The Allan Labor Government is putting neighbourhood house participants front and centre through a new survey to better understand their needs.
Minister for Carers and Volunteers Ros Spence today joined Member for Tarneit Dylan Wight at Grange Community Centre to announce Neighbourhood Houses Victoria will undertake a state-wide survey of people who access their services to gain valuable insights and help inform program improvements.
The survey was last delivered in 2017 and provided the Labor Government and community sector with a more detailed understanding of the different ways Victorians benefit from neighbourhood houses.
The funding will also support a tech upgrade allowing Neighbourhood Houses Victoria to conduct more regular surveys and pave the way for improved data collection. This will help programs across the state to tailor their services and offerings to better meet community needs.
Each neighbourhood house has a unique offering, responding to the needs of the communities they serve. Neighbourhood houses offer programs and activities such as food banks, community gardens, arts and craft classes, health and wellbeing activities, government services, maternal child health and occasional childcare.
Some neighbourhood houses have training and accredited programs to improve job skills and assist people in their career pathways.
The Labor Government provides more than $43 million for Neighbourhood Houses Victoria and the more than 400 neighbourhood houses across the state.
A further $2.5 million was announced in the Victorian Budget 2024/25 to support neighbourhood houses to deliver food relief activities, with more information about these grants to be available in coming months.
As stated by Minister for Carers and Volunteers Ros Spence
"Neighbourhood houses provide a safe place for people to upskill, get creative, give back to their community, and most importantly, create meaningful connections with others."
"We know the true value of the service neighborhood houses provide is immeasurable - it's impossible to quantify the way they can pull someone out of the depths of loneliness and into a welcoming and nurturing environment."
As stated by Member for Tarneit Dylan Wight
"Grange Community Centre does fantastic work and we're making sure they can continue supporting the community."
