World first housing report to tackle homelessness as Olympics approach

Queensland is bracing for the 2032 Olympic Games but there is growing concern over one important factor.

A “world first” annual report aimed at monitoring the housing market and homeless response in Brisbane leading up to the 2032 Olympics and Paralympic Games to help the government is set to be released on Tuesday.

Homelessness providers have warned the crisis could get worse if there is not proper planning ahead of the Olympics.

QShelter has partnered with researcher AHURI to monitor displacement rates for homeless people and the impact on renters in a series of reports that will be released annually in order to understand trends to help end homelessness.

The report will start a baseline which will help the response before the 2032 games.

Among the project partners are Salvation Army, Micah Projects, Communify, In Community and Brisbane Youth Service.

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Homeless tents in Brisbane. Picture: Liam Kidston

The report so far outlines that Gold Coast had the highest median rental for a two-bedroom flat followed by Brisbane then the Sunshine Coast.

While Brisbane’s vacancy rate has been below the weighted average of Australian Capital Cities.

The providers warned without proper planning there could be more housing insecurity and homelessness saying those in temporary accommodation should be monitored before the games.

“The international spotlight will be on Queensland in the lead-up to 2032, and we have an

incredible opportunity to position Brisbane and Queensland as the first Olympic and Paralympic host that has ended and not worsened homelessness,” Q Shelter CEO Fiona Caniglia said.

Tent city in Musgrave Park, South Brisbane. Picture, John Gass

“We know that Brisbane’s Urban Renewal Program in the 1990s caused displacement due to

rapidly declining lower-cost rental housing, fuelled by government-facilitated renewal without

adequate and timely social and affordable housing supplies,” she continued.

The group say the report could help set targets to end homelessness in Queensland by 2032, link displacement monitoring to the governance arrangements for the Olympic Games Delivery.

“Queensland’s housing crisis is in large part due to a lack of long term planning,” Ms Caniglia said.

Fiona Caniglia from Q Shelter Picture: Glenn Campbell

“This report is monitoring housing data in real time so that we can understand the trends and are people being forced to move

“And if they are, can we solve for that in real time, rather than waiting till the games are over and reflecting back that people were forced to move, and we weren’t clear t was happening, and we did nothing about it when it mattered to them.

Ms Caniglia said it was a unique report.

“It’s examining the whole housing system as a baseline to measure every year what the trend is looking like, and that is impacted by the games,” she said.

“I guess what’s different about it is that it’s bringing together data about the whole housing system, inclusive data about social housing supply and about current homelessness.

“We’re examining the private rental market as well and bringing those things together which is unique, because we really say we have to monitor the whole housing market, not just the social and affordable housing end of things.”