Representatives from neighbourhood houses across the northern suburbs have handed petitions to their local members of parliament calling for funding to keep the doors of these vital community spaces open.
On Friday 28 November, Creeds Farm Living and Learning Centre manager Antoinette Ioannou handed a collection of signatures to Thomastown MP Bronwyn Halfpenny.
Ms Ioannou said she was proud of the collection of signatures and messages even if there was only enough to fit into a child’s toy trailer.
“Our community really did get behind us, everybody signed the postcards,” she said.
“A lot of people have said ‘you can’t shut it down, we bring our kids here’”.
Keep Our Doors Open is a statewide campaign calling for a 25 per cent increase in funding for neighbourhood houses.
Ms Ioannou said she has had to start charging people for programs to pay for administration and wages.
“I’m not doing this for the love of wages… it was my dream to work in the community,” she said.
Ms Ioannou said she often works outside of opening hours to apply for grants.
“I have been trying to apply for a grant to extend the building for more storage space… 25 hours a week isn’t enough,” she said.
Ms Ioannou said the hallways are so crowded with equipment that she is worried people won’t be able to get out if there is a fire.
“My biggest fear is tables falling on the kids,” she said.
Thomastown Neighbourhood House (TNH) manager Liz Skitch said the demand for local community services had risen.
“Neighbourhood houses are needed more than ever,” Ms Skitch said.
Ms Skitch said TNH works to bring diverse groups of people together in a safe environment where they can overcome hardship.
“I work around the clock and only get paid for 21 hours a week, this is not sustainable,” she said.
Ms Halfpenny accepted the petition from Creeds Farm and said the state government supported neighbourhood houses.
“We know how much [they] do with very little,” she said.
“Five or six years ago we increased and standardised opening hours across Victoria.”
Ms Halfpenny said she will give the petitions to the Carers and Volunteers Minister Ros Spence.
Neighbourhood Houses Victoria (NHV) chief executive officer, Keir Paterson, said half of the neighbourhood houses in the state have been running at a loss for two years.
“The number of programs and opening hours have been cut to the bare minimum,” he said.
Mr Paterson said a 25 per cent increase in funding would return the sector to the financial position it enjoyed 10 years ago.
The NHV 2024 annual report found that without this funding increase, the value lost to the community would amount to $230 million.
“We will see neighbourhood houses close because they can’t afford to continue running,” he warned.
A spokesperson said the state government provides funding to more than 400 neighbourhood houses to the tune of $43 million per year and a further $9 million for neighbourhood house food relief programs.
According to the state government future funding proposals will be subject to the 2026/27 budget process.
