Reprinted from ABC news online. Read directly from the website here.
Fears for Qld’s homeless services after funding cuts
The Federal Government has renewed its calls for the State Government to continue funding tenant advice and advocacy services in Queensland.
Across the state, 23 services are set to close by the end of June after the Queensland Government decided to cancel their funding agreements.
Federal Housing and Homelessness Minister Mark Butler says state and territory ministers recently agreed tenancy advice was a core function of their governments.
“We’re currently considering our position,” he said.
“It’s obviously critically important that funding continue to other homeless services that are providing frontline services to people who are already homeless.
“But it’s beyond me why the Queensland Government doesn’t recognise the importance of a service that is effectively funded by tenants themselves.”
However, Queensland Housing Minister Tim Mander says the State Government will not be reversing its decision, but will release a homelessness strategy in the next fortnight.
“We believe these services are available in more cost effective ways through other avenues, through the Residential Tenancy Authority [RTA],” he said.
“Some community organisations also provide these types of services.”
‘Grave fears’
The Tenants Union of Queensland (TUQ) says it has grave fears for the future of services for the homeless.
TUQ spokeswoman Penny Carr says funding for tenant advice services is a requirement under the National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness.
She says the State Government’s decision to discontinue funding for tenancy advice could jeopardise the entire joint funding package.
“We’re actually quite concerned that, possibly, the funding for those services are put at risk if tenant advice and advocacy isn’t funded as part of it,” she said.
“This is where we really need clarification from both the state, the Premier and from the federal minister because we’re hearing that it’s a requirement under the partnership agreement.”
We want the Minister to name the services which do the same work as the TAASs because we’re not aware of any.
Indeed. It appears the Minister’s repeated remark about other community organisations doing the same work as TAASQ is like those pages in books that have written on them: this page has been left deliberately blank.