Vulnerable women and children of the west are at risk of becoming homeless unless there’s an urgent commitment to funding, a Footscray-based service has found.
Women’s Health West (WHW) supports women and children fleeing family violence through programs funded under the National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness (NPAH), which is set to expire on June 30.
The Victorian government wants to extend the agreement for another three years, committing $29.1 million this year, but the federal government has refused to lock in its contribution.
WHW chief executive Robyn Gregory said the refusal comes as the service faces a growing crisis, reflected by 836 police referrals in January alone.
That dwarfs the 708 referrals over the entire 2006-07 year, less than a decade ago.
Dr Gregory said partnership funding in 2013-14 helped WHW support 85 women and 111 children, keeping 29 women safe in their homes after experiencing family violence.
WHW has helped with home security installations, court support for intervention orders, interim crisis accommodation and after-hours crisis response.
“Family violence most often occurs after 5pm and at the weekend, when families are together. As such, the 24-hour family violence crisis response program is a critical component of our service,” Dr Gregory said.
“Without NPAH funding, these programs will end.”
Dr Gregory has joined 50 chief executives from homelessness agencies in signing an open letter to Social Services Minister Scott Morrison calling for an end to funding uncertainty. The unprecedented move could mean that thousands of vulnerable people are rendered homelesss if $115 million in funding is allowed to expire.
Other service providers affected include Iramoo Youth Refuge, McAuley Community Services for Women, Melbourne Citymission, the Salvation Army and Yarra Community Housing.
Homelessness Australia chief executive Glenda Stevens said short-term funding cycles forced services to turn people away.
“We’d like to see the funding return to a four-year cycle,” she said.
Mr Morrison said future NPAH funding will be considered as part of the 2015-16 budget, while longer-term arrangements for housing assistance and homelessness services will be considered in the government-commissioned White Paper on Reform of the Federation.
