04/11/2025
Homelessness in Qld has risen by over 22% in 4 years compared with around 8% nationally .
In the 2023-2024 period nearly 49 000 people in Queensland alone had accessed govt funded support services ,and major support services in Brisbane report that the number of children supported by homelessness services have increased by 48% in a one year timeframe.
At the end of the last financial year nearly 750 children and over 400 families were still waiting for social housing and or emergency crisis accommodation.
In regards to crisis accommodation the government decision, in our state ,is typically to offer short stay motel placements for a general period no longer than 3 days and then humans in crisis are back out on the streets .This bu****it initiative comes at a cost of 1.8 million dollars A MONTH to taxpayers and NEVER HAS and NEVER WILL
BE a viable solution to a homelessness crisis that is escalating at an alarming rate in our city .
Brisbane is experiencing very low rental vacancy rates and rapidly rising rents leaving the majority of households spending 40% of income on a roof over their heads .
Social and affordable housing currently only makes up 3.5% of housing stock in Queensland, inadequate doesn't cut it !
Specialist homelessness services in our city alone have reported case loads increase by over 30% since 2020,and as housing options remain constrained councils have moved to tougher enforcements of public space rulings for people sleeping rough ,threatening fines of $8,065 ,bulldozing encampments ,removing tents and destroying the few worldly possessions people have left .
It is inhumane to be treated in this way .
Move on ? MOVE ON TO WHERE ?
Factors like domestic and family violence,job instability,health issues ( both physical and mental ) and the cost of living are pushing people into precarious housing situations.
Even within the few support services still viably able to help, the combination of limited resources means many ,too many people are waiting indefinitely for stable housing.
With councils enforcing strict rules on public camping without a parallel expansion of alternate accommodation this is simply shifting humanity in crisis with no solution 🤷♂️
Support services are breaking down and more and more people are falling through the cracks ,without strong housing policy interventions this means more people will face homelessness and it's becoming entrenched which will make it harder to reverse .
COMPLETE OVERHAUL OF SYSTEMS IN PLACE NEED TO OCCUR NOW .
Government and city leaders need to rapidly expand social and affordable housing ,put simply, this is a structural solution .
Through subsidies,incentives and regulation, landlords need to improve access to the private rental market for vulnerable households .
The government needs to bolster support for housing transition, physical and mental health care ,drug and alcohol referral services, financial counselling and domestic and family violence support networks ,given the rising caseloads .
Policies that are focused on 'managing 'visible homelessness in parks and other public spaces must be paired with GENUINE housing pathways not move on orders.
In Dec 2024 the waitlist for social housing in Brisbane was 47 820 people ...by March of this year the register had reached 52 000 and half of the people on the March register are classified homeless or at high risk of homelessness.
Qld applicants for social housing are routinely told it's around a 2+ year wait ,but I personally know people that have been waiting for over 6 years .
An ever growing social housing list ,already over 50 000 ,is indicative of the massive unmet demand for secure and subsidised housing .
Again I say move on ? MOVE ON TO WHERE ?!
