A homeless charity says it has been barred from a public park by the City of Gold Coast just a week out from Christmas.

Key points: City of Gold Coast says "additional services" such as free clothing and laundry are no longer allowed in council parks

City of Gold Coast says "additional services" such as free clothing and laundry are no longer allowed in council parks Homeless charity Agape Outreach has operated in Goodwin Park in Coolangatta for more than a decade

Homeless charity Agape Outreach has operated in Goodwin Park in Coolangatta for more than a decade The charity says it will struggle to find a nearby private venue to replace the park

Agape Outreach organises free food, laundry, clothing and veterinary services along the Byron, Tweed and Gold Coast, and has used Goodwin Park in Coolangatta for more than a decade.

Founding director Theresa Mitchell said council officers informed her just over a week ago that her charity's services were "no longer acceptable in their parks".

"Full stop it's low. It's even lower at Christmas," Ms Mitchell said.

"We've had our permit cancelled a few times and I understand that when people start to make complaints, they've [council] asked us to move to another area.

"But this is the first time council has actually turned around and said 'you're not welcome here on any of our properties'."

Huge demand from homeless but nowhere to go

Agape Outreach feeds around 80 people a night, twice a week in Goodwin Park but now has until mid-January 2020 to find a private venue within walking distance.

"Council has declared all these things as domestic duties that belong in a house and are no longer available or allowed in their parks," Ms Mitchell said.

"When we first started 10 years ago we were getting 25 and that has now increased to an average of 80 people a night."

But Ms Mitchell said recently a group of three homeless people with substance abuse issues had caused problems.

Agape Outreach operates along the Byron, Tweed and Gold Coast. ( Supplied: Agape Outreach )

She said her efforts to address this with local authorities several months ago went unheard.

"They don't have an understanding of homelessness or addiction," she said.

"Their decision on those three people affects 80 people."

Gold Coast council defends decision

A spokesperson for the City of Gold Coast said in a statement that council "does not want to cancel all regular meal services" but wants to reduce their regularity and remove additional services like clothing and laundry.

"It is the responsibility of the City to manage City parks to ensure that all users have a safe and enjoyable park experience," the spokesperson said.

"Safety concerns have been raised by City officers, welfare groups, and members of the public regarding the behaviour of some of the event attendees.

"The City continues to work very closely with the Department of Housing and Public Works, Queensland Health, Specialist Homeless Services, and the Queensland Police Service to ensure the safety and welfare of all Gold Coast residents."

Agape Outreach held its 10th annual Christmas Party at Goodwin Park on December 11. ( Supplied: Agape Outreach )

But Ms Mitchell said the council's attitude towards homeless people was out of touch.

"Homeless people aren't one classification," she said.

"I've got people down there with cancer, I've got families, I've even got senior citizens who can't afford to eat once they pay their rent.

"They don't need more trauma. They need someone to care for them."

Attitudes toward homeless a broader problem

Earlier this month, 420 people attended Agape Outreach's 10th annual Christmas event at Goodwin Park.

She said her charity had grown over the years to help homeless and needy people across the coast, and that affordable housing was not keeping up with demand.

"Housing is in such short supply, it is really hard for someone to get into these places," Ms Mitchell said.

"You might have 80 applicants per house."

Ms Mitchell said she will struggle to find a new private venue big enough and cheap enough to house her large clientele.

"To hire a hall to feed 80-plus people in, they're in limited supply," she said.

"We're not going to get into community centres that are government-run anyway, so parks really have the biggest space for us."