So much happened across the housing and homelessness sector in 2025, but if we had to pick the top 25 highlights of achievements and projects that Q Shelter contributed to, they would include these.
- Launched our first 20-year Strategic Plan at State Parliament, titled Beyond Shelter: Hope, Homes, Futures. A bold vision for 2045.
- Asked to participate in the Homelessness Ministerial Advisory Council, including co-chairing of the SEQ Local Government Sub-Committee
- Released a comprehensive 2025–2026 Pre-Budget Submission: Towards a Healthy Housing System, outlining the most pressing needs and proposed solutions.
- Members voted unanimously to transfer the incorporation of Q Shelter from an association to a company limited by guarantee.
- Made 18 official submissions on behalf of the housing and homelessness sector to parliamentary inquiries and other reviews.
- Iteration 2 of the Community Housing Futures Program was approved, and the third round of grants for Community Housing Providers and Indigenous Community Housing Organisations commenced.
- Hosted a record number of in-person and online training events, webinars, panels, forums and courses, up 19% compared to 2024.
- Membership grew by 16% year-on-year, for the second year running.
- Our first secondment from the sector (Michelle Debert, now working with Q Shelter full-time), and our first student placement from QUT’s First Nations Student Unit (Zara Mearns, also now working with us in a part-time role).
- The Workforce Connect project wrapped up, leaving lasting impact and ongoing resources in place for the sector from HomeNow and WellNow.
- Co-developed educational resources with cross-sector partners to enhance understanding of new legislation for Community Housing Providers to deliver social and community housing projects on land owned by faith-based and community organisations.
- The Homelessness Policy Advisory Group and Community Housing Policy Advisory Group continued to strengthen our policy development and advocacy efforts.
- The Deirdre Coghlan Bursary Award received a record number of nominations, and was granted to four organisations from Logan, Cairns, North Brisbane, South-East Brisbane, and Douglas Shire.
- Finalised our Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan with support from Krueger Consultancy Services, and received endorsement from Reconciliation Australia.
- Joined with Peakcare Queensland, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Protection Peak, Neighbourhood Centres Queensland, and Queenslanders with a Disability Network to collaborate on embedding prevention across systems and services.
- Sourced a new Employee Assistance Program provider to better support the 35 member organisations who have opted in for discounted EAP services.
- Added two Micro-credential courses in partnership with TAFE Queensland to support workers in the housing and homelessness sector.
- Service Integration Initiative helped more than 1,100 people obtain sustainable housing outcomes in the first 11 months of the year.
- Released the second SEQ Displacement Monitoring Report, highlighting early warning signs of potential displacement in the lead up to the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
- With the Department of Housing and Public Works, we co-designed a Sector Orientation course to explore crucial aspects of the housing and homelessness sector in Queensland.
- The Service Integration Initiative added Regional Housing Limited in Wide Bay to the SII network, now engaging 319 services across 47 service domains.
- Held two Regional Representatives forums, bringing together more than 100 representatives from 17 regions across the state to meet with, and draft recommendations to, the Queensland Government, with the latest gathering informing our 2025-26 Queensland Budget submission.
- Presented the 2025 Kent Maddock Memorial Award for place-based initiatives to two outstanding collaborations: Toowoomba Together Priority Housing and Jinndii Waijung.
- Hosted two CEO and Senior Leaders Forums, featuring state government housing ministers, senior staff from the Department of Housing and various speakers from state and national peak, sector and industry bodies. the June event connecting alongside the National Homelessness Conference on the Gold Coast.
- Finally, we announced the first Thrive at Work Summit: an immersive one-day event to foster healthier, safer and higher-performing workplaces in our housing, homelessness, and community services sectors. To launch the Summit for 14 May 2026, we opened registrations with the never-to-be-repeated Early Thriver discounted ticket, available until 8 January 2026
We’re looking forward to doing more in 2026 with our sector partners to realise our vision that every Queenslander has a home.
