Women’s Early Intervention Program
The Women’s Early Intervention Program (WEIP) is a program for single women, focused on early intervention to prevent homelessness.

The Women’s Early Intervention Program (WEIP) was created to support women living in Melbourne who are particularly vulnerable to becoming homeless due to a lack of services meeting their needs. These women often do not live with a partner, do not have children living in their care and live in the Western region of Melbourne.
They may also be experiencing a range of issues affecting their ability to secure permanent housing including:
- Multiple and complex needs such as:
- Alcohol or substance dependency
- Mental health issues
- Legal concerns
- General health issues
- Emotional wellbeing
- A breakdown in coping skills threatening their capacity to live independently
WEIP is a short-term intensive program which runs for six weeks. It provides outreach, advocacy, information and referral and brokerage to help secure accommodation.
The WEIP program aims to:
- Resolve the client’s immediate issues
- Identify both the immediate and longer term issues that are impacting on the person’s housing stability
- Locate, refer and link the client to other specialist services for ongoing support where appropriate
Partners
WEIP works closely with the variety of programs and services co-located at Ozanam Community Centre. These include:
- Adult Outreach Support Service
- Client Volunteer Program
- Home Care Packages Workers
- Music and art therapists
- Royal District Nurse Service
- Health services professionals, including general practitioner, dentist, optometrist, podiatrist, nutritionist and psychologist
- North Melbourne Legal Service
- Centrelink Community Outreach Team
- Tenants Union of Victoria
WEIP also works closely with services at the VincentCare Northern Community Hub and other external services and programs.
Eligibility
To be eligible for the Women’s Early Intervention Program, you must be:
- A single woman
- Aged 18 years or older
- At risk of experiencing homelessness
- Without children in their care or a partner living with them
- Residing in the DHS North West Metropolitan region
Referral
Potential clients are invited to visit the Ozanam Community Centre during Drop-In hours to speak to the Women’s Worker, the WEIP Worker, the Initial Assessment and Planning worker, or a Drop-In Support Worker for further information and a referral.
Contact
Address: 268 Abbotsford Street, North Melbourne, 3051
Phone: (03) 9329 6733
Community Centre Hours:
Monday to Friday, 9.00am – 2.30pm
2.30pm – 5.00pm for pre-arranged groups and appointments