Liberal charity pledge
Boost for Outpost
THE short-term future of Geelong homelessness charity The Outpost is assured, after the Liberal Party pledged $50,000 and support to find a new home, matching a Labor election vow.
Opposition housing spokesman Richard Riordan announced this week a Liberal government would provide The Outpost with the funding and also work with the service to find a permanent premises.
The city’s only nightly nonreferral after-hours service had warned it could be forced to close if it could not find new premises after the City of Greater Geelong moved to sell off the CBD building it had operated out of for 22 years – which the city had provided at a peppercorn lease.
The charity was forced to launch a crowd-funding campaign to raise at least $40,000 to pay for a commercial lease, after being unable to find a suitable alternate venue while working with the council.
Mr Riordan said his party’s $50,000 commitment would allow The Outpost to ensure money it had raised to find a new home could now go towards helping people in need rather than paying rent.
The announcement came after Premier Daniel Andrews last week visited Geelong and pledged that a re-elected Labor government would step in to ensure the charity survived.
“There is an issue, where we’ve got an outstanding homelessness service which may well become homeless,” Mr Andrews said. “Now we don’t want that, so what I can commit to today, if we are reelected we will provide $50,000, which is money to tide them over, and then Christine (Couzens) and I, relevant ministers, will work to find a permanent home for Outpost – and that will be free of charge.
“We will put the full resources of the government on this, and will find a home for them, and it will be on that peppercorn rate. That’s the fair and reasonable thing to do.”
Outpost Relocation Committee co-chair Amy Flint said she felt a sense of relief after the Liberal Party matched the Labor pledge.
“The Outpost is delighted and relieved that both parties recognise the contributions of The Outpost to the community and welcome their support over the coming years,” Ms Flint said.
The funding pledges came days after Western Victoria MP Stuart Grimley called on Labor and the Liberals to stump up the “pocket change” needed to help keep the charity afloat as it hunted for a new home.
It also came after Geelong five-year-old Charlotte O’Brien raised $11,000 to support The Outpost by running 1km every day for 30 days, culminating in a final run on Monday.
To donate to The Outpost, visit gofundme.com/f/servicefor-the-homeless-soon-to-behomeless