A program that has helped more than 6000 struggling Wyndham residents put food on the table in the past year is expected to run out of funding by the end of this month.
UnitingCare Werribee Support and Housing deputy chief executive Sue Moger said the group’s emergency relief program helped people with no disposable incomes provide for their families.
“The impact of not having adequate income to meet basic living needs is enormous for individuals, couples or families,” Ms Moger said. “Social isolation and loneliness, depression, other health issues and family breakdown are becoming more common challenges for people battling poverty.”
Ms Moger said that in the past year, working on a budget of $192,525, WSH was able to support between 3700 and 4000 households or 6000 individuals.
But this could all end in a few short weeks.
“[We] are gravely concerned. Due to the increased demand on our service we estimate this funding will run out by the end of May and our deficit will grow bigger and bigger,” she said.
“At this stage, no one knows how much funding will be received for the next year.”
The emergency relief program is paid for solely by the federal government.
A spokesman for the Department of Social Services said the government was spending $115 million to reinstate the National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness for service delivery for another year, to be matched by states and territories.
“This significant investment will enable critical homelessness initiatives to continue to support Australia’s
most vulnerable people, providing much needed certainty for homelessness service providers,” the spokesman said.
“It will be up to the states and territories to allocate funding to homelessness service providers in 2014-15 under the agreement.
“All other funding decisions, such as emergency relief funding, will be made in the federal budget.
“The government is working to ensure there is certainty as soon as possible.”
