Sunshine Coast

Sunshine Coast is a laid-back stretch of beaches, hinterland, and growing suburbs north of Brisbane, known for its surf culture and slower pace, though rising rents have hit hard here in recent years. Average household income sits around $1,850 a week, but that figure hides a lot of people doing it tough on far less. The 2021 Census counted 494 people experiencing homelessness across the region, and local workers say the real number has climbed since, especially among older women and young people priced out of housing. Coast2Bay Housing Group works on affordable housing and tenancy support, Suncoast Care Association runs a soup kitchen and welfare services in Nambour, and Vinnies (St Vincent de Paul) has op shops and emergency relief across the region worth knowing about. Rent here can swallow a paycheck fast, so these groups exist because the system doesn't always hold people up on its own. If you're reading this because things are hard right now, you're not invisible, and there are people on this coast who show up for strangers every single day.