Nambour housing response explained as pressure builds on supply and support

The housing response announced in Nambour on Monday March 30 is being framed as more than a local fix — with state leaders using the moment to explain why the crisis has become so difficult to solve.

At the Carter Road site, where eight new community homes will be built, Housing Minister Sam O’Connor and Nicklin MP Marty Hunt faced a series of questions about what is actually driving homelessness locally and across Queensland.

Their answer was consistent: there is no single solution, but a system that has struggled to keep up.

“The number one thing that it comes back to is getting more homes out of the ground, increasing supply,” Mr O’Connor said.

He argued housing supply had failed to keep pace with demand for years, leaving governments now trying to catch up.

In Nambour, that response is being broken into stages.

In the short term, $1 million will go to IFYS to expand outreach services from one day a week to five. Mr Hunt said that work was already delivering results, with 22 people moved from rough sleeping into housing and “dozens more” assisted.

But questions quickly turned to what happens next — particularly for those who need more than just a place to stay.

Mr O’Connor said the government had learned that simply offering accommodation was not enough.

“It’s not enough to put a roof over someone’s head. They need that extra help to make sure they can maintain a tenancy and go on to a longer term housing pathway,” he said.

That thinking underpins the medium-term projects announced for Nambour: eight new social homes at Carter Road and a separate 20-unit temporary supported accommodation facility, with on-site services.

The supported accommodation is designed for people currently cycling through short-term options like motels, with the aim of stabilising their situation before moving into longer-term housing.

“It’s much more appropriate to have them in a place like this than a hotel or a motel,” Mr O’Connor said.

The eight Carter Road homes — four one-bedroom and four two-bedroom dwellings — will go to people on the social housing register, including single mothers and older couples, depending on need.

Mr Hunt said the announcement reflected sustained pressure from the community and a long-standing issue in the town.

“Homelessness in Nambour has been a long-term issue, and it’s a priority of mine as a local member to deal with this issue,” he said.

Looking further ahead, the State Government is in negotiations to secure land for a larger supportive housing project in Nambour, modelled on Brisbane’s Common Ground.

For residents trying to make sense of the package, Monday’s message was clear: more homes are coming, but the system around them — outreach, support services and pathways — is just as critical to making them work.