VINNIES CALLS ON FNQ LEADERS TO SLEEP OUT TO BUILD HOMES FOR THE HOMELESS

Vinnies Queensland has issued a challenge to community and business leaders in Far North Queensland (FNQ), asking them to sleep out under the stars for one night to raise vital funds for homelessness support.

The Vinnies Community Sleepout is returning to the Cairns Esplanade on Friday, 9 August 2024 with the event aiming to raise $65,000 to help locals impacted by the ongoing housing crisis.

Cairns rent prices increased by 33 per cent from 2017 to 2023, with the number of FNQ residents reaching out for homelessness support increasing by nearly 30% in the same time period.

Funds raised from the Community Sleepout will help build new homes for FNQ residents experiencing or at risk of homelessness, providing vital long-term secure housing at a time when it is most needed.

“Far North Queensland has been hit hard by this housing crisis, and each day Vinnies is seeing more and more local individuals and families either sleeping rough or at high risk of losing their house,” FNQ Diocesan President Veronica Innes said.

“The Community Sleepout is our way of bringing local leaders together to learn more about homelessness, how it impacts our region and how we can work together to make a difference.”

Veronica said building new social and affordable homes would help locals escape homelessness for good.

“Across FNQ, we have an estimated 6,000 people on the state social housing waiting list, including 3,400 in Cairns, waiting more than two years on average to secure a home,” she said.

“Of those, 99 per cent are considered ‘high risk’

“This is a critical time for housing in Far North Queensland and anything our community can do to help can make a significant impact in the lives of locals sleeping rough.”

Registrations for Community Sleepout participants are open now – visit https://bit.ly/fnqcso to register or learn more about the event.

In the last 12 months, St Vincent de Paul Society Queensland provided support to more than 18,000 residents across the Far North Queensland region.