A New Supportive Housing Site for Families Opens in South Brisbane

Designed with families in mind, the site has 18 self-contained two- and three-bedroom units, shared outdoor areas, a secure entrance and 24/7 onsite support.

The families who will move in include families with young children under the age of 5 who have been navigating homelessness, domestic and family violence, or the kinds of pressures that can place families at risk of child protection intervention. After long periods of uncertainty, this site offers families a safe home and the support needed to rebuild with dignity.

Operated in partnership with Common Ground Queensland, who will manage the building and tenancies, and Micah Projects, who provide onsite, wrap around support, this housing for families will apply the core principles of supportive housing and Housing First, which are backed by evidence as effective ways to help people out of crisis. 

The first families are expected to move in by mid-2026.

Why this site matters

Families with young children are being pushed into homelessness at increasing rates. Recent Brisbane data shows:

• Family homelessness has tripled in a year
• There has been a 48% increase in children experiencing homelessness (Brisbane Zero, 2024–25)
• Domestic and family violence remains the leading cause of homelessness for women and children.

Housing instability makes it harder for parents to keep children safe and well, attend health appointments, or maintain employment. Poverty forces impossible choices between food, transport, medication, rent and safety.

Supportive housing changes this trajectory. When families have a stable home and the right support around them, children can thrive and parents can rebuild.

Supportive Housing Cluster Lead at Micah Projects, Alison Thorburn, says the new site meets a critical need.

“Supportive housing works. The evidence is clear... when families have a safe, stable home and the right support around them, children thrive and parents can rebuild with dignity.

Alison explains that having a supportive housing site specifically for families is a significant step in the right direction.

Help families feel at home

While the units are furnished, they still need the everyday essentials that turn a space into a home — kitchen items, bedding, children’s essentials, bathroom and laundry supplies.

Micah Projects is seeking $36,000 ($2,000 per home) to set up each unit for the families moving in. 

A solution grounded in evidence

This supportive housing site for families builds on two proven local models:

• Keeping Families Together (KFT) — providing stable, subsidised housing and multidisciplinary support to families with children under five.
• Brisbane Common Ground (BCG)— Queensland’s first supportive housing initiative, combining tenancy management with onsite support to sustain housing and improve wellbeing.

Across these projects, we have seen that when families have secure housing and access to integrated support, their health, safety, inclusion and long‑term stability improve.

A partnership that makes supportive housing work

Like BCG and KFT, this site is based on a partnership with clear, complementary roles — a core feature of supportive housing that ensures families have both a stable home and support they can engage with at their own pace.

• Common Ground Queensland manages the building and tenancies, providing a safe, well maintained and affordable housing environment.
• Micah Projects delivers onsite, integrated wrap around support that strengthens family safety, wellbeing, parenting and community connection, drawing on evidence from KFT, Brisbane Common Ground and other two generation programs.

Learn more about supporting housing

• Brisbane Domestic Violence Service Housing First Factsheet
• Keeping Families Together – Study Report 
• Supportive Housing Publications 
• Our Supportive Housing services
• Keeping Families Together video 
• Sustaining Tenancies Report