Local government is recognised as the tier of government closest to the people of Australia (Megarrity 2011). It provides a range of services that underpin the management of our cities, contributes to the wellbeing of our communities through the provision of infrastructure and services and undertakes important regulatory roles. To date, councils have assumed a diverse mix of roles and responsibilities in housing and homelessness across Australia.

This Tool Kit builds upon the national and international evidence presented in the first report, The Role of Local Government in Homelessness: Literature Review (Beer & Prance 2012) and aims to improve our understanding of what constitutes good practice in the sector. The Literature Review is publicly available and accessible from the Australian Homelessness Clearinghouse.1 Material from six case study sites, an online survey of current Local Government practices and seven policymaker workshops informed the Final Report and guided the development of this Tool Kit.

The Tool Kit aims to provide councils with an introduction to the ways local governments can reconsider their engagement with homelessness and build more effective responses. These guidelines are especially designed for those councils who do not have significant experience in this area, as well as those wishing to expand their engagement with the homelessness sector. The strategies suggested here are informed by best practice nationally and internationally, however, the Tool Kit does not intend to comprehensively document all best practice initiatives. We have attempted to ensure that the usefulness of this Tool Kit is not compromised over time or changing policy contexts.