Homelessness funding safe
New wages deal secures $171k for Bethany
A GEELONG homelessness program is likely to get $170,000 after the federal government committed to continuing a three-year wage agreement.
About $56.5m of federal funds for homelessness services nationally was in doubt before the Morrison government at the weekend committed to continuing a payment of community sector wages under a partnership with the states and territories.
Bethany Community Support’s access, support and family safety executive manager Bernadette McCartney said the organisation received $171,000 from the federal government via an equal remuneration order (ERO) in 2020-21.
It’s now likely the service will receive the same funding in 2021-22 following a national campaign for ERO funding from Labor.
Ms McCartney said demand for its homelessness program had grown in the past year, which she attributed to rising real estate market costs, lower housing affordability and rental vacancies, and limited government investment in social and public housing.
“COVID-19 and job insecurities have also contributed to unemployment, which left some people unable to afford their rents or mortgages,” she said. “Bethany provides a very strong whole of family approach to our homelessness services, paying careful attention to understanding the needs of children and of women and children rendered homeless as direct result of family violence.”
The federal government will provide $124.7m to the states and territories to bolster public housing stocks, or to pay social and community housing wages. Homelessness Minister Michael Sukkar said the government would spend around $8.2bn on housing and homelessness across the country.
“The commonwealth takes its commitment to equal pay seriously and at the last budget we increased base funding by $132m for frontline services we have responsibility for such as social workers, disability advocates and financial counsellors,” Mr Sukkar said.
“While state and territory governments are responsible for housing and homelessness, the Australian government will support them by spending around $8.2bn.”