Major government boost for Jewish House

JEWISH House has secured a grant from the state government for the next three years.

The funding is part of the Going Home Staying Home homelessness prevention reform being conducted by the state government’s Family and Community Services department, specifically to help 895 people from homelessness per year.

Jewish House general manager Joseph Zammit said: “This is the first time that Jewish House has been successful in achieving recurring government funding for its services and it will go a long way in developing our growth and contributing to further assist people in the eastern suburbs area who are in crisis.”

Jewish House CEO Rabbi Mendel Kastel said the money would go towards providing “a number of specialist staff members” to work closely with other organisations to deliver homelessness services.

“It’s the first time that we’ve been recognised as an official government-recognised organisation for homelessness,” he said.

NSW Family and Community Services Minister Gabrielle Upton commended Rabbi Kastel, the board and all the staff at Jewish House for their “long standing commitment to breaking the cycle of homelessness”.

“Jewish House recognises that the homeless are a part of our community, and that breaking the cycle of homelessness requires community commitment; it requires people helping people,” Upton told The AJN.

The Going Home Staying Home package funds $445 million worth of work over three years to tackle homelessness across the state, with an increased focus on early intervention.

Upton said the state government, in partnership with the specialist homelessness service sector, is acting to prevent homelessness, rather than just respond to it.

“Importantly, our reforms put the client at the centre of the response, just like Jewish House, rather than trying to fit them to a bureaucracy.”

“We’re very excited about the funding, we’re very grateful to the community who continues to provide support to Jewish House … and look forward to being able to deliver in the coming year,” said Rabbi Kastel.

EVAN ZLATKIS

Gabrielle Upton with homeless couple Shane and Teresa and Rabbi Mendel Kastel. Photo: Nadine Saacks.