Battle to end homelessness breaks new ground in Queensland
The last month has been a busy and exciting one for Queensland’s homelessness team.
Aaron Pimlott, Queensland State Manager for Homelessness, said the team “broke ground” in the City of Moreton Bay, “delivering a homelessness support hub, called the Peninsula Support Hub, in collaboration with the State Government, on 25 June”.
Mayor Peter Flannery, Yvette D’Ath MP and Cr Karl Winchester attended the ceremony, 60km north of Brisbane. Also present from The Salvation Army were Major Mark Everitt (Queensland Divisional Commander), Captain Dean Clutterbuck (Corps Officer Redcliffe City), Derek Brown (Qld Team Leader, Strategic Partnerships), Beena Saju and Sally-Anne Clark (Regional Homelessness Managers) and Amy Matthews (Mission Team Leader, North Brisbane, Caboolture and Sunshine Coast).
“The new build will provide specialist homelessness support, which our amazing team will deliver on,” Aaron continued. “We will also be joined onsite by the Breakfast Club and together provide much-needed assistance for those at risk of becoming homeless or those experiencing homelessness.”
Social housing land purchase
Aaron also shared that The Salvation Army is set to expand its social housing stock after purchasing land at Kangaroo Point, a Brisbane inner-city location just across the Brisbane River from the CBD.
“I am beyond excited to share this news and to celebrate with our team and across the sector this significant achievement and milestone as we continue our mission to end homelessness.
“People who are experiencing homelessness or who are at risk of becoming homeless need sustainable housing that is affordable and inclusive of support to sustain their tenancies. That’s how we end homelessness.” – Aaron Pimlott, Queensland State Manager for Homelessness
“The secured land will one day become home to dozens of families and individuals facing homelessness. The land represents the first investment in social housing in inner-Brisbane by The Salvation Army since the sale of the Pindari property at Spring Hill in 2022.”
Aaron said that this is an important step towards providing more housing options for those struggling in and around the inner-city.
“People who are experiencing homelessness or who are at risk of becoming homeless need sustainable housing that is affordable and inclusive of support to sustain their tenancies. That’s how we end homelessness. We are very excited to announce the purchase of this site in helping us achieve this goal.”
Housing first
Post-pandemic, The Salvation Army has been strategically moving towards a ‘Housing First’ approach, moving away from future crisis and short-term accommodation options and focusing new initiatives towards long-term and permanent social housing solutions with appropriate tailored support.
“After the sale of Pindari, we have been actively seeking suitable development sites near the city to help us achieve our mission of increasing social housing in Brisbane,” said Aaron. “Further capital funding still needs to be sought to construct at least 60 social dwellings and we are confident of securing this in the near future so we can begin construction.
“The Salvation Army has an ambitious plan to build hundreds of new social housing units across the state, with new developments underway or being planned for Cairns, Rockhampton, Bundaberg, Toowoomba and the Gold Coast.”
