Helping people under financial pressure in Western Australia

Four Western Australian organisations will share in almost $1 million to provide more intensive support to people who are under financial pressure.

The Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, Jenny Macklin, today announced the Rudd Government funding while visiting UnitingCare West in Perth.

‘Vulnerable people, including sole parents, young families, refugees and the homeless, can often slip through the cracks and miss out on the services they need,’ Ms Macklin said.

‘This new funding will provide emergency relief to help with people’s immediate needs such as food and clothing, pharmacy and transport vouchers, and help with accommodation and utility bills.

‘It will also help local organisations establish closer links to other support services to provide clients with long-term solutions to overcome disadvantage.’

UnitingCare West will receive $300,000 until June 2011 to help sole parents and young families in Stirling, Joondalup, Wanneroo and Swan.

The organisation will provide emergency relief to help people in immediate crisis but will also provide extra support to help people resolve underlying issues and get their lives back on track.

This will include working with other service providers such as financial counselling, family support, mental health and employment services in the area.

Others organisations to receive additional funding to assist vulnerable people in Western Australia are Anglicare WA, Multicultural Services Centre Inc. and the Salvation Army Property Trust WA.

Anglicare WA will receive $308,000 to help vulnerable sole parents and young families across Gosnells, Armadale, Melville, Cockburn, Kwinana and Rockingham.

The Salvation Army Property Trust WA will receive $189,000 to work with homeless people in inner Perth. And Multicultural Services Centre will receive $189,000 to work with newly arrived humanitarian entrants in north metropolitan Perth, including Joondalup, Wanneroo and Stirling.

This funding boost brings the total Australian Government emergency relief funding for Western Australia to more than $10 million for 2009-11.