The Salvation Army is closing Foley House, a long-term residential program providing intensive personalised support and accommodation for older men in Footscray. Men were told this was their "forever home".

Residents have histories of homelessness and complex needs, including acquired brain injuries and mental health diagnoses requiring significant support. Foley House is described as the “gold standard” for supported accommodation. People who are not so lucky as to be accepted into Foley House sleep rough or survive in harmful forms of invisible homelessness in our community like rooming houses, as their health deteriorates further.

Foley House is due to close shortly, and residents are currently being moved out. According to workers, because of the severe housing crisis and a serious absence of supported accommodation options of the same standard, many of the men will end up in inferior accommodation that does not meet their needs or re-referred back into the homelessness system. The end result of this is that they are at high risk of being pushed back into rough sleeping.

The Salvation Army says the service has become too costly for them to operate, despite the Salvo's having almost $1.3 billion in yearly income including roughly $500 million in yearly government grants.  Yet three years ago they created this short film showing the personalised care residents receive at Foley House, in a building that was completely renovated less than 10 years ago: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vI34ScPLvw

In a recent coronial inquest, State Coroner Simon McGregor recommended improved supports for people experiencing homelessness and that access to housing be recognised as a human right, in light of many premature deaths of people experiencing homelessness. The state government stepping in to save Foley House would be a concrete and immediate demonstration of a commitment to implementing his recommendations. 

In the middle of a housing crisis, the last thing we should be doing is closing down gold standard services like Foley House. The community needs more Foley Houses, and more housing options generally, including public housing.

We are urgently asking for the state government to intervene with a sustainable funding solution, specifically we:

1. Urge Ministers Blandthorn and Staikos to investigate financial options to secure the ongoing operation of Foley House (whether by the Salvation Army or another not for profit or public provider), including an initial immediate allocation of emergency funding and a longer-term funding plan.
2. Urge the government to secure the implementation of an immediate moratorium on resident transfers out of Foley House, and the opportunity for residents already transferred to return.

Further background available here: https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/footscray-s-most-vulnerable-were-promised-a-forever-home-now-they-have-to-move-out-20260527-p6013l.html