TEN jobs at a local homeless men’s hostel are up in the air following a decision to close the facility.
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The positions, not all of them fulltime, will cease to exist when Kennedy House shuts by this September.
Operator St Vincent de Paul announced last month that the Market St facility would close following a change in state funding.
It will mean a $230,000 annual cut.
CEO Paul Trezise said staff took the news “calmly” and understood what was happening and why. However their future depended on the success of St Vinnies tender under the new funding model.
The model, ‘Going Home, Staying Home,’ shifts the focus from short-term crisis accommodation to addressing the root causes of homelessness and finding more permanent housing.
Organisations, including St Vincent de Paul, have lodged tenders to deliver the program. An announcement on the successful tenders is expected in May.
Mr Trezise said there would be opportunities for local staff in Goulburn if Vinnies was successful.
“But there are also potential opportunities with our existing services in Canberra if people are prepared to commute,” he told the Post.
“…Our aim is to absolutely maximise the ability of staff to find work within the organisation but if that is not possible, to pay out their entitlements or assist them into positions with other Goulburn providers.”
The staff include manager Allan Lieschke, case and support workers, night duty managers and cooks.
Mr Trezise said the organisation already operated services in Canberra more closely aligned to the state’s new model.
The Department of Community Services has broadly outlined its approach but providers would decide the form of delivery. It calls for early intervention on the causes of homelessness, such as family breakdown and rental affordability, rather than creation of short-term crisis accommodation like Kennedy House.
“We have our own take on how we’ll deliver it but that is part of our tender,” Mr Trezise said.
He still foresaw the need for some short-term housing but said these would be for four to five people rather than larger centres like Kennedy House, which accommodated 39 clients.
The facility’s lease with building owner Paul Stamatellis’ family company runs out in September.
But hostel operations would start winding down in July, offering a handy buffer between the State’s tendering announcement and the lease’s end.
Arrangements are already underway to accommodate clients.
“It’s a significant change but the timing is such that we hope we can make the transition with a minimum impact on residents and staff,” Mr Trezise said.
