Homelessness levels are “exploding” in Logan as struggling locals flock to local car parks to set up camp.
Local residents have described the current tent city at the Eagleby Wetlands as “out of control”.
“It’s really exploded out here,” one local said.
“I’ve lived here 30 years and I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Tens of cars, vans, tents and other temporary shelters have been set up in the Eagleby Wetlands carpark, next to Olivers Sports Complex.
“It’s absolutely incredible how it has gone from no one to a few people during Covid, to 30 or 40 cars now and some people who don’t have cars – it looks like a caravan park,” the resident said.
She said she lived behind the wetlands and couldn’t believe what she saw each night.
“A lot of people don’t feel safe,” she said.
“Council spent all this money on a playground, but people are camping right next to it.”
Local homeless service YFS has recently seen a “significant increase in people living in cars and tents” at the wetlands.
CEO Christopher John said almost 20 per cent of local homeless people were sleeping out in the open with no shelter.
“The YFS Outreach team goes out to areas where people are known to be sleeping rough in tents, vehicles or temporary shelters,” Mr John said.
“Since this new team started in January 2024, we have already supported more than 100 homeless people.
“Most of these people are sleeping in a tent or a vehicle, but nearly one in five had no dwelling and were sleeping in the open.”
Just five minutes across the highway at Hugh Muntz Park in Beenleigh is another tent and car city.
Logan has the highest rate of homelessness in the region with 1,687 people homeless (0.49 per cent of the population), according to the 2021 census.
And the number has “significantly increased” since then, according to a council report.
At a recent council meeting, local councillor Karen Murphy said council staff assisted people where they could.
“There’s so many people out there that are trying to assist these people, and at the end of the day they are people who are just like us,” she said.
“We check on all sorts of people and try to assist them where we possibly can.”
Cr Murphy said it was “just not possible” to have people “living in our parks forever”.
“Division 12 has two major precincts, Hugh Muntz Park which is an overnight stay, and Olivers precinct,” she said.
“We’ve had up to 80 people at any given time within those areas.”
She said issues had been exacerbated in recent months due to floods, housing shortages, and Christmas.
“All these people are individuals and we’re all trying to meet their individual needs.”
Mr John said YFS was receiving around 130 contact every week from people seeking help with housing.
“With rents in Logan increasing by more than 50 per cent over the last three years and the cost of living continuing to climb, we are seeing more people in financial difficulty,” he said.
“77 per cent of the people who contact us about homelessness report housing affordability stress as one of their top concerns, compared with 45 per cent six months ago.”
