Gordon Ballard shares his story on homelessness and effects of the current housing crisis on Sunshine Coast

A Sunshine Coast resident has shared his experience of living on the street to now renting a unit complex in Maroochydore as the current housing crisis continues.

Sunshine Coast man Gordon Ballard is no stranger to the disjointed lifestyle that comes with living on the street as a homeless man.

The 49-year-old has experienced it first hand living out of his van for the past seven years.

Mr Ballard, who had hopped around and lived in places such as Byron Bay, Port Macquarie and Coffs Harbour previously, said he eventually found his way to the Sunshine Coast.

“The engine on my van was on its last legs so I parked up in Mooloolaba with everything I had and decided to see what would come from it all,” he said.

“One day the ranger told me I had to move on and I told him my situation so he got me onto the Sunshine Coast Council who then put me on to the Pathway to Housing program through IFYS.”

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The Sunshine Coast Daily has launched the Locked Out campaign to shine the light on the lack of affordable housing in the region.

Mr Ballard said he had given up his dreams of living in public housing a long time ago.

“I was priced out of the rental and housing market and every time I had gone in to ask about getting a place they would say it would be at least 5-10 years,” he said.

“I didn't want to waste their time trying to help me because I didn’t know what the next day would look like to be honest.

“With the help of IFYS I ended up getting a room at the Sports Hub where I stayed for 10 months and it was the first time in a long time that I’d lived indoors with a TV, hot water, air conditioning, sufficient meals and all the rest of it.”

IFYS executive manager of community services Vicky Meyer has worked in the housing and homelessness sector on and off for over 25 years. Picture: Patrick Woods

IFYS Executive Manager Vicky Meyer has worked in the housing and homelessness sector on and off for over 25 years and said there were many factors contributing to the current housing crisis.

“We are experiencing increased property prices and rents, limited housing stock and lengthy time frames to construct, with material and labour shortages,” she said.

“There’s an unprecedented shortage of safe and affordable accommodation which is impacting individuals and families across the Coast, many of whom have never had to seek assistance to obtain or retain housing.”

Mr Ballard was eventually offered a job from Raw Group director Clayton Williams as a cellarman for the Duporth Tavern in Maroochydore.

The now landscaper, said he’d been working for a while before he received the call to say he had somewhere to call home.

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Mr Ballard jumped at the opportunity and said he’d been living in a unit in Maroochydore for the past three months.

“It’s almost as if I won the lotto or those... housing raffles,” he said.

“I had come to the decision a long time ago that I would never ever have a house or a place to call my own.

“Having a base where I can shut the door to after living on the street is just insane to me.

“I couldn't be happier and I can't thank the support of IFYS, Clayton Williams, Scott Hipwell, the Salvation Army and the help of the Sunshine Coast Council enough.”

Ms Meyer said they were experiencing rising numbers of individual and family homelessness and the group was unable to respond fast enough at present but it was “heartening” to see more of a focus on homelessness by government.