Gold Coast Charity: St Vincent de Paul opens first store in Southport in six years but office hub plans delayed

Charity St Vincent de Paul has opened its newest Gold Coast shop - but building problems and red tape is hindering the establishment of an office hub next door.

A St Vincent de Paul charity hub designed to help curb homeless issues in Southport is being held back by red tape and building problems.

St Vincent de Paul South Coast executive director Kris Martin announced the project in September last year after the charity paid $4 million for two buildings formerly owned by the fallen FSG.

The Railway St properties were put to the market by FSG administrators FTI Consulting after the disability support provider went into administration in 2018 with debts of $25 million.

At the time, Mr Martin said he intended the premises at No. 16 and No. 20 Railway St to be a model for the region, bringing together services at five locations across the Gold Coast.

Concept image for new St Vincent de Paul South Coast hub on Railway St, Southport.

The No. 16 building was to provide homelessness and family support accommodation, and family, youth, migration, budgeting and legal advice services.

However, St Vincent is still struggling to complete the refurbishment of the building to make it ready for its staff.

Mr Martin said delays were caused by the age of the building and certification and approval issues.

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“This is before COVID-19 put a further delay to the project when tenders were challenging to secure. We are working with a builder to complete the build,” he said.

The charity has made more progress with No. 16’s neighbour, home to the charity’s first Southport shop in six years and support staff and volunteers upstairs.

The 16-18 and 20-22 Railway St properties of failed charity FSG were sold by liquidators to failed disability support provider FSG.

A plan to have a cafe on site has been put on the backburner.

Mr Martin said homelessness was an increasing problem in the Southport CBD.

In the past six months the charity had provided support to 793 people either at risk of or currently homeless, he said.

Of those, 245 were under the age of 16 and 99 were aged over 65.

“Of the 793 people supported, 242 were visited in their homes or where they were living in temporary accommodation, and 204 visited our support centre,” he said.

“Across the Gold Coast, St Vincent de Paul has 11 properties which can house people at risk of or homeless, and as an organisation we can also house people in private rental accommodation.”