A Logan charity is sounding alarms on the homelessness crisis in Logan City, calling on Logan City Council and the State Government to build a homeless shelter in Logan.
Anita Anderson, founder of Touch of Hope, a charity that has been supporting the homeless since 2017, said there was currently nowhere for homeless families in the region to go.
“ We need somewhere for the homeless people to go. There’s no shelters here. There’s nowhere for these people to go,” Mrs Anderson said.
“So this is why you see them sleeping in doorways and sleeping outside empty buildings. There’s nowhere for these people to go.”
A quick Google search shows only one homeless shelter in Logan, Sheltered by Grace at Waterford.
Mrs Anderson said she hosted a street feed every Thursday on the corner of Ewing and Wembley roads at Logan Central and provided necessities to 100-150 homeless people every week, but lamented she couldn’t provide adequate shelter.
She is calling on the council or State Government to build a dedicated shelter to provide accommodation for homeless families.
“We can give these people food, give them a tent, clothing, or toiletries, but, we can’t give them a roof over their heads,” Mrs Anderson said.
“In years to come, this isn’t gonna get any better unless there’s somewhere for these people to go. The cost of living’s high, rent is very, very high.”
Mrs Anderson said the problem has been exacerbated in recent times, and anyone could suddenly be homeless at any time
“COVID had a very big impact — a lot of people lost their jobs and it’s escalated from there,” she said.
“The rental crisis isn’t helping. Food skyrocketed, rent skyrocketed and there’s not enough rental homes available.
“Then you’ve got domestic violence, people who have become extremely sick, or living with disabilities.
“That’s pushed people out onto the streets. Homelessness doesn’t discriminate. Anybody at any time can become homeless.”
Kirsten Anderson, co-founder of Touch of Hope and Anita Anderson’s daughter, echoes her mother’s sentiment, recalling how desperate some homeless families are to get shelter they consider splitting up.