Government Assistance For Local Housing

The local housing crisis has just been granted a small reprieve following the announcement by the State Government this week that $660,000 has been allocated to Whitsunday Housing Company.

The financial support will contribute to mobile and outreach services, including emergency housing and assisting people with tenancy issues.

“While we deliver more social homes in places like Cannonvale, we’re establishing a dedicated homelessness service in the Whitsundays to give people immediate support,” said Housing Minister Meaghan Scanlon.

“Previously, people in the community who needed help had to link in with services based Mackay – no longer will they have to do that.

“Whitsunday Housing Company already does a great job in the community, and this additional funding will expand on the work they and the Department of Housing do to help locals in need.”

Member of Whitsundays, Amanda Camm welcomes the assistance, saying there had been a sharp increase in the number of people across the region requiring emergency housing and crisis support due to increases in cost of living and housing market pressures.

“This announcement really is a win for all our local organisations including the Whitsunday Neighbourhood Centre, Proserpine Community Centre, Whitsunday Counselling and Support, who are on the front-line day in day out and have been seeing an increase in the number of people each day requiring crisis support and having nowhere in the Whitsunday area to refer them to,” Ms Camm said.

Joanna Moynihan, Chief Operating Officer of Whitsunday Housing Company is very excited for the support.

“This is funding that our region was lacking. The earlier allotment of $4.4 million was largely utilised by the Mackay organisation. It’s a long way to travel to Mackay to access these services, so it’s great to be able to have them available here.”

By early December, residents of Airlie Beach, Cannonvale, the Islands and Proserpine can expect to access this support.