THE CLOCK IS TICKING ON HOMELESSNESS AID – AGAIN

By Social Affairs Correspondent Norman Hermant

Each of the last two years, the Federal Government has extended the National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness with the states – the NPAH - not long before it was due to expire at the end of June. This year, no one knows what’s in store for the program in the federal budget.

The $115 million the Commonwealth contributes to the NPAH is matched by the states. It’s vital for the funding of organisations that help the homeless across the country. The guessing game about the program’s future in the lead up to the federal budget has become an unwelcome ritual in the homelessness sector. The uncertainty means some groups are preparing to scale back, or shut down altogether.