Homelessness and Terminal Illness: A Failure of Multiple Systems

Strategic Insights -

As Tammie Thrower lay in palliative care, her primary concern was finding a place to live. Despite battling stage four bowel cancer since 2023, she was evicted from her home in January, thrusting her into homelessness. Her story, though shocking, is common in Brisbane, where 21 people died of diagnosed terminal illnesses while homeless in 2025 alone. The youngest was 27, the oldest 83, and several spent their last days sleeping rough before being taken to hospital to die.

Key Takeaways:

  • Tammie Thrower, a 50-year-old mother of three, was evicted from her home in January 2023, while battling stage four bowel cancer, and forced into homelessness.
  • 21 people died of diagnosed terminal illnesses while homeless in Brisbane in 2025, with the youngest being 27 and the oldest 83.
  • Tammie's mother, Coral Clarke, was unable to provide her daughter with stable housing, despite being on a pension, due to the city's low rental vacancy rate (0.7%).
  • The Queensland government's housing minister, Sam O'Connor, acknowledged that "too many Queenslanders with complex health needs" are falling through the cracks due to inadequate systems.
  • The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reported that homeless people die an average of 22-33 years younger, largely due to preventable causes, with around 1,500 homeless people dying prematurely each year.
  • Micah Projects, a homeless outreach service, revealed that the number of homeless children living in motels increased by 48% in the last year, with half of them under four, and the number of families near tripled to 1,230.
  • The CEO of Micah Projects, Karyn Walsh, stated that the service is helping over two dozen homeless people with life-threatening health problems, including cancer, and would help more if they had sufficient funding.
  • There is no available respite care dedicated to homeless people in Brisbane, and Walsh is advocating for better funding and coordination of existing services.

Statistics:

  • 53,874 people are on Queensland's social housing waiting list, a record high.
  • The rental vacancy rate in Brisbane is 0.7%, a near-record low.
  • 21 people died of diagnosed terminal illnesses while homeless in Brisbane in 2025.
  • 1,500 homeless people die prematurely each year, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
  • The number of homeless children living in motels in Brisbane increased by 48% in the last year, with half of them under four.
  • The number of families experiencing homelessness near tripled to 1,230.

Sources:

  • The Guardian: "Homelessness and terminal illness: a failure of multiple systems"
  • Australian Institute of Health and Welfare: "Homelessness and health"
  • Micah Projects: "Homelessness in Brisbane"