The Queensland premier has promised a state housing summit next month will produce a set of “key actions” to ease the ongoing crisis.
The summit comes almost a year after it was first proposed by social services, charities, local governments, property and employer groups and construction companies.
Round-table talks to plan for the gathering are due to be held on Friday.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says the summit will consider land supplies and social housing, but all options are on the table.
“This is a very good first start,” she told reporters on Tuesday.
“I want Queenslanders to understand I recognise that this is an issue.
“In a modern economy where we have one of the fastest growths of the economy in the nation, you know, it is a shock to see people living out of their cars or not being housed.
“But this is a big job, and we are going to start this by bringing everyone together this Friday, and then, of course, the housing summit.”
Ms Palaszczuk promised the summit would not just be a talk-fest and would result in “key actions” to fix the crisis.
There is a severe shortage of homes in Queensland, with 27,437 households on the waiting list for government housing, and tight private rental vacancy rates.
Ms Palaszczuk said mass migration was putting pressure on housing, with 50,000 people moving to Queensland from interstate this year already..
The premier said federal government plans to increase the intake of international migrants would also increase pressure.
The Queensland Council of Social Services, the Local Government Association of Queensland, the Property Council of Australia, Q Shelter and Master Builders Queensland will take part in Friday’s talks.
QCOSS chief executive Aimee McVeigh said next month’s summit must result in a tangible plan being drawn up to deliver enough housing for those in need.
She said about 5000 social homes need to be built annually for the next 10 years to keep up with demand.
QCOSS also wants the government’s Housing Investment Fund to be expanded, more investment in infrastructure to support housing developments in the regions, and existing housing stock to be repurposed, rebuilt and reused.
“By the 2032 Olympics every Queenslander should have a place they can call home,” Ms McVeigh said in a statement.
October’s summit has been backed by the state opposition, which said it should set measurable targets on land releases.
Opposition Leader David Crisafulli called for the government to release an analysis on the impacts of its new land tax on renters and transparency on delivering infrastructure to open more housing land such as roads, water and sewerage.
“There needs to be targets, there needs to be action, and it needs to happen ASAP,” he told reporters.
© AAP 2022
