An open letter to anyone who will hear our community's cries..

Subject- Housing crisis relief for growing homelessness in the Moreton Bay region.

On behalf of our friends in our community facing homelessness or the possibility thereof, we would like to present you with a number of easily achievable, and low cost, pleas that will make life as a homeless person, a tiny bit easier, warmer, and less terrifying.

We'd like for you to acknowledge,
Firstly, the poor treatment of our local people during this housing crisis that has forced many individuals as well as families to migrate from homes to tents, cars or benches, in public and exposed spaces. We have yet to see any immediate solutions, or Band-Aids, despite the fact that this problem continues to grow at an alarming rate. We appreciate that the council has already acknowledged there is a crisis, and has partially responded by allowing people to pitch and park in public spaces, on the condition they clean up their litter, and become invisible by morning. This expectation is, in practice, unrealistic and impractical, not to mention scary for many of these people. If this is what the council wants, they must offer an alternative location for these people to be accommodated. One where they can access water, lighting, and toilets, where they are not moved on every morning, one where their existence alone is not treated as shameful.

We have the showgrounds -
Current barriers:
*No tents
*3 week stay limit *CLOSED OVER WINTER

And, Council Owned Tourist Parks-
Current barriers:
*No pets
*6 week stay limit.

We would like to request, please, that these barriers preventing our locals from accessing safe, stable accommodation and amenities, be lifted for a period no shorter than 24 months, or the remainder of this housing crisis.

We are aware of the long term plans, the future solutions, but what we need to see NOW is immediate action to provide a Band-Aid solution while we await the delivery of the long term solutions - and these are the most affordable, and easy to achieve.

When you suddenly don't have four walls around you, your immediate needs are: *Toilet
*Shower
*Water
*Cooking Facilities
*Sleeping Quarters
*Power

All of which is already available at both the showgrounds and the council caravan parks, but apparently only open to those who don't even need it.

Secondly, we'd like to request a power point facility in a central and public place in each main township, where the homeless can access a power point to charge a phone and boil a kettle. There are so many unnecessary and unused buildings consuming power all day and night, surely a power point hub isn't too much to ask for so that these people can access some basic human needs such as warmth and warm food.

I understand that we cannot give out cookers or anything that is flammable/explosive/an inhalent, therefore we believe that the ability to boil a kettle is a sound solution. Not only can they then make use of hot water bottles through winter, hot drinks, and clean boiled drinking water, but they will also then be able to heat, using just a kettle and a sandwich bag, the canned foods they are donated which they are currently having to eat cold!

We, the public, will happily organise kettles for each of our homeless friends, but we need the council to provide a power hub for them to boil them. Close to the areas that homeless people frequent would be ideal, for example in Redcliffe, the grounds surrounding the Pensioner Hall currently leased by The Breakfast Club is frequented by many of our homeless locals.

The least we can do while we wait for more long term solutions to this rental crisis is provide some stability and power for them and make their experience as safe and warm as possible, providing access to at least some basic human needs.

I hope you can find it in your heart to take action where action is needed and help the families and children that have suffered during this crisis right here in our community, the people who are typically our neighbours - voting, employed, tax paying contributors to our community, the parents at our kids' schools, the service staff making our coffees, the tradies building our homes, the people who have the potential to be those things given the opportunity, someone's daughter, son, mother, father, and most importantly it would seem, the very people who have for years paid off the mortgages of property investors!

We would appreciate a non-generic response, please.
Thank you.

Sincerely,
Rental Crisis Action - Moreton.