Sunshine Coast organisations help homeless
Wed 02 September 2009
Jamie-Leigh Mason, Bachelor of Journalism
Several Sunshine Coast community groups are providing solutions for the region’s increasing population of homeless people.
The Sunshine Coast featured pristine beaches and lush hinterland, but more recently the Coast was also experiencing an increasing population of homeless people.
With the global economic crisis still in significant effect, the homeless population was expected to increase, and the Sunshine Coast needed to prepare for that situation.
Sunshine Coast Regional Council (SCRC) councillor Jenny McKay was involved in a project called “No Place Like Home” which attempted to find solutions to combat the problem of homelessness.
Ms McKay said this project was especially important on the Sunshine Coast in a time of financial uncertainty
“Homelessness affects people from all levels of society and is a growing problem in this current economic crisis,” Ms McKay said.
Salvation Army Noosa centre manager Carol Hilditch had noticed an increase in people who required emergency accommodation.
“We had a huge influx of people who would have never needed crisis accommodation before,” Ms Hilditch said.
This influx of people requiring emergency or crisis accommodation had a substantial effect on the Sunshine Coast.
Sunshine Coast Youth Partnership (SCYP) chief executive officer Jody Tunnicliffe said the Sunshine Coast saw a migration of people that did not have the capacity or the means to actually secure accommodation.
“They come up here for the warm weather and hopefully a better life and what they find when they get here is that accommodation is incredibly expensive and there are no jobs,” Ms Tunnicliffe said.
Integrated Family and Youth Services (IFYS) accommodation services coordinator Maddie Aldwell also raised concerns for youth on the Sunshine Coast who were finding it difficult to secure accommodation.
“There is so much competition for affordable vacancies...Young people who have lost their jobs, or have limited income, do not compare to families or professionals,” Ms Aldwell said.
IFYS statistics indicated that in the last six months, 110 people were given emergency accommodation, either in the shelter or transitional housing.
Although Ms Aldwell was pleased with 110 people securing accommodation, her concerns were that 389 people’s needs remained unmet.
However, the Sunshine Coast did have a number of positive initiatives in place to care for the ever-growing population of homeless people.
The Salvation Army had a program that helped families with children secure suitable and safe accommodation.
“We provide crisis accommodation for 12 weeks and then assist them to find alternative accommodation,” Ms Hilditch said.
Homelessness not only affected those people who found themselves without accommodation, it was an issue for the whole community to deal with.
IFYS was recently associated with the “Our House” project, which provided vital funding for sustainable and affordable accommodation for homeless people.
“A house was built through donations throughout the community and auctioned off,” Ms Aldwell said.
“The money from this has come to IFYS to provide more affordable accommodation.”
The IFYS said its initiatives had also been boosted from additional government funding recently.
“The government has just committed to an injection of extra funds and affordable housing,” Ms Aldwell said.
Ms Tunnicliffe added there was still more funding available and the community could definitely be involved in the process.
“Residents are in a really good position to do that lobbying and try and engage at that level so we get our share of funding,” Ms Tunnicliffe said.
“One of the wonderful things about the Sunshine Coast is this amazing community spirit.”
Other organisations also applauded the community’s involvement in helping the homeless.
Ms Hilditch said the Salvation Army received support from the local community and relied on donations to help people in need.
“The funding comes from the Department of Housing and Communities (DHC), and we rely on the community for donations and with our appeals,” Ms Hilditch said.
Ms Aldwell also said that while the IFYS was also funded by the DHC, it still needed help from the community.
“We are primarily funded through the Department of Housing and Communities. The rest we generate through private sources and donations,” Ms Aldwell said.
Ms Tunnicliffe said she had experienced an overwhelming support from the Sunshine Coast community when it came to helping others.
“Not only do they care but they are actually prepared to contribute and actually do something to assist in those circumstances,” Ms Tunnicliffe said.
Ms Aldwell has called for people to think innovatively when dealing with the problem.
“We need to take responsibility for the housing crisis by thinking outside the box to create opportunities and not rely on the government to provide everything,” Ms Aldwell said.
Ms Tunnicliffe agreed that the Sunshine Coast was in a favourable position to help the homeless population.
“Innovation is what the Sunshine Coast does very well,” Ms Tunnicliffe said.
“If it is going to happen anywhere, it is going to happen on the Sunshine Coast.”
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