Wesley Mission Queensland welcomes historic homelessness funding boost

Media Release

Wesley Mission Queensland (WMQ) has welcomed the Queensland Government’s landmark homelessness funding announcement, the largest in the state’s history, as a transformative step toward ending homelessness and strengthening essential services.

Announced ahead of this week’s state budget, the almost $600 million funding package includes $365 million for crisis accommodation and head-leasing initiatives, and more than $200 million to uplift specialist housing and homelessness services across Queensland.

Shane Beacall WMQ Director Living Well said the investment comes at a critical time.

“This is the single biggest investment in homelessness services Queensland has ever seen. With over 52,000 Queenslanders on the social housing wait list (refer to the Government's Media Statement), this sort of funding can’t come soon enough, and we’ve seen this demand firsthand,” Mr Beacall said.

Over the past 12-months, since receiving a 20% increase in funding agreements, WMQ has experienced:

• An increase in enquiries for services (6%), number of people assisted (45%), hours of services delivered to community totalling 58,819 hours (12%)
• A total of 30,955 bed nights of accommodation provided directly to the community, excluding hotel/motel accommodations brokered under the Immediate Housing Response (IHR) program (hotel/motel accommodation)
• An 86% success rate in successfully transitioning people into safe, secure, and stable accommodation.

WMQ operates three Supporting Those at Risk of Homelessness (STARH) programs which aim to intervene to sustain an existing tenancy to prevent experiences of homelessness. These programs coverGold Coast, Logan and Redlands and Ipswich and surrounds.

Mr Beacall said the top reasons people report having to access WMQ services are housing affordability, financial stress and the housing crisis, resulting in evictions, insecure housing or homelessness. Another reason is due to lack of family or community support, which further demonstrates that without WMQ services, many more people would struggle on their own.

“At Wesley Mission Queensland, we’ve seen demand for housing assistance surge alongside a record increase in referrals to our STARH, Youth Foyer, and Emergency Relief services over the past 12 months,” Mr Beacall said.

This funding will positively change so many lives. We’ve seen housing affordability as the number one reason people access our services, with requests increasing by 72% over the past year.

"Financial stress has risen by 94% and while homelessness crisis referrals have decreased by 11%, it remains in the top three reasons people are seeking services. We believe this reduction is a result of the additional government investment in immediate housing response funds to house people in emergency accommodation options.

This funding would allow WMQ to continue delivering critical services, , improve coordination across programs, and expand the support available for people experiencing complex challenges such as mental health issues, trauma, and domestic and family violence.

“We’ve been working hard to address the root causes of homelessness and help people stay in their homes or quickly find a new place to live," Shane said. "The additional funds allow us to recruit and retain qualified staff, deliver higher-quality services, and enhance our prevention and rapid-response capabilities,” Mr Beacall said.

It will also enhance the organisation’s capacity to support people experiencing complex challenges such as mental health issues, trauma, and domestic and family violence, which are all key drivers of homelessness.

“Our work not only supports individuals but benefits the entire community by preventing homelessness and ensuring those at risk are stabilised,” Mr Beacall said. “Research shows that investing in housing and support for young people saves the government $172,000 per person, providing a return of $6 for every $1 invested". (view report 'The social and econoic impact of Youth Foyers' - PDF 2.75MB).

“This is a turning point. There’s no secret that there is an affordable housing supply shortage and a need for greater wraparound services where people get food, financial counselling, tenancy support, and mental health referrals in one coordinated place.

“We welcome this investment and look forward to our continuing partnership with government to boost Wesley Mission Queensland services so Queenslanders can have a real pathway out of homelessness,” Mr Beacall said.

Anyone seeking housing or homelessness services are encouraged to contact Wesley Mission Queensland via their website or call 1800 448 448.