The LNP's state member for Mermaid Beach, Ray Stevens, has petitioned the government to review its use of short-term crisis accommodation in "delicate areas" like Miami, due to concerns around crime and public safety.

But while the Minister for Housing has suggested Mr Stevens "would rather see the most vulnerable in our community living on the street", a homeless support service has told the ABC "we're all saying the same thing".

"We're just coming at it from different perspectives," Gold Coast Homeless Network chair Maria Leebeek said.

"We just need more housing, full stop."

Miami and North Burleigh are among the most sought-after Gold Coast suburbs, with a rental vacancy rate of just 0.3 per cent, well below a balanced market of 3 to 4 per cent.

Political barbs traded

Mr Stevens said using motels for short-term accommodation has brought "troubled people" into the Miami and north Burleigh areas.

"In terms of alcohol issues, drug issues and general mental issues, and they're [Department of Housing] putting them into unsupervised areas," he said.

Mr Stevens said the State Government must review its policy of operating short-term social housing in "delicate areas, in otherwise quiet residential areas".

"The public housing group, and there's a lot of homeless people involved in this relocation or provision of temporary accommodation, need to be put into areas where there is supervision for them," he said.

In a statement, Minister for Communities and Housing Leeanne Enoch said Mr Stevens "would rather see some of the most vulnerable in our community living on the street than being provided assistance to find long-term housing solutions".

"As I outlined to the Member, this type of accommodation is used as a temporary measure, in emergency situations, while agencies work with these vulnerable people on longer term housing solutions," Ms Enoch said.

"The Queensland Government takes a person-centred approach to assist those in our society who are most in need, with housing and other social support.

"Homelessness is a complex issue that requires ongoing engagement and a multi-faceted approach."

Motel short-term accommodation 'very common'

Gold Coast Homeless Network chair Maria Leebeek said the use of motels, as seen in the Miami area, for short-term accommodation is "very common".

"It's always been a response to people experiencing homelessness due to lack of crisis beds," she said.

According to a recent report from the University of New South Wales and the Australian Council of Social Service, around 40,000 people were placed into motels in mid-2020, as a short-term response response to the pandemic.

But it was estimated only one-third have since been placed into long-term accommodation.

"It just depends on who is experiencing homelessness at any given time and how quickly we can move people through that accommodation because it's quite expensive."

But she said motels are used for short-term accommodation all across the Gold Coast and not just in the Miami area.

Homeless services have no other option

According to a spokesperson from the Department of Housing, in mid-February there were 3,392 people on the Gold Coast housing register waitlist.

And 392 new social housing homes are being built by 2022, adding to the current stock of 5,094.

But Ms Leebeck said a police review, as suggested by Ray Stevens, is unnecessary.

"Services like ourselves are placed in the position where that is our only option," Ms Leebeck said.

She said rental vacancy rates below one per cent and surging property prices on the back of strong interstate migration, means people on low-incomes "have less and less options".

"They're sheltering where they can and some of those places happen to be motels."