A business owner fears losing her hair salon after a squatter set up a makeshift house behind the shop, blocking her staff from entering.
Emma Hayes, owner of C’ba Hair in Capalaba, southeast of Brisbane, was told by employees while visiting her family that a 52-year-old homeless woman had set up a small shelter behind the salon on March 6.
Ms Hayes was informed a squatter (pictured) had set up shelter for her under her hair salon in Brisbane’s south-east last month.
CCTV footage captured the homeless woman moving a large wooden pallet and leaving behind rubbish on the night of March 14.
Hayes told WhatsNew2Day Australia the woman invited several people to the makeshift shelter and left a huge mess.
“They were stealing power, she was having sex with people there for drugs, and there are disgusting things everywhere, including needles,” he said.
Hayes claims the homeless woman also lit several fires next to the gas bottles that supply power to her store.
The squatters left a huge mess (pictured) in the space under the living room that had been used as a makeshift house.
The business owner, who now pays $17,000 in insurance to protect her store from intruders, fears she herself may be forced onto the streets if the homeless problem is not addressed.
“If I lose this hall, I will end up homeless because I don’t have a husband and I don’t come from a rich family,” Mrs. Hayes said.
‘My house is my guarantor.’
Hayes said it had been stressful dealing with homeless people living in the area.
“I’ve had moments where I’m doing my hair and a guy walks in with his head on ice and I have to stop what I’m doing because everyone is so scared,” she said.
He is still recovering from the loss of another hair salon business in 2021, when a homeless man started a fire inside a recycling bin, causing the store to catch fire, and the damage left him $50,000 out of pocket.
Hayes, the daughter of a former police officer, said she made multiple reports to police about squatters, but was told there was little officers could do about it unless a criminal offense had been committed.
A Queensland Police spokesperson told the WhatsNew2Day that officers had spoken to the woman after reports were made about her.
Emma Hayes (pictured), owner of C’ba Hair Salon in Capalaba, said she fears losing her business due to rising insurance costs.
The squatters set up the makeshift house in a small space behind the business, forcing staff to clean up the mess left behind (pictured).
“Homelessness is not a criminal offense and the Queensland Police Service (QPS) does not remove rough sleepers,” the spokesperson said.
“However, if a crime is detected, officers will take appropriate action.”
The spokesman said officers advised the building’s owner to cordon off the small space and post “No Trespassing” signs to prevent people from using the area as a place to live.
It is understood that the woman left the area and moved to another space not far from the hair salon.
Hayes said he tried to help the woman, but she rejected his offer.
“I offered to buy the woman a tent and food,” he said.
Various support groups were also contacted to provide support. Ms. Hayes was told that she could not provide much help.
Jess, one of the staff working at the salon, said it was the third time the business had been affected by homeless people looking for a space to stay.
“That’s why we pay some of the highest salon insurance in the country,” he said.
A member of staff told the WhatsNew2Day that the store has had to deal with multiple homeless incidents which caused problems in the salon (pictured, store CCTV footage of another incident involving a trespasser)
Hayes revealed he is paying a whopping $17,000 in insurance to protect his hair salon (pictured) from intruders.
Mrs Hayes said her staff were forced to clean up rubbish left by squatters and other homeless people.
He said his hair salon is not the only business in the area that squatters have used to set up their makeshift homes.
“She (the homeless woman) moved into The Hub (a medical store on Raymond Street)… and (allegedly) lit fires there,” Ms Hayes said.
Queensland has seen the largest increase in homeless assistance claims of any state, according to a report from Homebeing Australia.
The peak body for homeless people found that 16,225 applied for assistance in the state in March 2023, an increase of 12.9 percent from December 2022.
Earlier this year, the state government announced it was aiming to build a further 53,500 social homes by 2046, adding to around $6 billion in housing investment.
Figures from property website Domain found vacancy rates in Brisbane fell slightly from 0.9 per cent in December last year to 0.8 per cent in January this year.