Neighbourhood Houses welcome Labor Party election funding commitment

The 155 volunteers and staff from 35 Neighbourhood Houses across the state, present at the annual Neighbourhood Houses Tasmania (NHT) conference in Georgetown on Friday 6th October were very grateful when the Honorable Josh Willie, Labor Shadow for Human Services & Legislative Council Member for Elwick, announced a commitment to increase annual recurrent funding by $45 000 to each of the 33 DHHS funded Neighbourhood Houses. In fact the room cheered!

The Labor party also committed to a $2 million infrastructure fund to continue the upgrading of the Neighbourhood House buildings across the state. This is much needed as there is still much infrastructure improvement needed to make Houses fit for purpose despite refurbishments undertaken with funding committed by the previous and current governments.

John Hooper, Executive Officer of NHT said, “NHT and its Members had been meeting with all elected members to demonstrate how essential extra recurrent funding is to their communities. NHT in a Budget Submission in December 2016 clearly articulated the need for this funding. This $45 000 will mean each House has the capacity to employ another 0.5FTE worker which will make a massive difference to what each House achieves for their community. It will also prevent unemployment in communities as without funding being increased Houses will have to put valuable staff off, as current non recurrent funding ends in June 2018.”

“Houses from Geeveston to Georgetown, Zeehan to St Helens, have been under great pressure and our advocacy is at times quite desperate. In fact some of our Neighbourhood Houses staff have been in tears with local Members when discussing the pressures on each House and how much they need the support of extra staffing for their community.”

“We congratulate the Labor party for listening to the 33 communities across the state and making this commitment of funding if they form Government. Neighbourhood Houses and their community development model are all about grass roots communities working together to make their community, and Tasmania collectively, a better place.”

In 2016-17 there were over 680 000 contacts by community members with the 35 Neighborhood Houses across the state, which equates to 477 contacts per week per House. There are 1258 volunteers across the state, averaging 42 volunteers per House contributing in total 145 hours per week per House. Costing this at the national volunteer standard of $25 per hour – this equates to $188 500 in in kind contribution from volunteers per House.

Statewide surveys across the network to measure the impact of Houses found that in 2016-17, when asked :
83% of people had improved their skills through the House;
74 % of people reported more confidence
83% of people felt safer in their community.
93% had improved family relationships.

NHT and its Members acknowledge the support of the current government through two years of temporary funding increases which runs out at the end of this financial year. Minister Petrusma and the Treasurer have both acknowledged that they have heard the call from Neighbourhood Houses for certainty of increased recurrent funding however at this point there has been no commitment to increased recurrent funding by the current government.
Neighbourhood Houses Tasmania