Future uncertain for hundreds of vulnerable people amid group home closure fears

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Hundreds of group homes which house almost two thousand Victorians with a disability, may be forced to close in the new year because of the end of a state government funding agreement. The not-for-profits which run the houses say the situation is dire and are calling on the federal government to step in.

Transcript

00:01Looking forward to Christmas?

00:03Yeah.

00:0447-year-old Paul has a rare genetic disorder

00:07and has lived in his group home in Melbourne's East for eight years.

00:11It's the best house. We have dinner together.

00:17Apart from his family home, it's the only home he's ever known.

00:21The house is tremendous for Paul. It's actually, it's like his second family.

00:27That's what we want. We want a smile.

00:31Across town, residents Karen and Connie love their home too, according to their parents.

00:36Connie has been here almost 20 years.

00:39I know she's well looked after, extremely well looked after,

00:43and we would not be able to do this at home.

00:46But 500 homes like these are at risk of being torn apart.

00:50The state has been topping up their federal NDIS funding to the tune of billions of dollars

00:55because before the NDIS, it used to run them.

00:59But come December 31, the extra funding ends.

01:02The very sad fact is that a number of homes next year will become unviable.

01:08It means hundreds of residents may be forced to go elsewhere.

01:12People will end up in their ED because there's nowhere else for them to go.

01:15They're going to be lost to a system.

01:17If this house was to close, we would be back to square one.

01:20We will be devastated, quite frankly.

01:23The houses are more expensive to run because there are minimum staffing requirements

01:27and wages not present in other group homes.

01:30Both the NDIS and the state government say they're working with providers,

01:34but won't say if more money will be forthcoming.

01:37What about these human beings?

01:40They are alive. They are people. And they have needs also.

01:45Families and workers are hoping for a Christmas miracle.

01:49And they are centres of 15 down.

01:54And of course, as a nation temple is on the bridge,

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