Building stronger communities
What is community strengthening?
Community strengthening is a sustained effort to increase involvement and partnership among members of a community to achieve common objectives. It involves local people, community organisations, government, business and philanthropic organisations working together to achieve agreed social, economic and environmental outcomes. Find out more about community strengthening.
Approaches to community strengthening
The Department of Planning and Community Development works to build stronger communities by providing grants programs and community building initiatives, supporting Victoria’s volunteers and helping to connect communities, and making government easier to work with. Learn more about approaches to community strengthening.
Benefits of community strengthening
The Department of Planning and Community Development puts a priority on working with people and organisations at a local level to find practical solutions to local problems. The Department believes community strengthening actions directly improve the wellbeing of Victorians in very practical ways. Learn more about the benefits of community strengthening.
Measuring community strength
Strong communities often share similar characteristics, which can be measured and tracked over time to demonstrate how the community is doing, as well as any areas that need attention. Find out more about measuring community strength.
Examples of community strengthening
International and local research on community strengthening highlights a consistent set of characteristics that are usually present in successful strategies. View examples of community strengthening.
Office for Disability
The Office for Disability is establishing a whole-of-government approach to policy and programs and making housing, transport, buildings, jobs, health and other services more accessible for Victorians with a disability. Find out more about the Office for Disability.
Just Like You
Just Like You is the gateway to information about the different faces, cultures, faiths and languages spoken in Victoria. These pages offer plenty of information about who we are, where we are from, what we have in common and what makes us different from each other. Read more about Just Like You
Web Site Updates
DPCD's websites are progressively being updated to reflect the changes following the establishment of the
department. This means you will continue to see some references to the Department for Victorian Communities
(DVC) as changes are being made.
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