New deal to provide social and defence housing

A new deal between the Department of Housing and Public Works (DHPW) and Defence Housing Australia (DHA) will see additional housing for both agencies and a provide a major boost for needy Queenslanders, Housing Minister Tim Mander announced today.

Mr Mander said the new agreement was the first of its kind in Queensland and would see State owned properties transferred from DHPW to DHA in exchange for the construction of new social housing. 

“We are constantly looking for new and innovative ways to deliver additional social housing and this deal is a perfect example,” Mr Mander said.  

In Stage One of the agreement, land made available to DHA will accommodate approximately 49 apartments for Defence personnel in the suburbs of Everton Park, Chermside and Stafford.

In addition, DHA will build 17 apartments on State Government owned land in Stafford and Keperra which will be used for social housing.

Mr Mander said the sites to be redeveloped currently contained old timber dwellings which were between 43 and 67 years old and had become a maintenance liability.

“As well as being expensive to maintain, old houses on big suburban blocks no longer meet the needs of social housing applicants,” he said.

“By far the most common social housing applicant is a single person, often with high needs, and frequently with some form of disability. Three bedroom houses built back in the 50s are just not going to cut it.”

“There are currently more than 23,000 households on the social housing register in Queensland and we simply do not have enough homes to put them in,” Mr Mander said.

“That’s what makes partnerships like this one with DHA so important.” 

Construction on the new apartments is expected to begin by mid-year.

[ENDS] 9 May 2013

Media contact: Martin Kennedy 0407 643 998