The Sunshine Coast Business Council is urging business and community leaders across the Sunshine Coast to step up and support the 2026 Vinnies CEO Sleepout, as housing stress and homelessness continue to escalate across the region.
On Thursday 18 June, leaders from across Australia will swap their beds for sleeping bags as part of the annual Vinnies CEO Sleepout, raising vital funds and awareness for people experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity.
The Sunshine Coast Business Council (SCBC) is once again rallying a team of business leaders to take part in the local event, with a goal of raising $40,000 for St Vincent de Paul Society Queensland.
The call for support comes as the housing crisis continues to intensify across Queensland and the Sunshine Coast, with nearly 59,000 Queenslanders currently on the state’s social housing waiting list – the highest number on record – including more than 33,000 people considered homeless or at severe risk of homelessness.
Across the Sunshine Coast region, more than 3,500 locals are waiting an average of more than 30 months to secure a home, while rental costs have increased by around 60 per cent for houses and 70 per cent for units over the past five years. The region’s rental vacancy rate remains critically low at approximately 0.8 per cent.
Deputy Chair of the SCBC Brady Sullivan said the statistics reflect a growing crisis affecting people across all parts of the community.
“This is no longer an issue affecting only society’s most vulnerable people – we are seeing workers, families, older Australians and women escaping violence increasingly unable to secure safe and stable housing,” Mr Sullivan said.
“Behind every statistic is a real person facing impossible circumstances, whether that’s sleeping in a car, couch surfing or making the difficult choice between paying rent and putting food on the table.
“The Vinnies CEO Sleepout is an opportunity for the business community to step up, show leadership and play a tangible role in supporting people doing it tough in our own backyard.
“The SCBC has proudly supported the CEO Sleepout since 2014, with more than 110 members taking part over the years, and we’re calling on more local business and community leaders to join us this year.”
This year SCBC members sleeping out include representatives from Stockland, Walker Corporation, Sunshine Coast Airport, GHD, Regional Development Australia, Argon Law and Fresh PR & Marketing.
Sunshine Coast Vinnies CEO Sleepout Committee Chair Anthony Walsh said demand for support services across Queensland continued to rise.
“In the past financial year alone, Vinnies Queensland supported more than 238,000 vulnerable Queenslanders, including more than 18,000 people across the Sunshine Coast region,” Mr Walsh said.
“The funds raised through the CEO Sleepout directly support frontline services, emergency accommodation, food relief, housing assistance and programs that help people rebuild their lives.”
Mr Walsh said local business leaders had an important role to play in helping drive both awareness and fundraising outcomes.
“We’re encouraging Sunshine Coast business and community leaders to either register to join the Sleepout, or to support teams like the Sunshine Coast Business Council through donations,” he said.
“Every person who signs up, every conversation started and every dollar raised helps make a genuine difference for people facing homelessness and housing insecurity.”
The 2026 Vinnies CEO Sleepout will be held on Thursday 18 June 2026 on Maroochydore Beach.
To join the Sunshine Coast Business Council team or donate, visit Vinnies CEO Sleepout.
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About the Sunshine Coast Business Council
Sunshine Coast Business Council remains the peak business advocacy body on the Sunshine Coast, with membership spanning key national and regional industry groups and major private-sector employers across tourism, property, construction, retail, finance, telecommunications and professional services. Through this network the Sunshine Coast Business Council touches approximately 10,000 businesses.
