MEDIA STATEMENT: 47,820 Queenslanders left waiting for social housing under Labor

Published Thursday, 05 December, 2024 at 07:39 AM

Minister for Housing and Public Works and Minister for Youth
The Honourable Sam O'Connor

47,820 Queenslanders left waiting for social housing under Labor

  •  Queensland’s social housing waitlist grew by 11% in just one year under the former Labor Government.
  •  Over 1,800 Queenslanders added to the social housing waitlist during September quarter.
  •  4% jump from just three months prior, an additional 20 people per day.

20 additional Queenslanders were added to the social housing waitlist every single day in the September quarter, new data has revealed.

In the final months of the former government, 1,800 additional Queenslanders were added to the waitlist every day, with the total now reaching 47,820 people.

The data reveals the waitlist for social housing in Queensland grew by a staggering 4% in three short months and 11% in just a year.

The data exposes the consequences of Labor’s decade of under-investment in social housing, which grew by just 6% while Queensland’s population skyrocketed 16%.

That includes Labor’s failure to build a single new home with the $2 billion Housing Investment Fund, after three years. 

The Crisafulli Government will deliver a place to call home for more Queenslanders to end Labor’s Housing Crisis with:

  • 1 million new homes by 2044 including 53,500 social and community homes. 
  • 8 new supported accommodation services for young Queenslanders. 
  • 10 new and replacement domestic and family violence shelters for vulnerable women and children. 
  • A 20% boost to homelessness services for the next three years.
  • Unlock 10,000 homes on church and charity land, 500 built within two years.
  • Partner with the Community Housing Sector to build more homes faster and get people off the waiting list sooner.

Minister for Housing, Public Works, and Youth Sam O’Connor said the Crisafulli Government would deliver a place to call home for more Queenslanders with the Securing Our Housing Foundations Plan.

“Labor’s social housing waitlist data isn’t just numbers; it represents tens of thousands of Queenslanders waiting for the security of a roof over their heads,” Minister O’Connor said.

“Our new government is playing catch-up for Labor’s decade of inaction by unlocking church and charity land, boosting support for homelessness services, and working to unleash the potential of the community housing sector to deliver more homes faster.

“We promised Queenslanders we would deliver solutions, not excuses, and that’s exactly what we are doing.”

ENDS

Region

 Waitlist

Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander Housing Delivery Region

               1,118

AURUKUN*

                  170

COOKTOWN REMOTE*

                  183

HOPE VALE*

                     40

KOWANYAMA*

                  101

LOCKHART RIVER*

                     62

MAPOON*

                     44

NAPRANUM*

                  107

PORMPURAAW*

                     43

SEISIA*

                  128

THURSDAY ISLAND HSC

                  211

WUJAL WUJAL*

                     29

Brisbane Region

               8,340

BURANDA HSC

               1,633

CHERMSIDE HSC

               1,838

FORTITUDE VALLEY HSC

               2,672

INALA HSC

               2,197

Central Queensland and North Coast Region

            13,036

BUNDABERG HSC

               1,197

EMERALD HSC

                  182

GLADSTONE HSC

                  536

MAROOCHYDORE HSC

               2,894

MARYBOROUGH HSC

               2,076

MORETON BAY HSC

               4,521

ROCKHAMPTON HSC

               1,493

WOORABINDA*

                  137

Northern Region

            10,924

CAIRNS HSC

               4,351

DOOMADGEE*

                  131

MACKAY HSC

               1,917

MORNINGTON ISLAND*

                     56

MOUNT ISA HSC

                  345

PALM ISLAND*

                  161

TOWNSVILLE HSC

               3,963

South West Region

            14,402

BAYSIDE HSC

               1,422

GOLD COAST HSC

               2,966

IPSWICH HSC

               2,822

LOGAN HSC

               4,101

TOOWOOMBA AND SOUTH WEST HSC

               3,091

Total across all regions

            47,820

*not a HSC location

 

MEDIA CONTACT: Caet Young 0414 966 406