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Family support services will continue to be offered at Homebuilders in Warkworth, at least in the short term.
Coordinator Quentin Jukes says the level of assistance Homebuilders will be able to provide clients will be drastically reduced, but the service will maintain a presence in the town.
This follows the coalition government’s budget in May, which cut Oranga Tamariki’s commissioning budget for contracting services by $30 million a year. Homebuilders was one of nearly 200 providers to bear the brunt of this decision, losing a contract that provided 70 per cent of its operating budget.
Since learning the news, Homebuilders has been working on a way to survive.
“We will offer shorter blocks of time to support as many people as possible,” Jukes says.
“This will mean people will no longer get the depth of advice previously offered, but we will try to get them supported elsewhere.”
However, he admits this won’t be easy, with community-based support services disappearing nationwide.
Jukes says sadly, four of Homebuilders seven staff will likely lose their jobs.
“These will be really good people who will no longer be available to help in our community.
“And this is happening at a time when demand keeps increasing, as our population grows and social housing and poverty issues continue to complicate what is going on in families and young people’s lives.”
Jukes says Homebuilders has received many messages of support, but there are also a lot of people who are upset and worried about what it will mean.
“Finding replacement funding won’t be easy. It’s going to take a combination of income streams to remain viable. If we can’t make it work, we will have to revisit closing sometime next year.”
If anyone would like to help the service, donations can be made to Homebuilders Family Services at 12-3095-0167279-00
