Together we are better

Housing affordability and homelessness are two of the main concerns for people living on the Sunshine Coast.

Every person has the right to a safe place to call home.

Ensuring there is support and services for people experiencing homelessness is one of the community’s priorities in Sunshine Coast Council’s refreshed Community Strategy 2019-2041 and the supporting Community Strategy Action Plan 2024-2029.

The strategy seeks to build strong communities that are connected and resilient; healthy and well; vibrant; inclusive; and creative and innovative.

It is one of Council’s three regional strategies, alongside the Regional Economic Development Strategy and the Environment and Liveability Strategy.

The following ideas were suggested by the community as ways we can contribute to housing and homelessness support:

• Volunteer to support people experiencing homelessness.
• Join with others from our community to advocate for more investment in social housing.
• Investigate renting out a spare room.
• Try to learn from people who have had an experience of homelessness.

It’s a complex political, cultural, economic and social issue, that requires a whole of government and community response.

A story of lived experience

“I was a carpenter and I worked around this area and I was struck in the eye with a hammer at work. I went blind in that eye, couldn’t work and I’d been renting and I couldn’t afford to pay the rent.

“I’d say I’ve been living in Caloundra, homeless, probably seven or eight years before I moved into public housing. I have a fridge and a kettle, I have power, I have lights, I have a bathroom.

“So there’s a certainly a lot more self-respect in having accommodation. It was a transition stage to me becoming homeless, and now there’s a transition out of being homeless.”

Sunshine Coast Housing and Homelessness Action Plan

The Sunshine Coast Housing and Homelessness Action Plan 2023 brings together the various activities undertaken by Council to enable housing availability and diversity, reduce housing stress and respond to homelessness in our community.

The purpose of the Housing and Homelessness Action Plan 2023 is to reinforce Council’s commitment to facilitating affordable and diverse housing options and to build our capacity to respond to homelessness and support community-led initiatives.

Initiatives from the action plan include:

• Council funding a Public Space Liaison Officer role to support people experiencing homelessness in public spaces.
• Council developing a Lived Experience Inclusion Project to amplify and elevate lived experience voices to improve understanding and involvement in development of policy and practice. This group is called Street Up .
• Council introducing provision of Amenity Passes for free showers at Aquatic Centres.

How you can help

Be friendly! People living without a home often feel ignored, unseen, misunderstood and judged. Be kind, smile and say hello.

Be educated. Increase your awareness and understanding of causes and impacts of homelessness.

Be active. You can donate or volunteer, join a campaign or community-led initiative.

Be accommodating. Rent out a spare room, granny flat or your holiday house.

Be an advocate. Write to your State Government member calling for more social and affordable housing, emergency shelter options and funding for homelessness services.