PRESS RELEASE: Q Shelter proposes additional measures to accelerate immediate housing supply

Since the Queensland Housing Summit in October 2022, there is a range of additional initiatives being advanced through a coordinated effort led by the Office of the Premier across five State Departments, the not-for-profit sector and private sector. Local Governments are responding around the State with Housing Action Plans and practical partnerships to identify and offer land for social and affordable housing.

Q Shelter commends efforts to investigate inclusionary zoning, identify land options and progress rental reforms. ‘
‘We need to understand that tenants can’t absorb unlimited rent increases because it will tip them into homelessness causing more demand for services with great costs to human wellbeing’ says Executive Director Fiona Caniglia.

‘‘The challenge we have is the time it takes for many strategies to mature in a context where there is significant unmet need now’ says Executive Director Fiona Caniglia.

‘We are hearing ideas from people around the State about buildings and sites that could help now or soon. We need to accelerate the identification and appraisal of these buildings and sites to decide their suitability either immediately or with cost-effective modifications’.

‘These buildings and sites need to be decided on the basis of clear criteria to ensure they are suitable for people and are cost-effective.’

‘This needs an expert team active across the regions to fast-track the assessment of buildings and sites that people are suggesting. A team such as this would use a criteria-based assessment taking into account the suitability of the site, location, cost of modifications and operating model’.

‘Q Shelter is also proposing that faster construction methods using technology and pre-fabrication are rapidly scaled up with housing to be located on sites that can be quickly identified and serviced’.

‘Queensland brings extraordinary capacity and capability to disaster management and recovery. It is time to recognise this challenge needs the same level of coordination, delegation and determination’.

The Summit is a new level of commitment and collaboration. The measures underway reflect many policy and investment suggestions by Q Shelter. The challenge that remains is to scale up housing supply now through innovation and fast-tracking to deal with current demand.

Q Shelter is also proposing that the Queensland State Government commits to recurrent funding enhancements to Specialist Homelessness Services to deal with increased demand for services in addition to ongoing tenancy sustainment support.

‘Tenancy sustainment support is critical in preventing people from being forced to move’. ‘This reduces devastating impacts on households while also ensuring the system can deliver preventative assistance rather than only responding to crisis’.

‘We are also on the record supporting rental reforms that reduce the magnitude of rental increases and the frequency so that tenants are not facing the risk of homelessness just because of decreasing affordability’. ‘We hear private industry concerns about disincentivising investment but how can tenants be expected to pay unlimited increases when they don’t have the ability to pay’.

‘In recent regional visits, we know organisations at the front-line are scaling up to deliver more food relief as cost of living pressures and homelessness increases. Some need small grants to modify equipment or facilities to make this easier and we propose the State could assist with this quite quickly. Food relief can leave more money to pay the rising cost of housing keeping people and their children housed’.

Q Shelter’s full suite of policy and investment recommendations to the Queensland State Government can be found here
https://qshelter.asn.au/storage/2023/03/20230317-Better-together_Q-Shelter-Policy-and-investment-framework-1.1.pdf

Q Shelter is Queensland’s housing and homelessness peak organisation working to ensure every Queenslander has a home.

ENDS
Media comment
Q Shelter Executive Director, Fiona Caniglia: 0400 1964 92
Q Shelter Manager of Strategic Engagement and Policy, Jackson Hills: 0411 395 842
Q Shelter Communications Team: 3831 5900.