A homeless family of four are among those removed from a motel supporting people sleeping rough, following an angry letter from residents living in the affluent suburb.
The residents behind the letter have complained about the “behavior” of some residents of the motel in Hamilton, northeast Brisbane.
The residents were placed there by Micah Projects, a government-funded homelessness support service.
The letter calls on locals to contact state politicians, the motel and Micah Projects in a bid to restore one of Brisbane’s wealthiest suburbs to its ‘quiet’ past.
Micah Projects CEO Karyn Walsh said homeless people living at the motel have since been reassigned.
Residents of one of Brisbane’s wealthiest suburbs, Hamilton, have written a letter (pictured) urging ‘action’ against a motel housing the homeless
The resident objected to the “behavior” of those staying at the motel, claiming that the nonprofit that housed them there, Micah Projects, had failed to screen them or provide ongoing support.
“Today would be the last day that there is anyone present to whom this specific letter refers,” she told 4BC Radio on Tuesday.
‘We do screen people, but we cannot predict behavior better than anyone else.
“Some of the incidents that have been talked about are incidents that would require you to call the police in any community. These are not incidents that an organization like Micah Projects can prevent or address, or even know are happening.”
It is understood a family of four living at the motel moved to other accommodation last week.
A Hamilton resident claimed they saw someone with a knife outside the motel threatening to kill people, 10 News reported.
The letter, which was dropped in neighbors’ mailboxes, accused the nonprofit of failing to “screen” those placed at the motel for shelter or provide ongoing support.
“With many voices, we can change our community for the better,” the letter reads.
“We have already taken some action to remove certain people, and we need your help to return to the safe and peaceful neighborhood we had before these people were placed in place.”
The letter alleged that some of those placed at the motel for housing were “able to remain at the motel despite seriously violating required standards of conduct.”
Some struggling families have been forced to live in tents because they were unable to secure rental housing
On the second page of the letter, affected residents were given a list of emails, including those from Ms Walsh, the local MP, and the Minister for Policy, Community Safety and Housing.
Ms Walsh said some of the issues raised by the community are not being committed by those housed at Micah Projects, or are ‘outside the scope’ of the organisation.
“In terms of community concerns about the specific people there (housed by Micah Projects), they have been removed,” she previously told Daily Mail Australia.
“I am aware of what the community is saying publicly, and we have taken action and had conversations with those considered a problem at the motel.
“We always want to balance the needs of the vulnerable in the community with the needs of the community.”
The agreement between the motel and Micah Projects has been in place for years, allowing vacant rooms to be used as temporary accommodation for those in need.
Ms Walsh said the “aim” was not to get vulnerable people to stay for long periods of time, but instead “to get them out of motels and permanent homes as quickly as possible”.
Micah Projects CEO Karyn Walsh (pictured) has dismissed some of the letter’s claims, saying the nonprofit was active in helping people at the motel and had removed troublemakers
She said the organization fully supports the motel as a private business that sets its own standards for the behavior of those who stay there.
“If people don’t adhere to these standards, we don’t tell managers not to stay there and ask them not to contact police if there are safety concerns specifically affecting women and children,” Ms Walsh said .
It comes amid a homelessness crisis in Australia, with some families forced to live in tents.
There were 122,494 homeless people across Australia at the 2021 census.
Lately, major cities have been flooded with tents as residents struggle to find a place to live.
Images have recently been shared of groups of tents set up along the Brisbane River between the William Jolly and Go Between bridges in the inner-city suburb of South Brisbane.