Queensland government has announced strategy to cut homelessness in half by 2020 The State Government has committed to reducing homelessness. THE state government has committed to halving homelessness by 2020. Under the strategy at least 13 new support accommodation facilities will be built to house people as they transition from the streets to permanent housing. Of these, three will be funded by the state government which estimates at least 20,000 people are homeless in Queensland. In Townsville and Cairns 40-bed facilities will be built and Redcliffe will receive a 20-bed centre. Another 10 centres will be a built on stage government land with non-government organisations providing the capital and support services. The centres will accommodate singles and families but costs have yet to be outlined by the government. The homelessness-to-housing strategy 2020 was announced yesterday by Minister for Housing and Public Works Tim Mander who said it was a two-pronged approach to solving homelessness. "The solution to homelessness is not simply putting a roof over people's heads you've also got to have the support services to make sure that we can equip people to move through the system and eventually have independent living themselves," he said. Mr Mander promised a more 'strategic approach' than the current system where about 140 organisations deliver 200 programs. It's a whole of government, whole of community organisation approach. It's going to be a strategic approach not just piecemeal... this will make sure we get better value for money and in the end better service delivered to those people who are the greatest in need," Mr Mander said. Under the strategy the government will 'track' people's progress once they enter the system. When somebody enters the system there is a consistent approach made so that no matter where they go, no matter what agency they first see, that we will be able to track these people, that we will be able to case manage them and track their progress from very high supported accommodation through to independent living. At least one of the joint housing centres is slated for completion by 2016 with all to be built by 2020. Queensland Shelter executive officer Adrian Pisarski welcomed the reforms. "I think the strategy also asks the community sector to rise up the batting order somewhat and take on a bigger responsibility... we can't any longer rely just on government to deliver these services, we really need to make sure that the whole community comes together to deliver a response," he said. He said the strategy allows community groups and the state government to work together to 'tailor a response' for each person which was the biggest point of difference from past policies. At yesterday's announcement was Wanda Babeluk, 20, who has lived in the Logan Youth Foyer Support Service for seven months. The facility is similar to those that will be built under the government strategy. Ms Babeluk has a three-year-old son who lives with his father after she found herself without a home late last year. She is now living at the Logan service while looking for work in the hope of saving enough money to move into her own home and be reunited with her son. "I don't know where I would be if it wasn't for them," she said. I'm trying to get back on my feet.