We need your help.
Around 400 neighbourhood houses are funded by the Victorian State Government through the Neighbourhood House Coordination Plan (NHCP) to provide all the activities and events you know (and enjoy) in both urban and rural communities across Victoria - amazing services and support uniquely targeted at and for each local community and its needs.
This ‘base funding’ as we often refer to it, was first devised back in the last century (that makes me feel old!) with an 80/20 split - 80% covered the costs of the Executive Officer/Manager salary AND 20% contributed to operating costs. Unfortunately, over time this funding has not kept up with staffing costs OR operating costs. Today the funding we get from the State Government doesn’t cover the award salary costs to employ the Executive Officer/Manager, let alone contribute to operating costs … which means ALL neighbourhood houses are scrounging around for additional money year in and year out to keep the doors open.
Many houses are now at breaking point. Nearly half of all houses in Victoria have recorded a loss for two years running. Years of progressively less funding compared to actual costs has seen houses having to limit staff, stretch resources, cut hours and reduce programs - just to turn on the lights.
This October and November all neighbourhood houses across Victoria are campaigning for additional ‘base funding’ to be included in the 2026 State Budget. In particular we are calling on the State Government to increase the NHCP rate by 25% (an additional $11.7M annually). This increase is the minimum required to restore funding to sustainable levels (eg. back to an approximate of what it was with the 80/20 split).
YOU CAN HELP! When you are next here please sign a postcard. We are hoping that if each house can collect 100 signed postcards then we’ll able to deliver 40,000 postcards in person to our local members to have a conversation about how ace neighbourhood houses are (which of course they already know) and why we need additional funding support … and we’ll ask them to then forward the postcards from their local constituents (you) on to the relevant Minister, Ros Spence MP. We’re hoping that the collective voices of everyday Victorians through our informed local parliamentarians might influence the funding allocated for neighbourhood houses from the State Government into the future.
And then we will keep our fingers and toes crossed.
In the mean time we look forward to your help when you are next here. Please complete a postcard and drop it in the box in the foyer. It will take like 30 seconds tops!
Thanks Leanne
