Thursday, 22 February 2024

Neighbourhood houses

Ann-Marie HERMANS (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (18:32): (739) My adjournment is to the minister representing the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing, and the action I seek is for the minister to organise for funding to be not only maintained but, more importantly, increased for our 400 neighbourhood houses statewide, which are under threat of folding. This is a matter of critical importance to the communities of Victoria, particularly those within my electorate. In fact we now see this government turning on people that have traditionally supported them. Advice I have received from the executive officer of Balla Balla Community Centre, one of the many neighbourhood houses in my area, is that the organisation is deeply concerned about the current state of funding for these vital community services. The neighbourhood house coordination program (NHCP), which is overseen by the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing, has been facing significant challenges that threaten the sustainability and effectiveness of neighbourhood houses and community centres throughout Victoria. As we approach the upcoming Victorian state budget, it is imperative that we address these issues to ensure the continued viability of essential community assets.

There are three key areas of concern that require urgent attention. Inadequate funding is the first one. The NHCP has suffered from over a decade of indexation, well below the actual cost increase incurred. This has led to a situation where neighbourhood houses are struggling to cover essential operational costs, particularly in relation to employing coordinators. Number two is growing demand for food relief. Rapidly increasing community demand for food and material relief has placed an unsustainable cost burden on the neighbourhood houses, and without additional funding support – and we have seen so many people having to go without this additional funding that they desperately need, including our councils – many houses have been forced to cut back on vital programs, including emergency food relief, which is not currently a funded activity. Lack of support for new neighbourhood houses is the third point. Despite a population increase of 5.75 per cent in Victoria, there is no funding available to support the establishment of new neighbourhood houses. It is a critical oversight, particularly in areas that experience growth and which require, desperately, these additional services.

I am asking the minister to consider the following actions in the upcoming budget: to (1) restore adequate funding to ensure the sustainability of neighbourhood houses; (2) allocate additional funding to support the growing demand for food relief, including recovering the costs of purchasing food and supporting high energy usage; and (3) establish a growth fund within the NHCP to support the establishment of new neighbourhood houses in areas of need. I do not need to go on to tell you all the different things that they provide, but I will tell you some: food banks, digital literacy, training, community gardens, community lunches, child care, art and craft classes, adult education, jobseeking support, health and wellbeing activities, internet access, library and book swap services, men’s sheds, migrant support programs, playgroups, room hire, self-help, support groups, seniors groups, toy libraries, youth programs and volunteer opportunities.