By Deanne Jeffers
LOCAL neighbourhood houses are warning they may be forced to cut services or close altogether after missing out on critical food relief funding just weeks before Christmas, at a time when demand for help is surging.
The funding shortfall prompted State Member for Shepparton District Kim O’Keeffe to call on the State Government to guarantee support for neighbourhood houses in the 2026 State Budget, including a 25 per cent increase in core funding.
Mooroopna Education and Activity Centre (MEAC) manager Jan Phillips said community houses across the region were facing mounting pressure, with rising costs and funding that has failed to keep pace.
“Historically, funding covered around 80 per cent of our costs. Now it’s closer to 50-50,” she said. “That gap has to be absorbed somewhere, and you simply can’t keep running at a loss.”
Ms Phillips said neighbourhood houses were experiencing growing demand for food relief, social connection and support services, particularly during the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.
“When people can’t feed their families and are going hungry, the need is very real,” she said. “Every day we see how vital these services are and losing them would be devastating.”
Ms O’Keeffe said she was appalled that MEAC, along with South Shepparton Community Centre and Nathalia Community Centre, had all missed out on food funding grants, despite being stretched to support families, seniors, jobseekers and vulnerable residents.
“To have local houses miss out on critical funding particularly at this time of year—when demand is skyrocketing, during a cost-of-living crisis, and people desperately needing support—is unacceptable, heartless, and completely out of touch,” she said. “Without increased financial support many houses are at risk of closing their doors.”
Neighbourhood Houses Victoria’s Keep Our Doors Open campaign, which concluded on Friday, December 5, saw thousands of community members across Victoria write postcards to the Minister for Carers and Volunteers, sharing personal stories about why neighbourhood houses are vital to their communities.
Ms Phillips said neighbourhood houses welcome around 200,000 visitors each week across Victoria, warning that if even a portion of centres were forced to close, tens of thousands of people would lose access to essential services and community connection.
Ms O’Keeffe has delivered postcards collected across the Shepparton District to Parliament, urging the Minister to read the messages and commit to fair, sustainable funding for neighbourhood houses.
