Between the aftermath of widespread flooding across the East coast of Australia, and the thousands who have migrated interstate to now call Meanjin home, a lack of secure accommodation has reached tipping point.
But for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and children experiencing domestic family violence, a lack of crisis accommodation and secure housing is already toppling over.
Cody Meakin, from West Arrernte is working to change this.
Mr Meakin is spearheading the Ngumpi Uruue Housing Services at the community-run Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Health Service Brisbane.
Mr Meakin said while ATSICHS had funding available for housing, there was not enough and tight spending regulations could put a handbrake on crisis accommodation.
Knowing more needed to be done, Mr Meakin reached out to Baidam Solutions co-founder Jack Reis with a goal to do more.
And the charity golf event to raise support for ATSICHS programs to address domestic family violence, was born.
Together, Baidam Solution and Cultural Cyber Security presented the Golf Day fundraiser on April 14.
Mr Reis, a Badulaig (Kenedth Ke) man from Badu Islands, said the fundraiser would also act to spark deeper societal conversation
"We can't bury our heads in the sand anymore as men," he said.
"If we can cut through the bureaucracy sometimes, just get to the core of whatever it is we're looking to create, which is impact in this instance, and the awareness on domestic violence."
The essential brokerage will support crisis accommodation and accessing household items for Indigenous women and children.
Mr Meakin said funds raised would, among other things, help get people with nowhere to go into hotels and support sustainable tenancy and job prospects.
"With the housing, the way that we approach this is a housing first model; where you get people into houses then you can tap into those wraparound supports," he said.
"While we've been operating a short time... having those internal referral pathways and like very close case coordination, internally people aren't slipping through the cracks.
"It's about the whole family unit.
"It's about not having to be reactive... You know it's not when something when someone's crook, everyone's already on top of that."
The urge for systematic reform has been longstanding: the Family Matters Report 2018 reiterated the need to establish a housing arm with early intervention programs.
That same report painted a damning picture, stating there was a lack of local data regarding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people's experiences with family violence
The need to do so is heavily weighed down by the threat of further State intervention if critical support isn't provided by the right hands and from the right people.
In the fight for self-determination, community-run organisations with cross-sector collaboration are best placed to meet local needs.
Just days after the fundraiser, close to $10,000 has already been raised.
- Story by Rachel Stringfellow
