HOMELESS people on the Mid North Coast now have a higher chance of receiving a helping hand.
NSW Deputy Premier and Oxley MP Andrew Stoner and Minister for Family and Community Services Pru Goward have announced that $4.77 million – an increase of about $1.29 million – has been allocated to fund homelessness services on the Mid North Coast in 2014/15.
“For the first time in NSW, the distribution of the $135 million of the homelessness budget will be informed by key indicators of homelessness, including socio-economic disadvantage, drug and alcohol abuse and domestic violence rates,” Ms Goward said.
Mr Stoner said that at the 2011 Census more than 740 people were homeless in the area.
“The importance of intervening early to prevent homelessness is critical. The cycle of homelessness needs to be broken early and well before people need temporary or emergency accommodation,” he said.
He said the O’Farrell Government was working better and smarter to improve services – and lives – by making sure resources were delivered based on need, improving the way homeless people accessed services, and making sure homelessness services focussed on early intervention and breaking disadvantage, not just managing it.
“From July 2014 homelessness services will be awarded following a tender process,” he said.
“This approach will allow the NSW Government to reallocate available funding equitably across NSW.
“This will help slow the traditional drift of homeless people to the inner city and provide more regional support on the Mid North Coast to help homeless people back onto their feet and into stable housing.”
A service transition plan was also being prepared to ensure a seamless transition to a reformed system, which would smooth the impact of change on local service systems, individual services, employees and, most importantly, current and future clients as a result of the redistribution of resources and recontracting.
More information on the Going Home Staying Home reforms, including the Resource Allocation Model, is available on the Department of Family and Community Services website.
