Housing strategy forum to meet at Cairns Showground
Huddling under an old tarp rolling scavenged cigarette butts on top of an upturned milk crate, homeless man Norman Walker has no idea about a forum next month to help guide a 10-year housing strategy.
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Huddling under an old tarp rolling scavenged cigarette butts on top of an upturned milk crate, homeless man Norman Walker has no idea about a Cairns forum next month to help guide a 10-year housing strategy.
Setting up camp on the bank of Smiths Creek behind the new Screen Queensland studio in Portsmith, Mr Walker is eking out an existence living day-to-day relying on the support of Cairns homelessness services.
He is one of the estimated 3000 Cairns homeless people sleeping rough in bush camps, living in cars and couch surfing.
On September 12, a forum to be held at the Cairns Showground, will invite local input on the National Housing and Homelessness Plan.
The plan will be a 10-year strategy outlining a shared vision to inform future housing and homelessness policy in Australia, according to the federal government.
Mr Walker fell into homelessness following the death of his son in March but had come to a place of acceptance about his daily struggle.
“I’ve learnt to live with it, it’s just going through the process and trying to live with it,” he said.
“I’ve been backsliding, going house-to-house and now I’m at the doorway, lying here thinking about my choices.
“I’ve got a good heart but these are the cards that are dealt to me.”
Mr Walker said he had the option to drop into Wheels of Wellness for a shower and relied on a free feed put on by Rosies – Friends on the Street at Barlow Park, but crisis accommodation options for single blokes were limited.
In an acknowledgment of the housing crisis gripping the nation the 2023-24 state budget delivered $4.25m in food and emergency relief, including $3.3m to extend and expand emergency relief throughout Queensland.
An additional $322m has been pledged to build 500 new social homes throughout the state.
And national cabinet earlier this month agreed to strengthen renters’ rights across the country and increase a national new home build target of 1.2 million properties over a five-year period.
QShelter chief executive Fiona Caniglia said a National Planning Reform Blueprint, aimed at fast-tracking land release and new housing approval pathways, was a positive.
But uncertainty remained about caps on rental increases for existing private tenants.
“This remains an area of major concern in a rental market where supply is restricted, and renters in the lowest two income quintiles face insurmountable barriers to finding, getting, and keeping a home,” she said.
The need for a roof over Mr Walker’s head every night has come to the attention of Cairns Regional Council lifestyle and community director Destry Puia who said his team was working with agencies to help relocate the group camped by Smiths Creek.
“We need to remember that we are talking about people, each of whom has their set of individual circumstances,” he said.
“As a matter of practice, in the first instance, council looks to educate and offer assistance through the support of our social service partners, while balancing the concerns of surrounding residents.”
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Originally published as Housing strategy forum to meet at Cairns Showground
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