Having a place to call home is something we take for granted but an increasing number of people face being homeless.
Sudden loss of employment, illness, domestic and family violence, mental illness and family squabbles can all lead to homelessness.
Being homeless is generally the lowest point in a person’s life. It removes a person’s safety and security while reducing opportunities for stable employment, education, social support and participation in community and economic life.
Further, access to safe and secure housing is one of the most basic human rights.
For these reasons, the Queensland Government places a strong emphasis on programs to help vulnerable people avoid becoming homeless and to help those who are homeless to rebuild their lives.
The stories in the preceding pages highlight just some of the programs that are changing people’s lives.
This edition also highlights the new 10-year plan — Absolutely everybody: enabling Queenslanders with a disability — which seeks to create real change in the lives of people with disability.
The September launch of this plan was an exciting milestone towards building inclusive communities where people with a disability are enabled to participate in all aspects of community life on an equal basis with others — another basic human right.
The plan calls to action all levels of government, business, industry and community to work together to achieve the vision by 2021. Be sure to read more on page 15.
Linda A. Apelt
Director-General
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