Bass Coast Winter Shelter prepares to open for second year as homelessness rises across Gippsland
"It's more than just a bed for the night. It's a place where people can be cared for and be shown warmth and understanding."
Jacob Wallace
May 12, 2026
Phillip Island local, Linda Livett, has noticed an increase in rough sleepers across Gippsland, so she decided to sign up to the Bass Coast Winter Shelter in Cowes to support locals experiencing homelessness.
“Having shelter and having meals shouldn't be a luxury in our country,” Livett told the Monitor during a media day for the winter shelter attended by volunteers, council representatives and community members at a church in Cowes.
What happened: The Bass Coast Winter Shelter in Cowes is preparing to open its doors for the second year in a row, aiming to provide overnight refuge for people experiencing homelessness during the coldest months of the year.
Last year the shelter raised $26,000 from the community, giving them the opportunity to hire Livett for one day a week as a Project Coordinator.
“My job at the moment is mainly to try and get the ball rolling, so that when the shelter opens on June 3, we're ready to go,” Livett said.
How does the shelter work?
The initiative is organised by the Interchurch Council of Phillip Island and affiliated with Stable One, a charity that offers crisis accommodation for individuals facing homelessness.
Stable One assists in running seven other winter shelters in Victoria and Queensland.
The shelter will provide crisis accommodation for up to 10 guests per night for people aged 25-years and over who are experiencing homelessness.
“It's more than just a bed for the night. It's a place where people can be cared for and be shown warmth and understanding,” Livett said.
The shelter will operate three nights per week (Wednesday to Friday), from 6pm, through June, July and August.
Guests receive dinner, breakfast, a bed, shower and laundry facilities.
One of the beds at Bass Coast Winter Shelter.
People who are interested in staying at the shelter should contact the Gippsland Salvation Army Homelessness Services on (03) 5667 5200 between 9am and 4pm, Monday to Friday.
Growing need
Paul Milkins from Gippsland Salvation Army said that as of April 30 this financial year, there were over 700 instances of people seeking support at homeless entry points in South Gippsland, Bass Coast and Baw Baw Shires.
Homelessness entry points connect people experiencing homelessness to the services and resources they need, often by getting them on housing waitlists.
Bass Coast Shire Council’s Community Safety and Resilience Coordinator, Nick Grant-Collins, said at the event that the council has seen a lot more rough sleeping in recent years.
According to the Gippsland Homelessness Network (GHN), in the 2024-25 financial year, 3,644 households accessed homelessness entry points across Gippsland, rising 32 percent from 2023-24.
Last year, 11 percent of people that presented at homeless entry points were employed, according to GHN.
Livett said: “All around the Bass Coast area, there’s been a huge increase in people needing this kind of help. [Renters] are struggling, so it's a very easy step to go from that into homelessness.”
The end goal
The Chair of the Winter Shelter Committee, David Brooks, said the ultimate goal of the shelter long-term is to have a permanent counsellor employed to assist guests in moving from temporary shelters to permanent housing.
“Last year, one of the people that stayed at the shelter moved on to permanent accommodation,” Brooks said.
Volunteer or donate: To learn more about the shelter, register interest in volunteering or donate, visit: www.basscoastwintershelter.wordpress.com