Thursday, 7 March 2024

Adjournment

Neighbourhood houses

David HODGETT (Croydon) (17:09): (571) My adjournment is for the Minister for Carers and Volunteers, and the action I seek is for the minister to commit to providing an additional $2.5 million in shortfall funding on top of the recurrent funding to meet the additional community needs placed on neighbourhood houses as part of the neighbourhood house coordination program, the NHCP. The current funding deficit means that the NHCP has suffered from over a decade of indexation well below the actual cost increases incurred. Rapidly growing community demand for food and material relief has placed an unsustainable cost burden on neighbourhood houses.

There is no funding within the NHCP to support new neighbourhood houses despite a population increase of 5.75 per cent in Victoria. Neighbourhood houses are currently cutting programs they subsidise, including emergency food relief, which is not a funded activity. The rapidly growing demand for food and material relief has placed an unsustainable cost burden on neighbourhood houses, and without urgent financial support they will have no choice but to start turning away people in need. This goes against the fundamental principles of these centres, which strive to provide a strong and connected community, supporting and providing services to our most vulnerable members. On a shoestring budget and with limited resources neighbourhood houses provide hundreds of services to local communities across metro, regional and rural Victoria. This funding increase is vital to ensure our neighbourhood houses can continue to support people of diverse backgrounds, abilities and social settings, ensuring that they are supported and feel a sense of belonging within our community. I again urge the minister to secure funding to ensure the future of the over 400 neighbourhood houses within Victoria.