Welfare agencies despair at program cutback

Date
    July 20, 2012


LEADING welfare agencies have launched a scathing attack on the Baillieu government, saying budget cuts will increase homelessness across the state.   

Wesley Mission Victoria, HomeGround and the Rural Housing Network have slammed the decision to slash millions of dollars from the Social Housing Advocacy and Support Program as short-sighted and illogical.

Wesley chief Rob Ward said he was concerned Housing Minister Wendy Lovell did not understand that any savings would be offset by the cost of dealing with more people sleeping rough.

''It defies logic to cut this … people struggling to maintain their public housing tenancies will be made homeless because of a lack of support,'' he said. ''You're going to save [money] here but six months from now you'll be overwhelmed because the homeless crisis section is already overwhelmed.   


''I know [Ms Lovell] well enough to know she's a passionate, caring person and that's why I'm scratching my head [at this decision].''

The program links public housing tenants at risk of evictions through issues such as rent arrears or neighbour disputes with specialist workers who help resolve the problems.

The government plans to gradually cut the program's funding from $7.6 million last financial year to $4.7 million by 2013-14.   

Ms Lovell told a parliamentary inquiry this year the cuts would not affect the level of direct support the program provides.

But HomeGround acting chief Heather Holst said the number of households helped each year would fall from about 6000 to under 4000, with those unable to get help at risk of homelessness.   

Opposition housing spokesman Richard Wynne said the cuts would affect the most vulnerable people in public housing.

Ballarat public housing resident Pam Lysaght said the program, then known as the Public Housing Assistance program, had offered enormous moral support when she had nearly been evicted more than a decade ago. ''You don't have to be a Rhodes scholar to know [the government has] financial problems, but families with young children are going to be in the firing line with these cuts,'' she said.   

Ms Lovell said the program would continue to support people to maintain their tenancies but did not challenge the agencies' claims that the cuts would fuel homelessness.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/welfare-agencies-despair-at-program-cutback-20120719-22d68.html#ixzz216NkEAqN

Come one Ted introduce a Carbon Carbon Tax

Yet another failure by a despondent and nearly used up Liberal state government.  I though Labor made some rippers with Myki but this mob take the pail.   I doesn't suprise me though - State Libs are renowned for targeting the poor and low income people in Victoria

Maqqa wrote on Jul 20^th, 2012 at 8:01am:


That is a good idea wonder why nobody thought of that before.

lisa.greek wrote on Jul 20^th, 2012 at 9:15am:


Yes Lisa, our last Labor State Government had got way too entrenched, and the MYKI shambles was the worst waste of government money I know of.
Libs had to win office, but why do they always have to be such utter bastards in how they rip away funding from the areas like education, health, and welfare, it is so predictable it is sad.

The 300 million they ripped from the TAFE system this year, has seen dramatic impacts already. Swinburne University lost 40 million off this years budget, which has caused the closure of the Lilydale Campus, costing some 500 jobs, and removing education options for thousands of students. They will also be very likely forced to close their Prahran Campus as well, which would add hundreds more unemployed teaching and administration staff, as well as thousands more students pushed into the "tick and flick" private provider, education marketplace.

The ramifications of these funding cuts reverberate through the entire community, and the local kids, without education options, from the outer east of melbourne can help the Libs fill their new jails they are pouring half a billion into building.
I despair at our system of government which offers us nothing but the choice of bad and worse, with each major party taking turns at being the worst option.