Last week was Homelessness Week and I want to speak directly to the heart of an issue that concerns many of our residents.
Like almost everywhere else in South-East Queensland and Australia, the City of Logan is dealing with a persistent and growing homelessness crisis.
How did we end up here?
It is the direct result of decades of underinvestment in housing and public services by State and Federal Governments from both sides of politics.
Now we find ourselves in the middle of a storm that everyone is working hard to resolve. Homelessness is a complex challenge, but it’s one that our Council faces with compassion.
My priority as your Mayor is keeping people safe.
That includes people who have no choice but to live in our parks, but also members of the public who want to use those parks and our staff who are trying to help people without homes.
Every day, Council staff are on the ground working alongside the State Government’s Critical Response Team and local outreach services, connecting with vulnerable residents, offering help and maintaining safe public spaces for everyone.
But not everyone is ready to be homed as they are often coping with addiction, mental health and domestic violence.
We will continue to do everything we can for our community, but we have limited resources and powers compared to the State.
Everyone knows that affordable housing is hard to come by at the moment which is why both State and Federal Governments have committed significant funding in their budgets.
But it’s important for that spending to target supportive housing models in Logan and expanded mental health services to meet growing demand.
One of the best ways to combat homelessness is to help people stay in the home they have, and I’d love to see an uplift in income support and rental assistance.
Logan is a city that cares deeply.
Let’s use this moment to reaffirm our values, support those in need and call on all levels of government to work with us toward real, lasting change.
