With nearly half of low-income Sunshine Coast households impacted by housing stress, Vinnies Queensland is calling on business, community and government leaders to spend a night sleeping rough on the sand.
The event will take place outside Maroochydore Surf Club on Thursday 20 June, to raise vital funds for homelessness support.
With a fundraising goal of more than $200,000, this year’s efforts will directly support safe and affordable housing solutions for the local community, as requests for assistance continue to skyrocket.
Ahead of the CEO Sleepout launch on Wednesday 3 April, Vinnies Sunshine Coast President Beryl Rowan urged local CEOs and business leaders to step up and sleep out, as the charity continued to witness the escalating need for affordable and secure housing.
“Across the Sunshine Coast, we continue to see the terrible impacts of the housing crisis on the community as we speak with families sleeping in their cars or in tents on the street as rent prices increase while affordable and emergency housing options remain at capacity,” she said.
“While we acknowledge this is not an easy problem to solve, we must rally behind the vulnerable members of our community and do our part in ending the homelessness crisis on the Sunshine Coast.
“I encourage our community to participate or donate to this year’s Sleepout, as the funds raised will go towards providing secure and safe accommodation for those experiencing homelessness.”
In 2022 Vinnies Queensland announced its ambition to build 500 homes in five years. A number of major milestones have been reached to date, including a partnership with the State Government to build 147 social and affordable homes, announced at the 2023 CEO Sleepout.
“When you hear the stories of what many families in our region and across the state have endured, one night on the sand doesn’t sound too bad,” Ms Rowan said.
Additional CEO Sleepout events will be held in Brisbane and the Gold Coast, as well as community sleepouts across regional Queensland.
In the last financial year, Vinnies Queensland provided more than 103,000 nights of accommodation to Queenslanders in need.
For more information, or to register for the 2024 Sleepout, visit ceosleepout.org.au.
