The Housing Assistance Relief Trust (HART) is calling on the government to provide special relief measures for non-governmental organisations, including concessions on building materials and reduced municipal rates, as rising fuel prices place additional pressure on organisations supporting vulnerable families.
HART CEO Paserio Furivai says they request the town councils to reduce garbage fees for 32 communities that is home to about 1,000 people.
He says they are also preparing a budget of about $1 million for government, covering capital projects, welfare needs, and operational costs but would be grateful for any assistance.
Furivai has highlighted that families living in HART communities are being forced to make difficult decisions about the quantity and type of food they can afford as rising fuel and food prices place additional strain on already stretched household budgets.
He says many families in HART communities were struggling to provide food for their households even before the recent increases in the cost of living.
Furivai says families who live in HART homes earn below the poverty line, and as the cost of fuel goes up, it leads to an increase in the cost of food items.
He says many residents rely on social welfare payments and supplement their income through odd jobs, leaving them with very limited budgets.
He says that with such a small amount of money available, a lot of sacrifices have to be made.
The HART CEO believes it will really come down to sacrificing some of the things.
Furivai further says they initially felt disappointed that some parents were not placing enough emphasis on their children’s education, even though HART provides kindergarten, primary school, and tuition support, but later realised the issue was linked to financial hardship.
He says their priority is survival, and unless food and other basic needs are addressed, education can only become a priority after that.
Furivai says if basic needs are not met, families will naturally focus on survival before education.
He is also calling on corporate organisations to also lend a helping hand as they did during COVID.
The 2026-2027 National Budget will be announced on the 26th of this month.
