Our History
Launch Housing is an independent Melbourne based community organisation formed from the merger of Hanover Welfare Services and HomeGround Services, on 1 July 2015.
With a combined 75 years’ experience working with people at risk of, or experiencing homelessness in Melbourne, Launch Housing builds on the legacy of its predecessor organisations in providing housing and support, driving social policy change, advocacy, research and innovation.
Photo of inner Melbourne, 1968, copyright Alan K. Jordan.
Hanover
Hanover was founded in 1964 as one of the first specialist homeless support agencies in Melbourne, named after Hanover Street in Fitzroy, where the organisation was first based. It initially focused on support for homeless men in the inner city, but over time its scope broadened to cover evidence-driven support for Victorians of all ages and life stages.
HomeGround Services
HomeGround Services was founded in 2002 following the merger of Outreach Victoria and Argyle Street Housing. HomeGround sought to integrate high quality housing-focused services offering crisis and transitional assistance and outreach support across the entire inner urban region. HomeGround evolved further to create access to housing, advocate for improvements and develop evidence about effective responses to homelessness.