The 2021 Women in Planning Breakfast featured Sonya Keep, CEO of Common Ground Queensland (CGQ). Sonya shares her experience pioneering Queensland's first supportive housing initiative offering an effective solution to homelessness - a truly incredibly story.
Running in conjunction with International Women's Day this event will celebrate the valued contribution that women make to the planning profession and its' wider industry.
Meet the Speaker
Sonya Keep is the CEO of Common Ground Queensland (CGQ), a specialist housing organisation working to end homelessness through the creation of supportive homes that respond to people’s needs and improve wellbeing and connectedness.
CGQ is the property manager for Brisbane Common Ground, Queenslands first supportive housing initiative offering 146 units of permanent, safe and affordable housing. Established in 2012, this pioneering project and evidence based housing model has been successfully established, delivered and independently evaluated as an effective solution to homelessness. CGQ has been able to leverage this success in 2020 to embark on a new project delivering supportive housing to vulnerable families.
Before joining CGQ Sonya spent 12 years with the Australian Red Cross in State and National roles directly contributing to the organisations work to reduce disadvantage experienced by vulnerable people and those affected by disasters.
Sonya is a member of the South East Queensland Housing Supply Expert Panel, a previous member of the Inclusive Brisbane Board and currently serves on the board of several not for profit organisations promoting inclusion and responses to homelessness. Sonya is dedicated to creating a community that accepts, includes, and enables all its people to lead fulfilled lives and a strong advocate for housing to be acknowledged as a fundamental human right.
1 CPD Point