Services for Queensland's homeless population have be warned a government funding squabble could put them at risk

    by: Steven Scott, Rose Brennan
    From: The Courier-Mail
    March 30, 2013


SEVENTEEN homeless services across Queensland have been warned they could be forced to close because of a funding battle between the state and federal governments.    

The Queensland government has accused federal Labor of leaving the agencies with an uncertain future because it has replaced a five-year national fund with a one-year deal.

But the Federal Government has accused Queensland of trying to shift the blame for its own cuts to services.    

Despite signing the deal on Thursday, Queensland Communities Minister Tracy Davis accused federal Labor of ditching its plan to halve the number of homeless by 2020 and refusing to match money offered by the state.

"Kevin Rudd's homelessness plan is now in tatters," Ms Davis said.

"The Commonwealth can't on the one hand promise to halve the rate of homelessness by 2020, but on the other hand only provide funding to the middle of 2014."

Before signing the deal, Ms Davis wrote to several charities warning their funding could soon dry up.

One of these is Common Ground accommodation in Brisbane, which former PM Kevin Rudd cited less than a year ago as proof of federal Labor's commitment to tackling homelessness.

Federal Housing Minister Mark Butler defended the one-year deal as a "transitional arrangement".

"Service providers now have the certainty they need about next year's funding enabling them to continue providing critical support to some of the most vulnerable Australians," Mr Butler said.

Queensland is likely to receive up to $30.45 million next year under the deal, but the Federal Government says the state must agree to guarantee funding to tenant advisory services in return.

Ms Davis said the state would spend $50 million next year and urged the Federal Government to match this.

But the Federal Government claims the $50 million includes federal funding.

"The Federal Government is offering to increase the level of funding to the Queensland Government for homelessness services, but instead of accepting that new funding, they've chosen to use homeless Australians as a political football," Mr Butler said.    

The move came as the state last week scrapped an annual $190,000 grant from the Department of Communities to the Queensland Public Interest Law Clearing House's Homeless Person Legal Clinic.

"The Commonwealth can't on the one hand promise to halve the rate of homelessness by 2020, but on the other hand only provide funding to the middle of 2014."

Oh, Ms Gillard, what are you up to now?

Armchair_Politician wrote on Mar 30^th, 2013 at 10:16am:


What has that got to do with it?

SOB

Ex Dame Pansi wrote on Mar 31^st, 2013 at 6:53am:


Maybe Gillard can divert $1 billion from the foreign aid budget to help the homeless?

Postmodern Trendoid III wrote on Mar 31^st, 2013 at 1:38pm:


You mean like the aid that goes into funding Indonesian schools. Surely it's in our national interest to ensure there are no gaps left to be filled by schools linked to the Jemaah Islamiyah group.

Or perhaps the funding that goes towards helping Care Australia provide an education to Afghan women.

Postmodern Trendoid III wrote on Mar 31^st, 2013 at 2:03pm:


At the end of the day it's in our national interests. Or did you wilfully miss that bit.

Postmodern Trendoid III wrote on Mar 31^st, 2013 at 2:15pm:


Only if you're trapped in an either/or paradigm of thinking. A peaceful and more moderate Indonesia is more likely to create wealth here in Australia and reduce the dangers we all face. And, just quietly, there are other ways to fund it than denying support for the homeless.