St Vincent de Paul Queensland welcomes new leadership to shape state homelessness response

The St Vincent de Paul Society Queensland has appointed Trish Woolley and Bianca Harris to strategic leadership roles to revitalise the Society’s commitment to keep vulnerable Queenslanders out of homelessness. 

These appointments bring a combined 45+ years’ experience across the government, community and property sectors and will assist the Society to deliver more than 600 community homes for people in need across the state. 

Chief Executive Officer Joe Duskovic said the state charity was under critical pressure to deliver support services as Queenslanders continued to face unprecedented levels of homelessness and housing unaffordability. 

“In our 130+ years in Queensland, we’ve never seen this level of complexity in the housing and homelessness space,” he said. 

“It’s clear that to truly address the issue, we need to go above and beyond just bricks and mortar – we need to help people to escape the cycle of homelessness for good,” he said. 

Trish Woolley, appointed to the new role of General Manager for Service Excellence and Assurance, had extensive experience working with the Society on their homelessness response as former Queensland Deputy Director-General for Housing and Homelessness Services. 

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, we worked together to keep homeless hostel residents in inner Brisbane safe,” she said. 

“As part of this work, we had an opportunity to test improved approaches to delivering housing with support, giving people the dignity of privacy and multi-disciplinary care 

“We found this led to improved long-term outcomes for some of the most vulnerable Queenslanders. 

“This formed the foundation of a new approach to supportive housing and one I’m excited to be able to continue with the Society.” 

In the last financial year, St Vincent de Paul Queensland provided more than 160,000 nights of accommodation and supported nearly 1,300 people experiencing homelessness to find long-term, secure accommodation. 

In 2021, the Society announced it planned to build 500 community homes across Queensland for people struggling to secure safe and affordable housing, with each site having full access to wrap-around support services. 

As the new General Manager – Construction and Property, Bianca Harris will be leading this program, which has since expanded its scope to over 500 homes, with 150+ currently under construction. 

“Building these homes is just the first challenge; the next is keeping people there,” she said. 

“Our goal is long-term stability and independence, ensuring each home we provide includes immediate access to wrap-around support services.” 

Ms Harris brings to the Society more than 20 years’ experience in the property industry, including most recently overseeing the property management of $400m real estate portfolio for the City of Brisbane Investment Corporation. 

The St Vincent de Paul Society Queensland expects to welcome tenants into the first of these new homes by the end of 2026, with construction well underway on a 60-unit site in Nerang, a 27-unit site in Toowoomba and a 60-unit site in Bundaberg. 

The Society’s housing program will also be helped by more than 400 business and community leaders across Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast taking part in the Vinnies CEO Sleepout on 18 June. 

The event hopes to raise $2.7m towards homelessness support across the three events, with more than $1.5m currently raised. 

“The Vinnies CEO Sleepout is a reminder that we all can play a part in supporting Queenslanders experiencing homelessness,” Chief Executive Officer Joe Duskovic said. 

“As the last few years of our housing crisis have shown us, it’s not something we can afford to ignore.” 

For more information, visit ceosleepout.org.au