Generous welfare makes Melbourne Australia's homeless capital

Australia's homeless are flocking to Melbourne, drawn in by Victoria's generous welfare system, local media reported on Monday.

More services are on offer in Victoria than other parts of Australia, which is seen as the cause for the rising trend, said support service providers - Melbourne City Mission, the Salvation Army and Hanover.

The ability to put distance between themselves and a violent partner while reaching these service was also a reason, Melbourne City Mission's director of homelessness and justice services Sherri Bruinhout told News Corp.

Some 8 percent of the 3,500 clients Melbourne City Mission saw each year were not from Victoria, she said, and most were women fleeing domestic violence situations in Queensland and Sydney.

"They come off at (railway and coach station) Southern Cross Station and hop straight into welfare services and look at what we can offer," Bruinhout said.

Salvation Army Major Brendan Nottle said the numbers of city- based beggars were being boosted by interstate arrivals.

"A lot of the people we're seeing come from interstate are clearly in need and they don't believe they get the support they need so they're drifting to Melbourne, where they have heard there is more help available," he said.

However, crisis accommodation provider Hanover denied the people coming to Melbourne were begging on the streets.

Al, a beggar, told News Corp Adelaide did not have enough help and it led him to hitchhike to Ballarat last week with a truck driver and then take the train to Melbourne.

Victoria Police and the Melbourne Lord Mayor have urged people to help the homeless through donations of time and money to the welfare agencies, rather than by giving meals and money to those on the street.

Senior Sergeant Paul Henry asked the public to "co-ordinate their acts of kindness" with support providers. Endi