The next ACT government has been urged to increase funding to the community sector with new research showing funding has plummeted.
New research released by the ACT Council of Social Service shows that community sector funding has only risen at half the rate of population growth over the past 13 years.
ACTCOSS chief executive Devin Bowles said Canberra's population had increased by 29 per cent between 2010 and 2023 but funding for the community sector had increased by only 15 per cent after adjusting for inflation.
The research showed investment in the community sector had accounted for 3.6 per cent of the total budget in 2009-10, but it had fallen to 2.5 per cent by 2022-23.
ACTCOSS wants investment to increase back to at least 3.6 per cent of total expenditure, which would be millions of dollars more.
Dr Bowles said the ACT government had limited policy levers to help people experiencing poverty and one of those was funding the community sector.
"The community sector and the people it supports are being deprioritised ... we think the new government has a real opportunity to set a new course," he said.
ACTCOSS is calling on the government to ensure funding for the community sector is matched to the population. Dr Bowles said 60 per cent of the members elected to the next Assembly had agreed to an annual population-level adjustment. He said Labor was the only one not to do so but has said the funding would be examined.
Dr Bowles said he hoped it would be a non-negotiable issue in upcoming discussions to form government, especially as organisations were being forced to turn people away.
"It doesn't always get the attention it deserves but addressing poverty is one of the key challenges for government we think it should be a non-negotiable in all negotiations for a future government," he said.
"Organisations are forced to turn people away because they simply don't have the resources to help them. It's also really hard on community sector staff who often do the work for wages much less than what they would get in government."
ACT Greens leader Shane Rattenbury said it would be on the agenda for the party in upcoming discussions with Labor. The party is still trying to determine whether it will be in cabinet or sit on the crossbench.
"We know Canberra has grown a lot in the last decade or so... those people need the services that the community sector provides," he said.
"We need to do something to help them catch up, to enable them to continue to provide the vital services our community needs and certainly that will be on our agenda in any discussions."
Independents for Canberra's Thomas Emerson, who is set to be elected in Kurrajong, said there needed to be more investment in people.
"This report lays bare our long-term under-investment in the critical services needed to support some of the most vulnerable members of our community," he said.
"The incoming Assembly has a choice to make when it comes to tackling disadvantage in our city. Let's make the right choice."
