New development approved to help combat the crisis of homelessness

The plans for 95 Crawford Street include 19 studio apartments, to be developed by Keystone and Queanbeyan One.

The development will span three storeys at the back and two storeys at the front, with undercroft parking.

The self-contained homes will allow people experiencing homelessness to create their own space, where they are able to rebuild.

The studios will be used either for transitional housing or to cater for a particular demographic in the community, to be determined at a later date. It is expected to offer housing for women and children escaping domestic violence, as well as older women over 50 facing homelessness.

Keystone director Karl Meier said the group had been evaluating the best use of the block, which it has owned for some time, and became aware of a need for more social housing in the region.

Wait times for social and affordable housing in Canberra were blown out to more than six months for urgent cases as of July 2024.

At the same time, the waiting period for standard housing in Queanbeyan is less than two years and is growing, given an increase in rental prices.

While this development will alleviate some pressure for those on housing waitlists, an expert warned it is just one piece of an often-complex puzzle.

Elaine Lollback is the coordinator at homeless charity St Benedict's Community Centre, which will help decide who will live in the accommodation and with case management.

She said a holistic approach, in which people were given opportunities to move into permanent, supported housing, was the only way forward.

"People will have a roof over their heads, but we must make sure there are appropriate supports around. People need to be connected back into the community and connected back into health services," Ms Lollback said.

"We've had such a rise in older people coming to us," she said. "They need somewhere which is stable and where they are able to address issues which may have contributed to homelessness.

"In the 2021-22 financial year, we assisted around 50 older people. This number has tripled, with 160 people in 2023-24. Already this financial year, we've supported 94 individuals," Ms Lollback said.

Keystone has applied for a federal grant to further bolster the development.

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Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council finished its affordable housing strategy in April 2023. It includes a guide of 2776 social and affordable dwellings in the local government area by 2041.

"This development application is exciting in the context of the affordable housing strategy," Ms Lollback said.

"There is an emphasis on the fact that we really need diversity of housing for different groups of people. This is a small step towards relieving some of the housing crisis."

Ms Lollback said she also hopes there will be more housing and programs to help older men experiencing homelessness - a demographic she said is presenting at St Benedict's in growing numbers.