Leanne Mitchell‘s career in government, the UN and the not-for-profit sector here in Australia and internationally has allowed her to respond to homelessness in many different forms. Roles at the City of Melbourne and Brimbank City Council in Victoria exposed Leanne to the scope, the many limitations and opportunities that local government faces in responding to homelessness.

In 2022, Leanne undertook a Churchill Fellowship investigating how councils can respond to homelessness while balancing responsibilities to the wider community. Leanne now works as an advocate for and advisor to local government, assisting councils across the country to build knowledge, skills and capacity to respond to homelessness in ways that consider and are respectful to the situations and needs of all members in a community.