Q Shelter

What Q Shelter does

Q Shelter is Queensland's peak body for the housing and homelessness sector, structured as a Queensland Incorporated Association (IA11514) and a registered charity (ABN 21 495 503 790). Its stated vision is that every Queenslander has a home. The organization operates three core functions: (1) policy influence through the Housing Round Table with the Queensland Department of Housing, biannual forums, policy submissions, Policy Advisory Groups, and an annual Policy Framework document; (2) sector support via The Deck Resource Hub (thedeck.org.au), an online resource platform funded by the Queensland Government, plus a portfolio of co-developed toolkits covering domestic and family violence (DFV), language inclusion, strategic engagement, and complex tenancy sustainment; and (3) professional services including paid training events, the Home Matters newsletter, the CEO and Leaders' Forum, and award programs (Kent Maddock Memorial Award, Deirdre Coghlan Bursary of $7,000 per annum).

Its core products include The Deck Resource Hub, the House Keys benchmarking tool (co-developed with Community Housing Industry Australia NSW), the free DFV training course for property professionals, the Language Guide, and the Creating Sustainable Tenancies toolkit. Underlying technology is a conventional content/resource website platform — no APIs, SDKs, or technical integrations are disclosed. The organization has an active partnership network spanning the Queensland Department of Housing, the Department of Child Safety Youth and Women, the Australian Government Department of Social Services, National Shelter, Multicultural Australia, Reconciliation Queensland, Everybody's Home Campaign, Make Renting Fair in Queensland, Krueger Consultancy Services, Queenslanders with Disability Network, and Centre for Culture Ethnicity & Health.

The business model is a not-for-profit peak body funded by government grants (Queensland Government funds The Deck; Queensland DCFSYW and Australian DSS co-fund DFV work), membership fees from Community Housing Providers and Specialist Homelessness Services, paid training and event fees, and corporate sponsorship. Pricing is freemium: most toolkits and the DFV course are free, while events and the Deirdre Coghlan Bursary operate on paid/awarded models. Geographic scope is Queensland, Australia, served from a Spring Hill, Brisbane head office at 515 Wickham Terrace, with a headcount band of 11-50 employees. Customers include Community Housing Providers, Specialist Homelessness Services, the Queensland Department of Housing, and increasingly property managers and real estate agents targeted by the DFV training program.

Name

Q Shelter

Legal name

Q Shelter

Website

https://qshelter.asn.au

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Q Shelter is Queensland's peak body for the housing and homelessness sector, operating as a not-for-profit Incorporated Association that convenes Community Housing Providers, Specialist Homelessness Services, and the Queensland Government to influence housing policy and deliver sector resources, toolkits, training, and the state-funded The Deck Resource Hub.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Housing and Homelessness Advocacy Services

NAICS

Community Housing Services (62422), Other Community Housing Services (624229), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Homelessness Prevention, Shelter & Supportive Housing Services (BPAIANAC), Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC)

Keywords

• Housing sector advocacy
• Homelessness policy
• Community housing support
• Sector capacity building
• Peak body membership

Headquarters

HQ city

Brisbane

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: Q Shelter operates as a not-for-profit peak body funded primarily through government grants and funding arrangements. They receive funding from Queensland Government and potentially federal government sources to support their policy advocacy, sector support, and capacity building activities.
2. Membership Fees: Q Shelter operates a membership model for community housing providers, homelessness services, and other stakeholders in the housing sector.
3. Training and Events: Q Shelter delivers training programs, professional development events, and conferences for the housing and homelessness sector. They charge fees for some training and events including their CEO and Leaders' Forum and other professional events.
4. Deirdre Coghlan Bursary: Q Shelter distributes bursaries ($7,000 per annum) to support professional development activities for members working in the affordable housing and homelessness sector.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Q Shelter is the peak body for the housing and homelessness sector in Queensland, delivering policy advocacy to government, sector capacity building through training and resource toolkits, convening forums and advisory groups, and managing The Deck Resource Hub as a shared sector platform. It funds its activities through government grants and membership fees from community housing providers, specialist homelessness services, and other sector stakeholders.

Product overview

Q Shelter operates as a peak body organization offering a portfolio of advocacy services, sector support tools, and resource platforms rather than a unified software product. The primary offerings include The Deck Resource Hub (a shared platform for housing sector resources), various toolkits (Domestic and Family Violence, Language Guide, Strategic Engagement, Complex Tenancies), benchmarking tools (House Keys), award programs (Kent Maddock Memorial Award, Deirdre Coghlan Bursary), and workforce wellbeing resources. These products serve the Queensland housing and homelessness sector through policy influence, capacity building, and professional development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Deck: A resource hub for the housing and homelessness sector in Queensland, providing tools, resources, events, research, and networking opportunities.
• Service Integration Group

Products and services

• The Deck Resource Hub Shared sector platform providing research, tools, resources, events, networks, and job listings for Queensland's housing and homelessness sector.
• Domestic and Family Violence Toolkit and Training Course Online self-paced training course and toolkit resources for property professionals, housing providers, and homelessness services to recognize and respond to domestic and family violence in tenancies.
• House Keys Benchmarking Tool Benchmarking tool that enables community housing providers to compare costs and operational performance against sector peers.
• Language Guide Inclusive language guide to support the housing and homelessness sector in using person-centred language across First Nations, disability, and culturally diverse contexts.
• Strategic Engagement and Influence Toolkit Toolkit supporting the housing and homelessness sector in engaging decision-makers on policy, investment, and program design.
• Creating Sustainable Tenancies for Tenants with Complex Needs Toolkit Toolkit for community housing providers managing tenancies of vulnerable people with complex needs.
• Workforce Wellbeing Resources Workforce wellbeing content resources and topic categories for the housing and homelessness sector covering mindfulness, nature connection, and workplace wellness.
• Professional Services Events (CEO and Leaders' Forum and Training) Training programs, professional development events, and conferences (CEO and Leaders' Forum, biannual forums, Regional Representatives' Forums) delivered to the housing and homelessness sector.

Quantifiable outcome

• 39,514 people represented through housing register advocacy
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Toowoomba Together Priority HousingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Joint winner of 2025 Kent Maddock Memorial Award. Partnership between domestic and family violence support services and private market housing providers (Real Estate Agents) to facilitate safer, more stable housing for DFV clients. Partner organizations include Blackbird and Finch Estate Agents, Remax Success Toowoomba, Hot Property, McAdam and Turnbull Realty, 54 Reasons Toowoomba, DVAC Toowoomba, St Vincent de Paul Toowoomba.
• Jinndii Waijung (Lady Musgrave Trust)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Joint winner of 2025 Kent Maddock Memorial Award. Landmark community housing project providing safe, healing-centred homes for vulnerable young mothers and their children in Logan. Delivered by The Lady Musgrave Trust in partnership with Property Industry Foundation, with over 20 partners including YFS for wraparound support.
• The Deck Resource Hub PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerQ Shelter manages The Deck, a shared resource hub for the housing and homelessness sector in Queensland. The platform is funded by Queensland Government and provides resources, research, events, and workforce wellbeing content to the sector.
• Queensland Department of HousingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerQ Shelter maintains a strong working relationship with the Minister for Communities and Housing and the Department of Housing. They participate in the Housing Round Table and collaborate on policy development.
• National ShelterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational peak body for housing and homelessness. Q Shelter is affiliated with National Shelter and participates in national advocacy efforts.
• Community Housing Industry Australia NSWminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to develop and deliver House Keys benchmarking tools for community housing providers, originally developed by Q Shelter and CHIA NSW.
• Multicultural AustraliaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint advocacy on migration and housing discussions. Q Shelter and Multicultural Australia have urged leaders to prioritise thoughtful migration and housing discussions.
• Reconciliation Queensland IncorporatedminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization working on reconciliation matters relevant to housing and homelessness in Queensland.
• Everybody's Home CampaignminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational campaign for better housing. Q Shelter supports the campaign for improved housing affordability and supply.
• Make Renting Fair in QueenslandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCampaign for rental law reforms in Queensland. Q Shelter supports improved security of tenure and rental reforms.
• Therefor GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUrban planning consultancy participating in Building in Faith's Backyard video panel on partnerships between community housing providers and faith-based organizations.
• Archdiocese of BrisbaneminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFaith-based organization exploring partnerships with community housing providers to deliver housing on under-used church land under new Queensland planning legislation.
• Wesleyan Community CareminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFaith-based organization represented on Building in Faith's Backyard panel exploring housing partnerships.
• Access Community Housing Company LtdminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity housing provider represented on Building in Faith's Backyard panel exploring housing partnerships with faith-based organizations.
• Queensland Department of Child Safety, Youth and WomencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunded DFV training resources and toolkit development. Grant received as part of Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Month 2020.
• Australian Government Department of Social ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-funder of domestic and family violence toolkit for private real estate sector, updated April 2022.
• Community Housing Industry Association NSWminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to develop the Creating Sustainable Tenancies for Tenants with Complex Needs toolkit for community housing providers.
• Krueger Consultancy Services (KCS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirst Nations consultancy that collaborated on developing Q Shelter's Language Guide for inclusive, person-centred language.
• Queenslanders with Disability NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on developing Q Shelter's Language Guide to ensure inclusive language for people with disability.
• Centre for Culture, Ethnicity & HealthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on developing Q Shelter's Language Guide for inclusive, person-centred language.
• Community Housing Policy Advisory Group MemberscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner2025 advisory group includes: Grey Space+, Anglicare Central Queensland, Churches of Christ Housing, Access Community Housing Company, BlueCHP, Mangrove Housing, Vinnies Qld, BHC, Y Queensland, National Affordable Housing Consortium, Social Impact Capital Australia, Bluebird Property, Yumba-Meta Ltd.
• Responding to Homelessness Policy Advisory Group MemberscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner2025 advisory group includes: Churches of Christ Homelessness Services, Kingston East Neighbourhood Group, Shelter Housing Action Cairns, Anglicare Southern Queensland, Roseberry, Hervey Bay Neighbourhood Centre, The Salvation Army, Mission Australia, Micah Projects, Communify, Uniting Care Community.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Community Housing Industry Association (CHIA Australia): National industry body representing community housing providers. Q Shelter partners with CHIA NSW on House Keys and Complex Tenancies toolkits and represents overlapping but more sector-spanning peak body interests.
• National Shelter: Australia's national peak body for housing and homelessness. Q Shelter is explicitly affiliated with National Shelter, making it the most directly comparable peer as a sector peak body, though operating at a national rather than state level.
• Shelter WA: Western Australia peak body for housing and homelessness, operating the same state-level peak-body model as Q Shelter, with comparable member base of CHPs and homelessness services.
• Tenants Queensland: Queensland state-wide tenancy advocacy and resource body. Operates in the same Queensland housing advocacy ecosystem as Q Shelter, with overlapping government relationships and tenant-focused policy remit.
• Everybody's Home Campaign: National campaign coalition for housing affordability and supply that Q Shelter actively supports. Operates a similar advocacy-driven peak-body model, but campaign-form rather than ongoing membership peak body.
• Shelter NSW: New South Wales state peak body for housing and homelessness, the most direct structural peer to Q Shelter — same peak-body model, same policy advocacy remit, different state jurisdiction.

Regional players

• Community Housing Victoria: Victorian peak body for community housing providers. While it represents providers rather than the broader homelessness sector like Q Shelter, it operates the same peak-body convening and advocacy model in another Australian state.

Broad incumbents

• Anglicare Australia: Large national network of Anglicare organizations delivering community services including housing and homelessness support. Comparable mission space (housing/homelessness advocacy and service delivery) at much larger scale, with state-level arms that overlap with Q Shelter's member base.
• Homelessness Australia: National peak body specifically for the homelessness sector. Comparable to Q Shelter's homelessness remit, but operating federally and focused on homelessness rather than the broader housing/homelessness portfolio.

Others

• Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI): National research-policy institute for housing and urban research. Q Shelter's policy submissions draw on AHURI-style evidence; as an adjacent evidence and research provider, AHURI functions as a knowledge infrastructure peer rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/QShelter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/qshelter

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Q Shelter