Queensland govt making rental situation ‘even worse’: Qld Shadow Housing Minister

Queensland Shadow Housing Minister Tim Mander says the Queensland government is making the rental situation “even worse” by purchasing housing on the private market and is “not facilitating” growth in the community housing sector.

Data released in November for last year’s June to September quarter revealed over 43,000 Queenslanders were on the social housing waitlist in the state, according to the Queensland Council of Social Service – a rise of 1,600 since the quarter prior.

Last April, the Queensland Labor government committed to purchasing more social houses from the private market.

“The Minister came out recently, overnight, to say that a lot of their funding has gone to emergency funding – that’s not a long-term solution – that’s actually a recognition that there is an issue where people need to be housed immediately,” Mr Mander said at a press conference on Saturday.

Queensland govt making rental situation ‘even worse’: Qld Shadow Housing Minister

“There’s no use for the government going out and buying houses that are already built – that’s just making the rental situation even worse.

“It’s hard to sort of fathom, after two and a half years, why action has not taken place – and you can only come to the conclusion that it’s all about the announcement.

“We have a sector there, right throughout the state, that is biting at the bit to get into helping the government solve these issues, but the government is not enabling them, not facilitating them and not helping them to grow – that’s something that will change under an LNP government.”