New social homes providing place to call home

Last updated: 

22 April 2024 12:50PM  

First published: 

27 August 2024 12:50PM

Mick, 74, had not long sold his house and launched a marine surveying business to support his semi-retirement when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. After 2 years of life on hold, he took a job as a landscaper where he sustained an acquired brain injury, which affects his balance, speech and use of his hands.

'These things are often a cascade event,' Mick says. 'I didn’t receive appropriate support, I couldn’t pay rent and everything collapsed. I lost everything and ended up living in my van for a year.'

In a multi-faceted career that included boat building, civil construction and training as a mental health nurse, Mick was also a respected guitarist who played with the likes of Johnny O’Keefe.

The team at Bayside Housing Service Centre (HSC) helped Mick secure a social housing unit in Wynnum West, where he has started a vegetable garden, swims daily at the Manly Pool and regularly jams with local musicians.

Mick said that 'The haven that Bayside HSC offered me came close to saving my life.'

'The estate I’m in is particularly innovative. It’s fantastic. It gives you everything you need, an amazing amount of privacy, there’s public space to walk around in, and we are close to all the local facilities,' he says.

'Nothing is ever perfect and the good part about that is, if we appreciate what is good in our society, we can work towards making things even better.

'My message to younger people is to see what is good and work towards making more of it.'

As part of our Homes for Queenslanders plan, we're working towards ending homelessness with more funding for frontline services and more temporary supported accommodation.

If you or someone you know needs housing help

Call 13 QGOV (13 74 68) or contact your local Housing Service Centre.

If you are experiencing or are at risk of homelessness, contact the Homeless Hotline for free on 1800 474 753 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week).

Find out more about housing help and support.