Goodna Street Life: Housing, Food and Second Chances in Goodna

In Ipswich, about 1,500 people were homeless on Census night 2021 – roughly 1 in 170 locals, many of them under 25.

Into that gap, Goodna Street Life started in 2015 as a small Goodna-based effort to give people a bed, a meal and someone in their corner.

Today it runs sleeping pods, crisis beds, food relief and supported homes on a tight budget while pushing for more long-term housing.

This guide walks through how it works and where it’s heading.

Goodna Street Life’s 4 Pillars

What Goodna Street Life Actually Does

• Housing and crisis beds – Pods, crisis rooms, Laurel’s Place family crisis house and leased homes and units with support.
• Food and basics – Haven Foodbank and Community Pantry at The Haven hub in Layard St.
• Health and recovery – GSL Rehabilitation and the Helen’s Haven Homeless Health Clinic tied directly to housing.
• Work, community and income – Op shop, Haven Kitchen, At The Haven Hair, Tool Library, Recycle Centre and GSL Realty.

How to Get Emergency Help in Goodna

Step by Step: How Intake Works

Step 1 – Reach Out

• Call – Phone (07) 3818 9417 in business hours.
• Visit – Goodna Street Life / Helens Haven, Shop 7–8, 5 Smiths Rd, Goodna.
• After hours – Queensland Homeless Hotline 1800 474 753.

Step 2 – First Chat

• Safety check – Where you slept, who is with you and any DV or health risks.
• Vacancy check – What pods, crisis rooms or houses are free for singles, couples or families.

Step 3 – Same Day Shelter if Possible

• Bed or pod – A sleeping pod or crisis room that day if there is space.
• Basics – A bed, shower and food through Haven Foodbank or Haven Kitchen.

Step 4 – Practical Support

• Documents – Help with ID, Centrelink, housing applications and DV orders.
• Referrals – Links to other services where needed.

Step 5 – Next Place to Live

• Short term – Pods or crisis rooms via Helen’s Haven, or Laurel’s Place for families.
• Longer term – Leased GSL homes, social housing or a private rental, often with help from GSL Realty.

Crisis Housing, Pods and Community Homes

What GSL Housing Covers in Goodna

• Pods and crisis rooms – Short stay beds for singles and couples.
• Family crisis house – Laurel’s Place for parents and children.
• Leased homes and units – More than 10 properties used as supported community housing.
• Community Housing Fund – Pool of money that helps secure and keep those homes.

Housing Services and Contacts

Goodna Street Life / Helens Haven – Housing Intake

• Address – Shop 7–8, 5 Smiths Rd, Goodna QLD 4300.
• Phone – (07) 3818 9417.
• Opening hours – Business hours, usually Mon–Sat.
• What it does – First contact point for housing help and referrals into pods, crisis beds, Laurel’s Place and community housing.

The Haven Hub – Pods and Housing Support

• Address – 9 Layard St, Goodna QLD 4300.
• Phone – (07) 3818 9417.
• Opening hours – Typically Mon–Fri 9am–4pm and Sat mornings (check GSL channels).
• What it does – Sleeping pods, some crisis rooms, Foodbank, Pantry and daily support.

Laurel’s Place – Family Crisis House

• Location – Queen St, Goodna QLD (exact number not public).
• Phone – (07) 3818 9417 via the housing team.
• Opening hours – Residential crisis accommodation by placement.
• What it does – Short term housing and support for families with children who have lost housing.

GSL Community Housing – Leased Homes and Units

• Location – Leased homes and units across Goodna and nearby suburbs.
• Phone – (07) 3818 9417.
• Opening hours – Support and visits by appointment through the housing team.
• What it does – Medium term supported housing after crisis beds.

Former Site – Weeroona Hotel, 229 Brisbane Rd

• What changed – Helen’s Haven started in the old Weeroona Hotel at 229 Brisbane Rd. Ipswich City Council approved demolition in May 2025 and the building is now gone. The program now runs from Smiths Rd and The Haven hub instead.

Haven Foodbank and Community Pantry

How GSL Keeps Fridges Stocked

• Haven Foodbank – Low cost groceries and hampers.
• Community Pantry – Pantry staples, toiletries, cleaning products and baby items.
• Haven Kitchen – Cheap cooked meals and catering for GSL clients and supporters.

Food Services and Contacts

Haven Foodbank and Community Pantry

• Address – The Haven hub, 9 Layard St, Goodna QLD 4300.
• Phone – (07) 3818 9417.
• Opening hours – Set sessions each week posted on the “Goodna Street Life Community Pantry & Foodbank” page.
• What it does – Low cost groceries, hampers and basics for locals on low incomes or in crisis.

Haven Kitchen

• Address – Part of The Haven site at 9 Layard St, Goodna.
• Phone – (07) 3818 9417.
• Opening hours – Meal nights and events advertised via GSL and Haven Kitchen channels.
• What it does – Very low cost prepared meals and catering that help fund GSL and provide skills.

Health and Recovery Linked to Housing

How GSL Handles Health and Recovery

• Addiction support – Recovery work around alcohol and other drugs while people are housed.
• Basic health – Checks and referrals through a homeless health clinic.
• Linked services – Bridges into mainstream health rather than a separate system.

Health Services and Contacts

GSL Rehabilitation

• Access – Through GSL Housing or staff at 5 Smiths Rd or The Haven hub.
• Phone – (07) 3818 9417.
• Opening hours – Structured support and sessions during the week.
• What it does – Recovery and routine around alcohol and other drugs tied to housing.

Helen’s Haven Homeless Health Clinic

• Location – Linked to Helens Haven at 5 Smiths Rd, Goodna and The Haven hub.
• Phone – (07) 3818 9417.
• Opening hours – Specific clinic times advertised through GSL channels.
• What it does – Basic checks, wound care and referrals for people using GSL services.

Op Shop, Social Enterprises and Income

How GSL Uses Business to Fund Beds

• Income – Brings in money to keep housing and food going.
• Training – Offers real workplaces and skills for people coming out of crisis.
• Local support – Lets locals back GSL just by where they shop and eat.

Social Enterprises and Contacts

Goodna Street Life Op Shop

• Address – Shop 7–8, 5 Smiths Rd, Goodna QLD 4300.
• Phone – (07) 3818 9417.
• Opening hours – Typically Mon–Sat 9am–4:30pm.
• What it does – Low cost clothing and goods, plus retail training and income for GSL.

Haven Kitchen

• Address – The Haven hub, 9 Layard St, Goodna QLD 4300.
• Phone – (07) 3818 9417.
• Opening hours – Posted meal sessions and events.
• What it does – Cheap meals, catering and training, with every order helping fund GSL.

At The Haven Hair

• Address – 45 Smiths Rd, Goodna QLD 4300.
• Phone – 0455 995 561.
• What it does – Affordable cuts and grooming plus training and income for GSL.

GSL Tool Library and Recycle Centre

• Location – Operates from GSL sites in Goodna (linked to 5 Smiths Rd and The Haven).
• Phone – (07) 3818 9417.
• Opening hours – Advertised hire and drop off times.
• What it does – Tool hire, repair and recycling with skills and income feeding back into GSL.

GSL Realty

• Address – 8/5 Smiths Rd, Goodna QLD 4300.
• Phone – (07) 3818 9417.
• What it does – Real estate services that direct profit and some properties back into GSL housing.

Who Runs Goodna Street Life

Leadership and Team

• Founder – Helen Youngberry, president of GSL, leads housing and crisis work and is the public face of the charity. 2026 Queensland Local Hero nominee in the Australian of the Year Awards.
• Co-leader – Steven Purcell, vice president and general manager, helped build the Helen’s Haven program and leads GSL Realty.
• Staff – About 3 full time equivalent positions across housing, food, admin and social enterprises.
• Volunteers – Roughly 30 volunteers across the op shop, Foodbank, hub and events.

Money, Scale and Risk

Goodna Street Life by the Numbers

• Income – about $1.04m in 2023.
• Expenses – almost the same amount, so very little left over.
• Team – roughly 3 FTE staff and about 30 volunteers.
• Impact – at least 40,880 nights of accommodation and 23 tonnes of food in a recent reporting year.

Money In (Approximate)

• Donations – around 1/3 from community donations and fundraising.
• Trading – around 1/3 from the op shop, social enterprises and resident rent.
• Grants – around 1/3 from grants, disaster funding and other income.

Money Out (Approximate)

• Housing costs – about 1/2 for leases, rates, utilities and maintenance across crisis houses, hubs and leased homes.
• Staff costs – about 1/4 for wages and on costs for the small core team.
• Running costs – about 1/4 for food, vehicles, insurance, compliance and admin.

Financial Risk Snapshot

• Thin margin – GSL has run losses in several recent years and still carries six figure debts.
• Break even – 2023 was basically break even, so there is almost no buffer for the scale of work being done.

Ipswich Housing Pressure and Why GSL Matters

Ipswich Housing in Numbers

• Homelessness – about 1,503 people in the Ipswich region were homeless on Census night 2021, roughly 1 in 170 residents.
• Youth – about 415 were aged 12–24, roughly 1 in 4 of everyone counted as homeless.
• Growth – Ipswich has ~260,000 residents and is projected to more than double over coming decades.
• Vacancy – rental vacancy often sits near 1%, far below a balanced market.

Where GSL Sits in That Picture

• Bed layer – Pods, crisis beds, a family crisis house and leased homes in and around Goodna.
• Food layer – Foodbank and Pantry backing up housing and helping low income households.
• Budget reality – All of this on roughly $1m a year with a tiny staff and volunteer heavy model.

What Drives Goodna Street Life

In Helen’s Own Words

• Built from crisis – GSL was built “brick by brick, crisis by crisis, person by person” out of local need, not comfort.
• Hope as action – Hope is defined as beds, meals, showers, lifts to interviews and someone to talk to when things are at their worst.
• System, not choice – Homelessness is framed as a policy and system issue, not a lifestyle choice.