After a two-year campaign, the region’s second sleepbus is ready to provide a safe night’s sleep to some of the Sunshine Coast’s most vulnerable residents.
The new pink sleepbus will accommodate women and children and joins the Coast’s other sleepbus, which has provided 1026 safe sleeps for people – and their pets – since its launch in mid-2022.
Sleepbus takes out-of-service buses and converts them into secure overnight accommodation at no cost for people experiencing homelessness.
Despite a few speed bumps and delays, the pink sleepbus launched at Mooloolaba on Tuesday with it to begin operating on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights from next month.
The newly fitted-out bus features 10 secure self-contained lockable sleeping pods, complete with double bunks, clean bedding, TV, charging ports, climate controls and access to lockable toilets.
Fundraising for the pink sleepbus began in 2021 and thanks to the generosity of the community raised more than $100,000 in a matter of weeks.
ComfortDelGro Corporation Australia (CDC), has partnered with sleepbus since 2019, donating the buses and providing fuel, mechanical repairs and storage at its local depots throughout the day.
The new pink sleepbus is one of five that CDC has donated and CEO Nicholas Yap said the company was proud to support the service.
“Sleepbus is the perfect partner for us as we can not only offer our end-of-use vehicles to be converted and extensive facilities around the country to keep the buses clean, fuelled and operational, but most importantly help provide some respite for those experiencing homelessness,” Mr Yap said.
“This also gives opportunities for our people to build connections with the communities in the spirit of the values that define us and demonstrate their care.
“Even if it’s just for a single night, knowing our former buses and our teams are supporting Australians to have a safe and secure place to sleep is important to us as a business.”
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the number of people experiencing homelessness increased by 5.2 per cent in the five years to 2021 to 122,494.
In the same period, the number of women experiencing homelessness rose by 10.1 per cent.
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare noted that in the period from January 2022 to June 2023, the number of people nationally receiving specialist homelessness services had increased by 7.4 per cent, with a 21.7 per cent rise in Queensland in the same period.
Of those people either homeless or at risk of homelessness, 57 per cent were women.
Sleepbus CEO Simon Rowe said while both buses are now operational, the service relies on volunteers and to meet demand and the goal of providing the service daily, the charity is now calling on locals to get involved.
“With more hands on deck, the service will be able to operate more days, providing more people with a safe place to sleep,” Mr Rowe said.
“It takes about nine people to look after each bus.
“There’s a range of ways people can help out and we know people’s lives change, so we don’t ask them to commit to regular shifts or hours.
“Whenever anyone has a few hours to commit to, we welcome them with open arms.”
Roles include bus drivers, caretakers, housekeeping and service volunteers, with training provided.
Visit sleepbus.org.
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