Amidst Queensland’s rising housing crisis, the number of social housing units delivered over the past year has been disappointing, according to leading advocacy group, Queensland Council of Social Service (QCOSS).

Data from the Queensland Department of Housing reveals that the Queensland Government built 485 social housing units in 2022-23, and an average of about 536 units/year over the past six financial years. As per 2022 data, there are 27,437 applications and 45,958 people on the Queensland Social Housing Register, with a significant number of applicants classified as High/Very High Needs.

However, a study commissioned by QCOSS found that there were approximately 150,000 households across Queensland with unmet affordable housing needs, which meant they were either homeless or low income people living in private rental housing and paying more than 30% of household income as rent. The study led by Professor Hal Pawson of City Futures Research Centre, UNSW also revealed that the backlog included 102,000 households who would typically be eligible for social housing. 

Based on current trends, an additional unmet need for social and affordable housing will equate to 70,000 households over the next 20 years, including 54,000 social housing-eligible households. Therefore, accommodating both current and future needs from 2021 to 2041 would require an average of over 11,000 dwellings per year, the report indicated.

While welcoming the Queensland Government’s $320-million commitment in last month’s budget to build 500 new social homes by 2025, QCOSS has called it inadequate given the state’s current housing crisis.

“The Palaszczuk Government has recognised that what is needed most to fix the state’s housing crisis is housing supply, but adding only 500 social homes to the Quickstarts program is nowhere near enough,” QCOSS CEO Aimee McVeigh said.

“The reason so many Queenslanders are experiencing homelessness is that there aren’t enough social and affordable homes for people to live in.”

Describing the pace of development of social and affordable housing as ‘glacial’, McVeigh said, “The Palaszczuk Government says it has built on average more than 10 homes per week since it came into power. It needs to build more than 50 social and affordable homes a week to keep up with demand.”

“There are families, domestic violence survivors, and elderly Queenslanders sleeping in cars, tents, and motels state-wide.

“At a time when so many Queenslanders are struggling with paying their rent, mortgages, and household bills, both short and long-term solutions are needed. We need to move away from insufficient, small-scale announcements, with a comprehensive plan to tackle the housing crisis in Queensland,” she added.

The Queensland Government is investing a record $5 billion in social and affordable housing, the largest in Queensland’s history, says Queensland’s Minister for Housing Meaghan Scanlon. “We’re committed to ensuring every Queenslander has a safe place to call home.” This mega investment will fund the rollout of 13,500 social homes by 2027.

Image: https://www.cofc.com.au/blog/social-housing/the-largest-social-housing-development-in-queensland-awarded