Operators of a frontline homelessness service said to be the only one offering hot showers in the Tweed Shire haven’t publicly responded to a council request to stay open.
A majority of Tweed Shire councillors voted in support of a mayoral motion last week calling on operators of Nullum House at the Murwillumbah Community Centre to reconsider their decision to close.
Tweed Shire Mayor Chris Cherry said the service loss would be significant given its increased demand in recent times and the fact there wasn’t an alternative plan for similar services, which include food, showers and support referrals.
Councillor Cherry told the meeting she’d found out about the planned closure via a media release.
No gov’t grants for Tweed homelessness service
The Murwillumbah Community Centre operates on council-owned land but the council doesn’t fund services there, with Nullum House operators describing the partnership in positive terms.
A centre social media post about the imminent closure cited a failure to be approved for any requested government grant funding after seventeen years of community service for some of the most vulnerable.
Nullum House is due to close this Thursday owing to what staff have described as increased dangers and risks to their safety along with increased service costs, including for wages and insurance.
Tweed Shire Councillor Kimberly Hone was the only one to vote against asking for Nullum House to stay open, saying she believed another organisation needed to take over services.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
