Community & Business
15 May, 2025
Forum to address housing crisis
A FORUM about the housing crisis on the southern Tablelands will be held in Malanda next week with the aim of tackling the issues that are currently being faced.
Presented by the Malanda Chamber of Commerce, the forum, named ‘A Place to Belong’, will address the housing shortage that has grown ever more since COVID, the struggle to find vacancies in the rental market, unaffordable rental rates, and the increasing evidence of homelessness, among other topics.
It will also feature a range of guest speakers including Dr Kevin Harding as the MC, Dr Nikola Stepanov (CEO TRC), Lionel Smith (Building New Homes, Malanda Lions Clubs), David Stokes (local builder), Albi Homann (LJ Hooker Real Estate), Donna Cifuentes (Acting CEO ECHO), and Cate Teece (CEO Tableland Community Housing Association).
“For this year’s Queensland Government supported business month event, we decided to focus our attention on the housing shortage in our area,” the Chamber said in a Facebook post.
“We are aware of the large number of homeless people we have in our area, particularly over 55 women, sleeping rough or in cars.
“Many of us have also seen regular social media posts over the last couple of years of families who are desperate to find rental accommodation.
“We want all attendees to contribute ideas on what we can do to improve what we are doing locally.”
The forum will be held next Thursday 22 May at the Top Rail pub, Malanda from 6.30pm.
To book, visit www.trybooking.com/DAXSJ.
