‘Kids sleeping in cars’: Build 5000 Qld social homes every year call

Ahead of the housing summit sparked by The Courier-Mail’s Hitting Home series, the government has been urged to build 5000 social homes to help mums “choosing to cop physical abuse so her kids don’t have to sleep in a car”.

Community service providers have demanded that the state government commit to delivering substantially more social and affordable housing ahead of this week’s landmark housing summit.

Queensland Council of Social Service chief executive Aimee McVeigh said more than 10,000 Queenslanders were fronting up to specialist homelessness services every month asking for help.

She made a renewed pitch for the government to boost their public housing strategy, by building 5000 social homes every year over the next decade in the lead-up to Brisbane 2032.

Queensland Council of Social Service chief executive Aimee McVeigh. Picture: David Clark

The government plans to start construction on an extra 6365 homes by 2025 – which the state’s Auditor-General has warned will not be enough to keep up with the surging demand for housing.

“Heading to the housing summit, people living in cars, tents and motel rooms, young and old people couch-surfing, and people sleeping on the street must be front of mind,” Ms McVeigh said.

“The young mum couch-surfing with her newborn. The mum choosing to cop physical abuse so that her kids don’t have to sleep in a car.

“The retail workers, security guards and cleaners who have jobs, but no house available to go to.”

Wesley Mission Queensland’s Michelle Skinner said their organisation had seen double-income families that had never needed help before struggling to find affordable and safe housing.

People sleeping on the street “must be front of mind” at the housing summit, says Queensland Council of Social Service chief executive Aimee McVeigh. Picture: iStock

“While the housing summit is a step in the right direction and will be a great opportunity for collaboration, it is important that the focus remains on those who are experiencing homelessness and incredible stress due to the lack of secure and affordable housing,” she said.

Anglicare Central Queensland housing and homelessness manager Adam Klaproth has also called on the government to ensure there is regional representation at Thursday’s housing summit.

“What works in the densely populated South East corner of Queensland does not transfer to our communities,” he said.

“We need regional responses to this crisis and who better to develop and deliver those than the people living and operating in these communities.”

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk will chair the summit, which she called following The Courier-Mail’s Hitting Home series.