The Salvation Army this week secured land at Kangaroo Point that will one day become home to dozens of families and individuals facing homelessness. The land at 619-633 Main Street, Kangaroo Point, represents the first investment in social housing in inner-Brisbane by The Salvation Army since the sale of the "Pindari" property at Spring Hill in 2022.
State Manager for Homelessness, Aaron Pimlott, says that this is an important step towards providing more housing options for those struggling in and around the inner-city. "People who are experiencing homelessness or who are at risk of becoming homeless need sustainable housing that is affordable, inclusive of support to sustain their tenancies. That's how we end homelessness. We are very excited to announce the purchase of this site in helping us achieve this goal."
Post-pandemic, The Salvation Army has been strategically moving towards a "Housing First" approach, moving away from future crisis and short-term accommodation options and focusing new initiatives towards long-term and permanent social housing solutions with appropriate tailored support. "After the sale of Pindari, we have been actively seeking suitable development sites near the city to help us achieve our mission of increasing social housing in Brisbane. Further capital funding still needs to be sought to construct at least 60 social dwellings and we are confident of securing this in the near future so we can begin construction," said Mr Pimlott.
The Salvation Army has an ambitious plan to build hundreds of new social housing units across the state, with new developments underway or being planned for Cairns, Rockhampton, Bundaberg, Toowoomba and the Gold Coast.
