Another reprieve for Bloodwood hostel

A South Hedland hostel poised to shut its doors at the end of the year received a Christmas miracle, in the form of a last-minute six-month reprieve from the Federal Government.

Bloodwood Tree Association’s short-term crisis accommodation facility Bunara Maya has been battling to stay open since last March, after missing out on Federal Government funding under the Indigenous Advancement Strategy.

However, the Federal Minister for Indigenous Affairs Nigel Scullion gave the hostel emergency funding last June that was due to expire on December 31.

But only days before Christmas, a spokesman for the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet said the Commonwealth would provide more than $100,000 of additional funding to support the operation of the hostel until June 30.

“Our primary concern has and continues to be to ensure residents continue to receive accommodation support…contingent on the WA government continuing to make the facility available,” he said.

“The six months’ funding will give Bloodwood Tree Association further time to secure long-term funding through the WA Government or from another source, given that homelessness, housing and tenancy support are primarily matters for state and territory governments.”

Bloodwood Tree Association assistant chief executive Bob Neville welcomed the funding but said the hostel could not continue to operate on “piecemeal funding.”

He said State and Federal Governments should be doing more to partner with agencies like Bloodwood to provide long-term solutions to address the cycle of homelessness in Hedland.

“What we need is to develop a five to 10-year outcome-based and fully funded plan to address these issues,” he said.

“We simply don’t have the manpower to address the homelessness crisis without more resources; the key is getting all the departments to work together for the betterment of the community.

“We are currently working with the Federal Government, WA Department of Housing and WA Mental Health Commission to bring about some sustainable funding for a suite of holistic services to get better outcomes for indigenous people.

“If we can keep just one person off the street or out of prison then that’s a good outcome and it saves the taxpayer a considerable amount of money.”

Mr Neville said Bloodwood Tree Association’s ultimate goal would be to set up a Transitional Housing program for clients battling drug and alcohol addictions to ready them for home ownership in public housing.

He said he would fly to Perth at the end of January to meet with Government ministers to discuss the future of the Bunara Maya hostel.