News and Media
Here you’ll find news, announcements, and media releases from ACTCOSS and the Gulanga Program, along with major community sector news.
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COVID-19 Update No.11, 5 May 2020
Key Updates Submissions to the select committee on the COVID-19 response are ongoing and still being accepted. Individuals and organisations are still able to make a submission. ACT Government announcements on: Additional support for the VET sector and VET students. Community service organisations to benefit from community facility upgrades and maintenance. ACTCOSS COVID-19 Advocacy ACTCOSS […]
Take the annual ACTCOSS Stakeholder Survey!
Our annual ACTCOSS stakeholder survey is now open! It may take up to 15 minutes to do – we would really appreciate you taking the time to fill it out. You can give us as much information as you want to share or have time for. We would greatly value your feedback on ACTCOSS’s performance […]
COVID-19 Update No.2 for Organisations Supporting Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) Communities, 1 May 2020
Welcome to the second edition of our CALD-focused newsletter. Information develops daily concerning COVID-19, and to support your important work, we are sharing some useful resources and links to assist organisations supporting culturally and linguistically diverse communities. If you would like us to get answers to particular issues or if you have information to share, […]
Media release: Housing report highlights need to maintain JobSeeker increase
The ACT Council of Social Service (ACTCOSS) today highlighted the importance of maintaining increased levels of income support and called for more government action to address the shortage of affordable housing in the ACT following the release of data on rental affordability in Canberra. Anglicare’s 2020 Rental Affordability Snapshot data on the ACT and Queanbeyan […]
COVID-19 Update No.10, 29 April 2020
Key Updates Moratorium on evictions: The moratorium on evictions related to COVID-19 is now in force. The Declaration (pdf) and Explanatory Statement (pdf) are available. The ACT Government’s COVID-19 resources site includes factsheets for tenants (pdf), landlords (pdf), and real estate agents (pdf) which reference the moratorium. Support for people on temporary visas: The ACT […]
Joint statement: ACT community services support National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services’ COVID-19 policy statement
The ACT Council of Social Service (ACTCOSS) has united with the Women’s Centre for Health Matters, the Women’s Legal Centre ACT and Professor Lorana Bartels to support the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services’ (NATSILS) COVID-19 policy statement and to call for its implementation in the ACT. The NATSILS statement calls on government, the […]
COVID-19 Update No.9, 23 April 2020
Key Updates Support for people facing homelessness or domestic and family violence arising from the COVID-19 pandemic: The ACT Government has announced $3 million in funding for client support ($330,000); accommodation support ($832,000); responding to domestic and family violence ($550,000); and provider support ($1 million). ACTCOSS will distribute more information once it is received. Jobs […]
COVID-19 Update No.8, 17 April 2020
Key Updates Information to support landlords and tenants: the ACT Government’s COVID-19 resources site now includes factsheets for tenants (pdf), landlords (pdf), and real estate agents (pdf) in relation to their rights during COVID-19. If you would like to flag issues affecting your organisation or vulnerable communities, please get in touch with ACTCOSS through our […]