🚧 The Explosive Growth of Redcliffe's Tent Encampment

In the picturesque bayside suburb of Redcliffe, just north of Brisbane, a small park beside the Redcliffe Tennis and Pickleball Centre has transformed into a makeshift tent city. What started as a handful of tents has ballooned to around 20 structures in just the past month, housing dozens of people, including desperate families with children. This rapid expansion highlights the deepening housing crisis gripping Queensland's Moreton Bay region, where affordable homes are scarce and waitlists stretch for months.

The park, spanning less than 100 square meters and lacking basic facilities like toilets or rubbish bins, now serves as a stark symbol of rough sleeping's rise. Residents describe nightly disturbances from passing cars and heated arguments, compounded by the physical and mental toll of tent living. Parents juggle work and school runs while shielding kids from the elements, underscoring how homelessness now ensnares working families previously on the edge.

Personal Stories from the Frontlines

Jessica Shead, a 35-year-old mother of two boys aged eight and 11, pitched her tent here three weeks ago after an eviction and futile rental searches. 'It's really hard to live here,' she shares. 'My husband still goes to work, my kids to school, but it's mentally and physically exhausting.' Like many, she's on the high-priority social housing waitlist, waiting up to six months amid soaring rents.

Colin Jones, 55, has called the site home since February, voicing fears for the children: 'I'm terrified we'll be moved on with nowhere to go.' These narratives reveal a shift—homelessness no longer limited to chronic cases but increasingly affecting families hit by job loss, domestic issues, or rental unaffordability.

Health and Safety Alarms Raised

The encampment's proximity to the tennis centre amplifies concerns. Manager Thea Novic reports syringes scattered nearby, rubbish fires, public urination, and maggots infesting courts from perimeter waste. 'It's a health and safety issue for our players,' she warns, especially with 400 competitors arriving next week for the Queensland Pickleball Tour. Some courts may close indefinitely, impacting local sports and tourism.

Broader risks include disease spread from poor sanitation and fire hazards in a dry, windy area. Community complaints exceed 4,500, citing violence, vermin, and lost public access—pressing the balance between compassion and amenity.

Homelessness Surge in Moreton Bay Region

Moreton Bay's homelessness has skyrocketed 92 percent over the past decade, with 1,424 people affected per the 2021 Census. Rough sleeping referrals doubled yearly for three years pre-2023, overwhelming services. The region's 4,784 social housing spots can't match demand, with 2,356 on the waitlist—1,197 disabled, 426 single parents, 563 over 55.

Queensland-wide, about 22,395 endure homelessness nightly, amid 152,600 unmet dwellings. Social housing registers hit record 55,000-59,000 by late 2025, up 25 percent yearly, fueled by 40.3 percent rental stress among low-income tenants and 0.95 percent vacancy rates.

Rapid population growth—Moreton Bay among Australia's fastest—exacerbates shortages. Low incomes (21.2 percent households very low), mental health (11.6 percent), and overcrowding (1,779 cases) drive the crisis.

Root Causes of Queensland's Housing Crunch

Several factors converge:

• Supply Shortfall: Brisbane needs 210,800 new homes by 2046, but construction lags amid costs and regulations.
• Rental Pressures: Vacancies under 1 percent push median rents beyond low earners' reach—over 30 percent income on housing for millions nationally.
• Economic Shifts: Cost-of-living spikes, stagnant JobSeeker payments trap 224,040 Queenslanders in poverty.
• Demographic Pressures: Young (23 percent homeless aged 12-24), Indigenous, and older women surge, per 2021 data.
• Family Violence and Exits: Many flee abuse or institutions without stable options.

The 2026 Report on Government Services notes worsening rental stress and unmet needs, signaling systemic failure.

Council Crackdowns and Legal Backlash

City of Moreton Bay banned public camping in February 2025 for safety, spending $1.4 million on enforcement. But March 2026 Supreme Court ruled Kallangur evictions unlawful—'degrading' bulldozing without consent or notice violated rights to home, property, privacy, and humane treatment. Ashes of loved ones dumped in rain epitomized the horror.

Mayor Peter Flannery blames state/federal for housing, noting 4,500 complaints. CEO Scott Waters vows lawful enforcement. The ruling mandates better processes: outreach first, rights consideration.

Government and Community Responses

Housing Minister Sam O’Connor deploys outreach for safe transitions. State pledged $500 million to unlock homes via councils/landowners. Moreton Bay's Housing and Homelessness Action Plan 2023-2028 prioritizes:

• Safe sleeping trials, outreach teams.
• Public space officers for referrals.
• Partnerships with Salvos, Micah Projects (supporting 117 families/251 kids).
• Affordable housing advocacy, land offers to providers.

Micah's YMYW Redcliffe aids tenancy sustainment. Salvation Army's 2025 Stocktake urges 10 percent social stock nationally.

Potential Pathways Forward

Solutions demand multi-level action:

• Boost Supply: Fast-track social/affordable builds, inclusionary zoning.
• Income Supports: Raise JobSeeker, expand rent assistance.
• Prevention: Early intervention for at-risk families, violence exits.
• Innovation: Modular housing, community land trusts.
• Coordination: Align council-state-federal efforts, per National Agreement.

Councils seek shelter networks; experts advocate 'Housing First'—stable roofs before services.

Community Impact and Broader Implications

Beyond Redcliffe, tent cities dot Rothwell, Deception Bay, Brisbane parks. Lost amenities erode cohesion; kids suffer educationally, healthily. Yet resilience shines—charities feed/clothe, locals donate.

QLD's 76.8 percent see affordability as top issue, up sharply. Without intervention, ROGS warns escalation.

Looking Ahead: Hope Amid Crisis

While evictions loom, outreach progresses placements. $500M investments signal momentum, but scale demands urgency. Families like Shead's plead: provide roofs so kids thrive, not survive. Collaborative resolve could reclaim public spaces, restore dignity—turning tent city's alarm into action.

Photo by Fiona Feng on Unsplash