Every week, my office hears from people in our community who are scared — scared they might lose their home, scared their children won’t have a safe place to sleep, scared they have nowhere left to turn.
These are single parents doing everything they can to keep things afloat. They are older Queenslanders facing rising rents and no safety net. They are young people, families, and individuals caught in a housing market that no longer feels fair or accessible. They are your neighbours, your coworkers, your friends.
The housing and rental crisis isn’t a headline — it’s a daily reality in the Barron River electorate. And it weighs heavily on me.
That’s why I’m working closely with the Minister for Housing and the Department to drive real, practical solutions for our region. It’s why I stay connected to the services doing the frontline work. And it’s why I’m committed to making sure our community gets the support it needs — because no one should be left behind.
Services That Make a Difference
Our Cairns Housing Service Centre is often the first point of contact for locals in need. They provide support for public housing, bond loans, rent assistance, crisis referrals, culturally appropriate services for First Nations people, and more.
Right now, in the Barron River electorate:
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394 social housing dwellings exist — and that’s not enough.
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21 households are on the social housing register as of March 2025.
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4 homes are currently under construction, with 14 more in the pipeline.
We know that’s not enough either. But we are building — and we are pushing for more.
The Frontline: Outreach and Crisis Response
The Critical Response Team is doing extraordinary work across the region — meeting people sleeping rough, in cars, in tents, and makeshift shelters, and helping them connect with support. Since launching, they’ve helped 194 people into housing — but there are still over 230 actively needing help.
I want to thank Acting CRT Manager Kylie Klingner and her team for their compassion and determination. They are out there every day, doing work many of us never see but all of us benefit from.
Local Organisations Stepping Up
We are lucky to have a strong network of homelessness support organisations in our electorate — including Anglicare North Queensland, Shelter Housing Action Cairns, Mission Australia, St Vincent de Paul, The Salvation Army, Youth Link, and others. Together, they operate 22 local programs delivering mobile support, temporary accommodation, and emergency assistance.
They don’t just hand out keys — they restore dignity, provide counselling, connect people with health services, financial literacy programs, and job pathways. They do it because they care, and because our community needs it.
Key service providers in the Barron River area include:
🔹 Anglicare North Queensland
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Cairns Homelessness Hub, St John’s Young Men’s Shelter, St Margaret’s Young Women’s Shelter, Q-STRIDE, and more.
📞 4041 5454
🔹 Mission Australia
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Street to Home outreach, Supported Accommodation (Cairns & Woree)
📞 3394 8100
🔹 SERO4 Ltd – The MARA Project
📞 0436 010 755
🔹 Shelter Housing Action Cairns
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Includes My Money Program and Supported Tenancies for Young Parents
📞 4080 7400
🔹 St Vincent de Paul Society QLD
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Manoora Supported Accommodation, Early Intervention, family support
📞 3010 1000
🔹 The Salvation Army
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Centennial Lodge, Veterans Support Program
📞 3222 6666
🔹 Youth Service Providers Inc (Youth Link)
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Youth-focused transitional housing and mobile support
📞 4031 6179
If you or someone you know needs help, please reach out to the Cairns Housing Service Centre or one of the local support organisations listed [here].
And as always, you can contact my office. We are here to help.
