When SCP started there were only 14 beds for homeless women in Brisbane at the Anglican Women's Hostel (and a reported 600 beds for homeless men). The Committee was founded to do something about this inequality, but when questions were asked about how many homeless women there were who needed accommodation – there were no real answers. Statistics weren't generally kept on homeless women.

At that stage, the major role of the committee was to make homelessness an issue and to get homeless women on the political agenda, so that the community recognised the need for fundraising. And it soon emerged that there were probably as many homeless women as there were homeless men. But the problem had remained 'invisible'  -- mainly because homeless women don't want to attract attention: living on the streets is so dangerous,

Too often women go unnoticed in the community – and in the budget.

Recent surveys however indicate that the number of homeless women is increasing – and that many of them are very young. So while there have been initiatives to help homeless women over the last few years – the problem has not gone away. The unaffordability of housing and rental accommodation are making things even more difficult, and as Kathleen Noonan has reported in the Courier Mail,  we now confront the problem of the working homeless as well.

This makes the need to promote community awareness – and the need to raise further funds to help women find appropriate accommodation -  even more pressing. To be able to make the best use of its funds, SCP is keen to know what accommodation is available for women – and what the priorities are. So when  the Brisbane Housing Company offered to provide a tour of some of the facilities available for women in Brisbane, SCP was grateful for the opportunity  - and very appreciative of the efforts of the helpful staff at BHC.  

Since the committee was founded there have been some major and positive changes, with the Queensland government, for example, allocating substantial amounts of money to improve the plight of the homeless, and a fair share of these resources has gone to women: (Minister Schwarten has provided $10.5 million for the redevelopment of the Lady Bowen complex). While committee members were aware of the projects underway, it was very rewarding to be able to 'see for ourselves' what progress had been made – but what problems still remain.