Be for homeless youth in Queensland

Every night there are 4,500 young people in Queensland who are without safe and secure housing[1]. They are either without a shelter of any kind, sleeping rough; with a place to sleep but temporarily in institutions or shelter; living in insecure housing – threatened with severe exclusion due to insecure tenancies, eviction, domestic violence; or living in inadequate housing – in caravans on illegal campsites, in unfit housing, in extreme overcrowding.

Although there has been a disproportionate rise in rough sleeping, the biggest increase in youth homelessness over the past few years is attributed to the growing problem of severe overcrowding — that is, people crammed into dwellings with at least four bedrooms fewer than required. The Property Industry Foundation exists to solve this persistent issue of youth homelessness, as a whole.

In Queensland, the government is tackling inadequate housing options by investing in affordable housing projects through their Build-to-Rent Program (see more here) and building social housing as part of Queensland’s Unite and Recover for Queensland Jobs plan (see more here).

However, the state’s existing rental accessibility crisis will not be solved by these projects alone. Added to that, accessing affordable housing is even worse for young people due to their incomes and preconceptions about their ability to manage and sustain a tenancy. The same can be said for access to social housing. According to Annemaree Callander, CEO, Brisbane Youth Service in a recent article in the Brisbane Times,

“Despite this huge demand at the frontline, less than 3 per cent of people living in social housing are young people, showing that there are barriers for young people in accessing all types of housing, not just private rentals.”

Affordable, suitable and stable housing is fundamental in ensuring the economic, social, psychological & physical wellbeing of young people [2] but unemployment, casualised and unstable jobs, increasingly high rental costs, and a lack of affordable, suitable and stable housing makes transitioning to and maintaining independent living a challenge[3] [4].

This is where you can get involved. Here at the Property Industry Foundation, we bring the property & construction industry together to tap into our collective expertise to make a tangible difference to homeless youth. Our focus is on a solution which is tangible, enduring, helps many young people over many years, and sets up young people with stability and a brighter future.

We do this by partnering with youth-focused charities to build safe environments and support initiatives focused on education, pathways to employment and wellbeing. For example, that can be building homes for homeless youth through our PIF House Program (see more here) or investing in early intervention and prevention initiatives such as creating healing spaces for kids from abused or neglected backgrounds. In this project, the Property Industry Foundation brought together a team of property advisors in Brisbane to help Act for Kids develop a new set of therapy rooms in Morayfield (see more here).

Our engagement avenues in Queensland are diverse, ranging from events and networking, to the ability to sit on committees, be involved in the PIF House Program to donating your time or money. You can support our work in whatever way that suits you best. If you are interested in being for homeless youth, call us on 1800 313 116 or email Georgia at gquinn@pif.com.au