A swathe of service providers from the Northern Territory have become the latest to call on the NT Government to negotiate with the Commonwealth to prevent the closure of Darwin's largest homeless shelter.
The future of the YiSSA Short-Stay Accommodation site on Batten Rd was thrown into limbo in July after the Country-Liberal Party (CLP) Government gave Yilli Rreung Housing Aboriginal Corporation 90 days to vacate the facility following a failure to agree on a price for the property.
The value of the site, which sits on Crown land, has become the centre of a dispute between the CLP Government and the Commonwealth. The accommodation blocks are owned by Ausco and leased to the Northern Territory under a five-year agreement reportedly worth between $2.5 million and $3 million a year.
Yilli Rreung Housing Aboriginal Corporation has previously urged the two parties to continue negotiating after it was revealed the NT Government had rejected a joint-funding model from the Commonwealth.
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On Monday, service providers — including the Darwin Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women's Shelter Indigenous Corporation (DAIWS), the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency (NAAJA), Danila Dilba Health Service and the North Australian Aboriginal Family Legal Service (NAAFLS) — said the closure of the site would put significant strain on emergency and frontline services across Darwin.
"Even worse, some people may have no choice but to stay in situations that are unsafe for them and their children. Others may suffer worsening of health conditions through having no safe place to stay," they argued.
The organisations noted the planned closure was "difficult to reconcile" with the government's recently released homelessness strategy, which in part called for early intervention to prevent homelessness, the delivery of culturally safe services, and strengthening coordination across the homelessness service system.
"The closure of YiSSA, and the refusal to continue negotiations with Aboriginal community-controlled organisations and the Commonwealth Government, directly undermines these objectives."
No plan
Almost two months since the government announced YiSSA would close, and with the site due to shut by October 11, the groups noted that no transition plan had been presented.
The CLP has said it is preparing a contingency plan, which is expected to be released shortly. However, the service groups noted that without a viable alternative, "hundreds of vulnerable Territorians face homelessness within weeks".
Client intake at YiSSA was directed to end on July 27. There are currently 233 people at the facility, including 85 children, while a further 300 people — including almost 90 children — are reportedly on the waitlist.
The Northern Territory has the highest rate of homelessness in the country, at almost 12 times the national average. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people comprise 87 per cent of the Territory's homeless population.
Federal Minister for Indigenous Australians Malarndirri McCarthy says there was "no transition plan" for residents of YiSSA when the closure was announced.
"Now, with only a few weeks until the facility closes, there is still no transition plan," she said in a statement. "Hundreds of YiSSA staff and families deserve answers."
Some of the most vulnerable community members
The shutting down of the YiSSA site will have a significant impact on Aboriginal people with complex health and social needs, according to Danila Dilba Health Service CEO Rob McPhee.
"These are some of the most vulnerable people in our community," he said.
"YiSSA provides far more than short-term accommodation. It is a critical connection point for healthcare, housing support, case management and other essential services that help people stabilise their lives."
Mr McPhee, who in July stood down as the independent Aboriginal chair of the Tripartite Forum, argued its closure will result in Danila Dilba's team spending "far more time trying to locate clients across multiple locations, making it harder to provide consistent care and increasing the likelihood that people will end up presenting to emergency departments".
"This will place even greater pressure on hospitals and emergency services that are already operating under significant strain," he added.
DAIWS General Manager Regina Bennett said YiSSA's work was vital to keeping families safe.
"Because of the wait times for public housing, DAIWS relies on YiSSA and Mission Australia to provide a longer-term accommodation whilst families are waiting to be accommodated in the community," she said.
"YiSSA has been operating for the past 6 years. The site is operating really well; staff and tenants have developed strong, positive relationships and work effectively together. They are very anxious to learn the outcome and what it will mean for their future".
Cost dispute
The NT Government has argued Ausco is seeking too much for the accommodation blocks, with Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro ruling out purchasing the site at the reported price, although she declined to reveal the Government's valuation.
"I'm not aware of the exact details, but it's far more than what we think should be paid," she told Mix 104.9 last month, "and we just can't waste people's money irresponsibly like that, and even if the Feds want to, it doesn't mean we'll sign on to that."
Child Protection Minister Robyn Cahill previously said Ausco "would not come to the party", despite the NT government offering a "fair market price in an effort to be able to continue to function at that site".
However, Senator McCarthy last week said Ausco was seeking $6.5 million for the demountable buildings, with the Commonwealth offering $3.5 million and the NT Government contributing $3 million. She urged the NT Government to accept the proposal.
She reiterated on Monday: "The Commonwealth's offer to keep YiSSA open remains on the table."
