But the St Vincent de Paul Society (Canberra/Goulburn) has missed out on funding under the Going Home, Staying Home program to deliver local services.

CEO Paul Trezise said the board would meet next week to discuss the future of its women’s refuge, St Anthony’s, which largely hung on government support.

The Society decided earlier this year to close its homeless men’s hostel, Kennedy House, by July partly due to funding uncertainty under the new model.

Staff were told yesterday their positions would be made redundant given there was no opportunity of transition to other services provided by Vinnies.

The Department of Family and Community Services announced successful tenderers for homeless services in the southern region late last week.

It delivers $4.87 million per annum for 12 programs over three years until 2017. The southern region takes in Goulburn, Bega Valley, Cooma, Queanbeyan, Palerang, Yass Valley and Upper Lachlan local government areas.

The money will support 1986 clients annually who are at risk of homelessness, the department says. Most of these (635) will be young people, followed by families (564), women (490) and men (297).

“There will also be a strong focus on services to Aboriginal people and those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds who are homeless or at risk of homelessness,” the Department’s website states.

“In acknowledgement of the significant impact that the Going Home, Staying Home reforms will have on services in (the region), an extra $70,000 per year for the next three years will be allocated proportionally between all new service packages in southern NSW. The extra funding will help providers fully implement Going Home, Staying Home.”

The reforms are aimed at early intervention, enabling people to access support before they reach crisis point.

In Goulburn Mulwaree, Anglicare Regional Alliance, incorporating the NSW and ACT divisions, will receive $620,000 annually to support single men, women and families.

These clients could be experiencing domestic and family violence, be homeless or at risk of homelessness.

The organisation would provide supported accommodation and help people secure longterm housing, as well as post crisis help to prevent them becoming homeless again.

Anglicare southern region community services director Simon Bennett could not comment in detail on the contract until agreement was struck.

He met with Department officials in Queanbeyan yesterday.

Negotiations were underway on the Department’s requirements and how this would match available funds.

Mr Bennett said the $620,500 was the amount Anglicare and St Vincent de Paul formerly received from the state government for provision of homeless services to men, women and families.

“We’re obviously delighted to be successful (with the tender),” he said.

“Anglicare has been providing homeless services in Goulburn since 1976 and with this we can continue delivering them within the community.”

Anglicare and St Vincent’s will also partner Southern Youth and Family Services (SYFS) in supporting homeless youth in Goulburn Mulwaree, Upper Lachlan and Yass Valley Shires but will have no practical involvement.

Using $411,000 annually across three years, the program will identify youth at risk of homelessness, provide supported accommodation and help people secure long-term accommodation.

It will also cater for youth with “complex needs” and have a strong focus on Aboriginal clients.

SYFS built a facility catering for young people in Goulburn on the corner of Hume and Combermere Streets several years ago.

MR TREZISE said he was surprised and disappointed by the tender outcome. Vinnies tendered as a consortium and a stand alone organisation for youth, families, men’s and women’s homeless services.

“We thought the consortium model was an attractive proposition but obviously the tender panel thought differently,” he said.

Mr Trezise told the Post in April that if unsuccessful with a tender to provide women’s homeless services, the organisation would have to reassess St Anthony’s continued operation.

“Our board has made no decision but will meet next week to consider the funding of that service, given that Anglicare has won the tender,” he said yesterday.

“A service like that hasn’t been funded before so it’s something new and we’d like to understand more how Anglicare will deliver it.”

If the refuge continued, it would be in such a way it didn’t replicate Anglicare’s model.

Currently the nine-bed facility houses two people and employs two staff. Vinnies has been cautious in taking new clients until it knew the tender outcome.

Meantime, the organisation has been accommodating Kennedy House clients elsewhere.

This will be completed by the end of June.

The announcement ends a long Kennedy House presence in Goulburn.

“It’s very disappointing for us to exit but there will be a continued homeless service in Goulburn albeit under a different model,” Mr Trezise said.