Calls from local Greens candidate Mandy Nolan for Labor to provide funding certainty for essential homeless service, the Fletcher Street Cottage, may be working, with the NSW Homelessness Minister, Rose Jackson (Labor), telling The Echo her government is ‘urgently working to identify new potential sources of funding’.
In a press release last week, Ms Nolan urged local federal Labor MP, Justine Elliot, to immediately intervene, given Labor are in government at both the state and federal level.
No ongoing funding
The cottage receives no ongoing funding from governments, and is reliant on public donations, which pay for staff, meals and facilities in Byron Bay. Despite increased demands, Ms Nolan says the cottage ‘is on the brink of cutting essential services’, and has ‘only fundraised $240,000 out of the total $1 million they require to keep services operating’.
Mrs Elliot told The Echo such services and programs were ‘matters for state and territory governments’.
‘The Australian government will provide states and territories $1.7 billion in funding under the National Housing and Homelessness Agreement. This includes $515.6 million for NSW to deliver housing and homelessness services and programs’.
Mrs Elliot also accused Ms Nolan of ‘trashing the truth’ and, ‘diverting attention’ from the Greens refusing to pass the Housing Australia Future Fund.
The Echo asked the office of Rose Jackson MLC, ‘Can some funding from the National Housing and Homelessness Agreement be made available for the cottage?’
She replied, ‘The latest street count data is just a brief glimpse into the devastating impact of the housing crisis in Byron Bay’.
‘The region was in the top five local government areas (LGAs) with the largest total increase in the number of people sleeping rough compared to 2022 – this is not good enough and needs it to change.
Backed by community
‘It is encouraging to see the community backing a crucial service, but we know we need government to do everything we can to lean in and provide support for organisations such as Fletcher Street Cottage.
‘MP Justine Elliot has been in contact with me on this to express her deep concern. I share her concerns and acknowledge this is a responsibility for the NSW government, and we are urgently working to identify new potential sources of funding that can support them to continue operating at its full capacity’.
Ms Jackson says she met with Fletcher Street Cottage staff in July, ‘to discuss this crucial issue’.
‘I take the concerns raised very seriously. The team do incredible work for the local community, and we want to ensure they are able to continue providing this vital service’.
‘The service has never been previously funded by government, and although the current budget to fund homelessness support organisations is fully allocated – we are continuing to seek alternative solutions, and I have instructed my department to look into options to provide support’.
Ms Jackson said, ‘The NSW government have inherited a housing system that is broken after over a decade of neglect’.
‘We continue to work towards our aim of ensuring that experiences of homelessness are rare, brief and not repeated.
‘This will take time, but as a start we have introduced a suite of reforms to support vulnerable people facing housing insecurity, but we know we need to do more.
Reforms introduced
‘We’ve made changes to temporary accommodation, to create a better place for people in crisis, we’re delivering more social housing, which is absolutely essential to reducing homelessness, and we’ve extended funding for specialist homelessness services to provide certainty and stability at this very difficult time.
‘We have also scrapped the rent seeker diaries, and assertive outreach services are being delivered to engage people sleeping rough and support them into long-term, stable accommodation’.
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