Tent cities reflect disaster
Clusters of flimsy tents, clothes hanging from trees and tarps providing scant shelter from the rain – this isn’t a camping holiday – this is the reality for hundreds of people sleeping rough who never thought they would be homeless.
An investigation by The Courier-Mail has uncovered more than 20 makeshift campsites and tent cities across South East Queensland, some in parks or in low lying areas, under bridges or among trees.
Inside these vulnerable shel ters are heartbreaking stories of ordinary people.
Some have lost their jobs, others have broken up with partners and have no where else to go. There are workers who hold down jobs but have had rental applications rejected more times than they can count. People with pets and parents with children they feed under camp lights and dress for school in the morning.
The Courier Mail visited tent cities in Rothwell, Redcliffe, Woody Point, Beenleigh, Eagleby, Deception Bay and Shorncliffe.
Some sites have up to 30 temporary shelters while at Mckillop Park at Rothwell in the Premier’s electorate there are up to 30 people living in about 10 tents.
The Courier-Mail revealed on Saturday the tent city in Premier Steven Miles’s electorate was booming despite his promise last month to offer a roof over the heads of every Queenslander.
At this park are a number of families with children, some of whom chose a tent over crisis accommodation they found more unsafe.
Fill Your Cup volunteer Toni Farrar whose services cover Rothwell and Redcliffe said increasing numbers of people were sleeping rough.
“What we are seeing down here at the moment (is) single mums with children are sleeping in cars because they don’t want to be set up anywhere in case they have to flee at a moment’s notice,” she said.
Fellow volunteer Sandy Ford said she has noticed the demographics had shifted.
“We’ve got single guys … their relationships have gone wrong, and their girlfriends or boyfriends have kicked them out of the house. So they have nowhere to go,” she said.
“We’ve got veterans that are sleeping in their vehicles as well. We’ve got people that have two incomes and can’t even afford to pay the rent or pay the increase of food and just living expenses.”
The Courier-Mail visited the “overnight stay area” at the end of Reisers Rd at Beenleigh and found a collection of self-contained vehicles and about 20 tents.
Housing Minister Meaghan Scanlon said no matter where a person may be sleeping rough, their teams and specialist homeless organisations were ready to offer support and accommodation.
“They’re out on the ground regularly, and if they see someone or get reports of people needing help, they’ll take action,” she said.