Save Homelessness Services.
The Australian Services Union and Homelessness Australia are calling on the Albanese Government to reverse $65 million of cuts to housing and homelessness services.
The Federal Government is stripping the Federal contribution to equal pay for homelessness workers that union members won in 2012.
This is funding that the Federal Government has agreed to provide since 2012 when the ASU’s historic victory raised the wages for community sector workers. This decision recognised that for too long community sector work had been undervalued and underpaid and had traditionally been seen as ‘women’s work’.
The Albanese Labor Government has already committed to lift base funding for services funded directly by the Department of Social Services grants – but housing and homelessness services funded under the National Housing and Homelessness Agreement are not included.
If this support is withdrawn, hundreds of workers in frontline homelessness services will lose their jobs and many critical services will be cut.
Why is this important?
Housing and homelessness services are at a crisis point.
Services across Australia are already struggling to respond to everyone who needs help. Right now, 288 people are turned away every day.
Rising rents and an inadequate supply of affordable homes is putting enormous pressure on the frontline staff and services who respond to people in need.
These cuts will directly impact highly vulnerable people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, including women and children escaping domestic and family violence and young people without homes.
We call on the Albanese Government to properly fund homelessness services so people in urgent need can get help, and workers can be paid properly to provide a critical service.
Don’t close the door on homelessness services!
