An estimated 3,000 people without a home in Cairns

ABC NEWS (Australia)

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]

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