SOCIAL HOUSING APPLICANTS START MOVING INTO FORMER MOTEL
Published Wednesday, 16 July, 2008 at 12:00 PM
Minister for Public Works, Housing and Information and Communication Technology
The Honourable Robert Schwarten
The purchase of two motels in Brisbane’s southern suburbs for use as longer-term public housing makes perfect sense considering the unprecedented demand for government-subsidised, taxpayer-funded housing, according to Housing Minister Robert Schwarten.
Mr Schwarten visited one of the two motels, the Colonial Motor Inn on Logan Road, today following the completion of its refurbishment. Tenanting of the complex has begun.
The second motel purchased was the Amaroo Motel on Ipswich Road in Moorooka.
He said buying motels was a cheaper and faster way to boost the supply of social housing.
“To purchase and upgrade these two motels, which will add a total of 37 units of accommodation to the Department of Housing’s stocks in Brisbane, will cost the department $6.8 million,” Mr Schwarten said.
“The department estimates that to acquire similar sized blocks of land then design and construct unit complexes with the same yield would cost in excess of $12 million.
“Refurbishment of the motels will take around 12 months to complete but it would take around 2.5 years to design and build a similar-sized complex once suitable land was found.”
Mr Schwarten said motels are a ready-made social housing solution in a time when people needed housing.
“Anyone who knows anything about building and construction knows that converting motels into social housing isn’t easy, but it is still a lot quicker and cheaper than building from scratch,” he said.
“The Department of Housing has to look at new and innovative ways to boost its supply of social housing.
“Every working day 70 people are fronting departmental offices across the state to enquire about social housing. There are currently around 32,000 people on the waitlist for social housing.
“It is important to remember that purchasing motels to use as social housing is just one of the actions the Department of Housing is taking.
“Thanks to yet another record budget allocation of $759 million for housing in 2008-09, the department will continue to build and buy more traditional forms of housing to add to its property portfolio.
“But with skyrocketing rents in the private market having a flow-on effect for our waitlists, the department must look at new ways to make housing available to those in need.”
Mr Schwarten said the Queensland Government would work with the Rudd Government to bring its promised National Rental Affordability Scheme to fruition, to complement social housing stock.
“As many as 10,000 of the initial 50,000 units of accommodation to be funded under the program could be built here in Queensland which would provide a welcome shot-in-the-arm for the private rental market.”
Media contact: (07) 3237 1832
Mr Schwarten visited one of the two motels, the Colonial Motor Inn on Logan Road, today following the completion of its refurbishment. Tenanting of the complex has begun.
The second motel purchased was the Amaroo Motel on Ipswich Road in Moorooka.
He said buying motels was a cheaper and faster way to boost the supply of social housing.
“To purchase and upgrade these two motels, which will add a total of 37 units of accommodation to the Department of Housing’s stocks in Brisbane, will cost the department $6.8 million,” Mr Schwarten said.
“The department estimates that to acquire similar sized blocks of land then design and construct unit complexes with the same yield would cost in excess of $12 million.
“Refurbishment of the motels will take around 12 months to complete but it would take around 2.5 years to design and build a similar-sized complex once suitable land was found.”
Mr Schwarten said motels are a ready-made social housing solution in a time when people needed housing.
“Anyone who knows anything about building and construction knows that converting motels into social housing isn’t easy, but it is still a lot quicker and cheaper than building from scratch,” he said.
“The Department of Housing has to look at new and innovative ways to boost its supply of social housing.
“Every working day 70 people are fronting departmental offices across the state to enquire about social housing. There are currently around 32,000 people on the waitlist for social housing.
“It is important to remember that purchasing motels to use as social housing is just one of the actions the Department of Housing is taking.
“Thanks to yet another record budget allocation of $759 million for housing in 2008-09, the department will continue to build and buy more traditional forms of housing to add to its property portfolio.
“But with skyrocketing rents in the private market having a flow-on effect for our waitlists, the department must look at new ways to make housing available to those in need.”
Mr Schwarten said the Queensland Government would work with the Rudd Government to bring its promised National Rental Affordability Scheme to fruition, to complement social housing stock.
“As many as 10,000 of the initial 50,000 units of accommodation to be funded under the program could be built here in Queensland which would provide a welcome shot-in-the-arm for the private rental market.”
Media contact: (07) 3237 1832