An estimated 3,000 people without a home in Cairns
In the tourist city of Cairns, the homeless situation is alarming. An estimated 3,000 people are now without a permanent home which is the highest rate per capita in the country.
Transcript
00:00 This cemetery in Cairns has been Shane Woolford's home for months.
00:06 A makeshift camp he's cobbled together.
00:09 That tent I got given for free.
00:11 Found that trolley.
00:13 The mattress I got given.
00:15 Mosquitoes and mud, just some of the challenges he faces on a daily basis.
00:20 And then there's the wildlife.
00:22 They're scavengers, they'll wreck you.
00:24 If you've got food in there, in plastic bags or bread, they'll rip it.
00:29 They go through all this.
00:30 He's one of thousands of people across the state on the social housing waiting list.
00:35 So too, this couple, also sleeping rough each night.
00:39 I've been on a five year housing wait, over five years I think.
00:43 They're desperate for a home.
00:45 It's not very comfortable place to be on the streets for anyone, you know.
00:49 And like, housing is the most important thing and we can't go private because it's not in our budget.
00:56 New figures from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare show a 13% spike
01:01 in the number of people seeking help from homeless services in Queensland this year.
01:06 This day, respite centre, the only one operating in Cairns, is at the coalface of the surge.
01:12 What's behind it is the fact that there is no housing available in the rental market.
01:18 For a lot of people who say are on social security, they can't enter the private rental market.
01:23 The centre gives those on the streets a chance to have a quick shower, breakfast
01:28 and to chat with others going through the same thing.
01:31 We provide a level of respect and dignity to people for four hours a day.
01:36 In the most recent state budget, the Palaszczuk government allocated more than $320 million
01:42 to build 500 social housing homes it plans to deliver by mid 2025.
01:48 For many, it's a day that can't come soon enough.
01:51 [BLANK_AUDIO]