Southport homeless camp: State government to start rapid critical response teams on the Gold Coast

A crack team will be brought in to help deal with the Gold Coast’s homelessness crisis in the aftermath of a growing camp being set up in Southport.

A critical response team has been launched to reach out to the homeless in the wake of a new campsite expanding in the heart of Southport and huge demand for welfare services.

The state government on Wednesday announced the team will work with the local homelessness network using a van to regularly visit “hot spots” where people are rough sleeping and offer rapid support to help them find accommodation.

It is part of a 20 per cent boost by the state in funding for homelessness services.

The team is based on the success of Brisbane’s inner-city Critical Response Team

which was established last year and has helped close to 800 people find safe

accommodation.

A homeless camp at Broadwater Parklands. Picture Glenn Hampson

Team leaders confirmed that they spoken to the homeless at the CBD park, checking on medical needs along with the “paper work” to link them to services and accommodation.

“There has been some outreach done to the Southport area, and we will continue to outreach to that area with our specialist services,” a team leader said.

Alongside the new team, which started work this week, the department has also signed up the community-based Gold Coast Zero homelessness group as a collaborator.

An initiative of the local homelessness network, the government says it will ensure greater collaboration between organisations working towards ending homelessness.

Housing Minister and Gaven MP Meaghan Scanlon made the announcement about the new van service at the Connect 2 Home-Homeless Connect promotion where thousands of people on Wednesday accessed serviced providers at People First Stadium at Carrara.

Ms Scanlon said the government’s Our Homes for Queenslanders plan was not just building one million homes – it would provide critical funding towards ending homelessness.

Gaven MP and Housing Minister Meaghan Scanlon announcing — announcing new homeless response.

“The new team will be out in their van every day on the Gold Coast offering people a

safe place to stay, wraparound support and longer-term housing,” she said.

“It adds to record funding to tackle homelessness through our Homes for

Queenslanders plan, including a 20 per cent increase for our hardworking

homelessness organisations.

“This is all at risk however, under the LNP who cut social housing when in

Government and just last year voted against investment in 30,000 social and

affordable homes.”

Earlier this week, a resident in a complaint to council has warned the growing homeless camp in Carey Park poses a safety risk with a children’s playground nearby.

A resident, who asked not to be named, provided an aerial map to The Bulletin showing the camp’s location on the Gold Coast Highway opposite the Broadwater Parklands.

The City is being warned that a growing homeless camp in Carey Park poses a safety risk with a children's playground nearby at Broadwater Parklands. Picture Glenn Hampson

“The police visited the encampment last week around Thursday – but it has grown significantly since then and growing every day,” the resident said. “There are homeless shelters around Southport but I suspect the drug and alcohol policies are what stop these people using them.

“It is disturbing that it is allowed to persist for so long right across the road from a children’s playground. We seem to be turning into downtown LA or San Francisco, where billions are spent and the problem just keeps getting worse.

“All those governments seem to be doing is creating a homeless industrial complex which just soaks up all the money.”

Area councillor Brooke Patterson is waiting to get information from the administration on what will happen next with the site.

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