UNEMPLOYED Tasmanians, low income households and sole parents are being turned away from community services and a major social crisis is brewing if government funding is slashed any further, according to the state's peak social services body. The Tasmanian Council of Social Services says the state government intends to cut almost $100 million from the health and human services budget before 2017, with federally-funded not-for-profit organisations also facing an uncertain future. TasCOSS chief executive Tony Reidy said the situation was dire, as an Australian survey released this morning showed more than 80 per cent of community service organisations could not meet full demand. ''We have a situation where Tasmanian community service organisations are forced to turn away many people who are having personal, financial and accommodation crises,'' Mr Reidy said. ''While demand for community services has grown for all sorts of economic and social reasons in the past four years there has been a decline in state government funding in real terms over the same period.'' Mr Reidy said providing affordable housing and funding housing and homelessness services must be top policy priorities for both state and federal governments. ''We need a commitment to funding housing and homelessness services from both levels of government, but both the state and federal governments have stepped away from this,'' he said. Mr Reidy said while the state government was preparing an affordable housing strategy, significant investment must follow to bridge the gap between supply and demand. The state government has been contacted for comment. MORE IN THE EXAMINER TOMORROW
UNEMPLOYED Tasmanians, low income households and sole parents are being turned away from community services and a major social crisis is brewing if government funding is slashed any further, according to the state's peak social services body.
The Tasmanian Council of Social Services says the state government intends to cut almost $100 million from the health and human services budget before 2017, with federally-funded not-for-profit organisations also facing an uncertain future.
TasCOSS chief executive Tony Reidy said the situation was dire, as an Australian survey released this morning showed more than 80 per cent of community service organisations could not meet full demand.
''We have a situation where Tasmanian community service organisations are forced to turn away many people who are having personal, financial and accommodation crises,'' Mr Reidy said.
''While demand for community services has grown for all sorts of economic and social reasons in the past four years there has been a decline in state government funding in real terms over the same period.''
Mr Reidy said providing affordable housing and funding housing and homelessness services must be top policy priorities for both state and federal governments.
''We need a commitment to funding housing and homelessness services from both levels of government, but both the state and federal governments have stepped away from this,'' he said.
Mr Reidy said while the state government was preparing an affordable housing strategy, significant investment must follow to bridge the gap between supply and demand.
The state government has been contacted for comment.
