AN Albury councillor has called for the city to consider having a custom-made bus to accommodate the homeless.
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Murray King wants the council to hear from sleepbus founder Simon Rowe, who has set-up coaches for the needy in Queanbeyan, Canberra and Melbourne.
"It's something we can try, something we can trial and a neighbouring council might be interested," Cr King said of the sleepbus.
Melburnian Mr Rowe was inspired to act in 2016 after seeing a homeless man sleeping in the doorway of a bank in St Kilda East while wrapped in a doona and having passersby step over him.
He then raised $100,000 in four days via online fundraising and has converted buses to sleep 14 to 22.
The Queanbeyan bus, which Cr King has talked over with a councillor in that city, began this year.
It involved the local community raising $100,000 upfront and Mr Rowe assisting to find sponsors to cover $50,000 in annual costs.
Mr Rowe said he was happy to face Albury councillors.
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"A community knows better than I do about what's going on in their area," he said.
"If a place like Albury-Wodonga wanted to do something, then absolutely we know there's rough sleepers there.
"You might not have 250 a night like we do in the Melbourne CBD but even if you just have one you have to do something."
Yes Unlimited chief Di Glover, whose agency tackles homelessness in Albury, was unaware of sleepbus and was keen to learn more.
She said on a regular basis there would be three to five people rough sleeping in Albury as opposed to couch surfers or domestic violence sufferers.
In addition to shelters for women and youths, accommodation can be provided at caravan parks and motels.
Ms Glover said it was rare for rough sleepers not to engage with services but it did occur for reasons such as trauma, mental health and substance abuse.
Cr King said a sleepbus would be a proactive response, with the vehicle taken to the needy rather than relying on them to seek out services.
The 14-bed Queanbeyan sleepbus is parked overnight in the car park of the city's visitor information centre with initial users now in affordable housing.
