Three frontline charity groups are set to receive more than $1 million in funding under Brisbane City Council’s Pathways out of Homelessness program.
Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said Brisbane Housing Company Ltd, the Institute of Urban Indigenous Health Ltd and Youth Advocacy Centre Inc will help further tackle homelessness in Brisbane under the two-year funding agreement with Council, which will be confirmed in next month’s Budget.
“Brisbane is Australia’s fastest growing capital city which means we’re not immune from the housing shortage being experienced nationwide right now,” Lord Mayor Schrinner said.
“This crisis is having a big impact on vulnerable residents who are being pushed out of the private rental market at a time when there’s a chronic shortage of social housing.
“One of the ways our Council is helping to tackle this issue is through our Pathways out of Homelessness Grant Program which I introduced in 2019.
“These grants go to groups who deliver a range of innovative and successful programs that help people experiencing or at risk of homelessness get permanent homes.”
- Brisbane Housing Company Ltd will utilise the expertise of a specialist mobile health provider to deliver bespoke and place-based health services to support residents in community housing with complex health needs.
- Vulnerable First Nations people and families will be supported through care plans using an early intervention model to prepare, establish and maintain their tenancy delivered by the Institute of Urban Indigenous Health Ltd.
- The Youth Advocacy Centre Inc will provide a wrap-around advocacy support program for at risk young people aged 14-19 years to transition to permanent safe housing and access to stable community support.
The Lord Mayor said next month’s Budget will confirm a $1 million commitment to the Pinkenba quarantine facility, in addition to Council’s three-year $3 million Pathways out of Homelessness program.
He wants to see the empty $400 million COVID-19 quarantine centre at Pinkenba repurposed to help give shelter to the city’s homeless population.
“There’s now a million more reasons for the State and Federal governments to get on board with opening the Pinkenba facility as emergency accommodation,” he said.
“After positive recent discussion, I am confident the State Government will get behind this idea.”
The Lord Mayor said that more than 3,700 Brisbane residents had been supported by Pathways out of Homelessness since the program began.
The announcement follows Council’s Homeless Connect event yesterday, which has helped almost 20,000 of Brisbane’s most vulnerable residents since 2006.
Homeless Connect delivers free services and support, such as haircuts, health care and immunisation, as well as vital items to people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
More than 800 people attended the event at the Brisbane Showgrounds, exceeding last year’s numbers. There were more than 1,900 meals, 317 health consultations, 26 pallets of food, 15 pallets of clothes and five pallets of shoes given to those in need; while 200 haircuts were given, and 2,200 bags of food and toiletries were handed out to guests at the event.
A range of services are also offered at the event, including medical and allied health care professionals such as doctors, dentists, optometrists, podiatrists, and massage therapists.
