older women are losing long-term homes because rents become unaffordable. Parents and children are living in cars and motels. Employed people are seeking homelessness assistance. Successful programs remain far smaller than the level of need.

There is also reason for hope. People are being housed. Children are returning to school. Young people in Youth Foyers are building careers. Families are establishing new routines. Housing First is keeping people from returning to rough sleeping. Governments understand the financial evidence. Community partnerships are delivering practical results.

The emotional heart of the presentation lay in the contrast between the scale of the system and the experience of the individual.

More than 100,000 people may seek assistance, but homelessness is still ended one person at a time.

One older woman receives a new home after bereavement and rental stress. One mother regains a kitchen in which she can cook for her children. One child claims the top bunk and celebrates a Bluey duvet. One young person receives the first new household goods they have ever owned.

Each of these outcomes matters.

Together, they demonstrate what becomes possible when housing is treated as a right, evidence guides policy and the community is prepared to act.

This version is deliberately comprehensive for readers seeking more substance than a normal meeting report, while remaining considerably more readable than a full transcript.

To view the video of Sherri and Faith’s remarks, Click here.

After Thanking Sherri and Faith for their informative and uplifting presentation, Richard Parker thanked the set up team for their pre-meeting effort and reminded members that next week’s meeting will again be held at Number 35. See elsewhere in the bulletin for next week's speaker details. 

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