The ACT Council of Social Service (ACTCOSS) welcomed funding in the ACT Budget for housing, homelessness, mental health, and expanded energy concessions. However, ACTCOSS wants to work with the ACT Government to explore where increasing service delivery by non-profit community organisations would enhance the Government’s return on investment.

“The ACT Government has delivered significant investments in community infrastructure, workforce, and services in the 2023-24 ACT Budget,” Dr Devin Bowles, ACTCOSS CEO, said. “Funding for public housing, and homelessness services are also responding to urgent demand in the face of both housing and cost of living crises for our community. We congratulate the ACT Government for making positive investments in our community.

“The Budget has gone some way in funding supports for vulnerable Canberrans through the expansion and increase of utilities concessions, and investment in the Sustainable Household Scheme to reflect broader eligibility. However, with the exception of housing, the great majority of this investment appears to be an expansion of Government rather than in front line community services run by trusted non-profit organisations.

“Each time the ACT Government makes an investment to deliver better outcomes to Canberrans, we would like to see it engage with the community sector to assess whether that investment would be best directed through the community sector.

“The community sector already has strong, trusted relationships with the community, including those most in need, and is often best placed to deliver services.”

The Budget included previously announced measures of $345 million to grow and maintain affordable and public housing, $20 million for homelessness services, $98 million for community facilities, $15 million for funding community sector indexation, and $28 million for mental health response services.

ACTCOSS welcomed:

• $55.9 million for 140 new public housing dwellings
• $37.78 million over four years for cost-of-living support for Canberrans on low incomes
• $430,000 in 2023-24 to increase support for refugees and asylum seekers with essential living costs
• $80 million over two years to expand the Sustainable Household Scheme

ACTCOSS also welcomed increases to the taxi subsidy scheme; investments in the implementation of the Next Steps for Our Kids Strategy; and significant funding for programs to improve justice outcomes in the ACT.

• ACT 2023-24 Budget ‘builds towards the future’ (27 June)
• ACT Budget: Immediate relief for homeless (20 June)
• ACT Government’s Budget aims to tackle rental crisis (21 June)
• ACT Budget: More funding for community sector (26 June)
• ACT Budget: $28 million for mental health (15 June)

However, ACTCOSS believes that the Budget includes several gaps: a lack of investment in the Disability Strategy and Disability Health Strategy, and limited investment in alcohol and other drug services.

ACTCOSS is also concerned by the lack of commitment for the long-awaited Review of the Targeted Assistance Strategy.

Further, while encouraged the government had not increased fees, ACTCOSS stated that there were no advancements made towards much needed, better targeted public transport concessions.

“The programs and services lacking funding in this Budget are reflective of the need for ongoing collaboration and codesign processes between the Government and the community sector to prevent vulnerable and disadvantaged Canberrans from slipping through the cracks,” Dr Bowles said.

“Ensuring a fair share of public funding is allocated to community sector frontline services is essential to seeing improved community wellbeing, safety, and justice.

“We look forward to seeing the commitments made in the ACT Budget implemented through continued collaboration between the community sector and ACT Government to ensure improved outcomes for those struggling through the cost-of-living crisis.”