An extra $1 billion will be funnelled into a Queensland government housing fund to build thousands more social and affordable homes in the next five years.
About 200 people across all levels of government, the private sector, stakeholder groups and those struggling to find housing have gathered at a summit in Brisbane today to find ways to tackle housing pressures across the state.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced the $1 billion Housing Investment Fund would be doubled to a $2 billion fund.
Ms Palaszczuk said she wanted the summit to be more than just talking about housing, and wanted it to result in outcomes for Queenslanders impacted by the crisis.
"Nothing keeps me awake at night more than the knowledge that some Queenslanders are suffering, not able to lead fulfilling, productive and safe lives," she said.
"Nothing horrifies me more than the stories we have all heard recently of people and families unable to put a roof over their heads, living in tents or cars or sleeping rough."
The fund is now set to generate $130 million a year — up from $65 million — for the delivery of social and affordable homes.
"This means we'll be able to provide a long-term sustainable source of funding to build new homes for Queenslanders," Ms Palaszczuk said.
"This additional investment also recognises the impact that rising costs of building materials and labour is having on prices right across the construction sector to secure much needed additional supply.
"At the same time our government understands tackling housing affordability is not just about more money, it's also about innovative solutions."
Ms Palaszczuk said "everything was on the table" and the government would be looking at both long- and short-term solutions, which included working with church and stakeholder groups who had identified vacant sites for emergency accommodation.
She said submissions on housing would remain open and the state would be working to create a plan off the back of the summit.
'Governments have a lot of summits'
Karen, who asked for her last name to be withheld, lives on the Gold Coast with her 71-year-old partner and dog.
The 65-year-old said the couple had to vacate their rental apartment by the end of the month and were planning to live in a tent after not being able to secure another rental.
"We keep getting rejected, we have a senior dog and nobody wants a dog in an apartment," she said
"The houses are way out of our price range. When you couple that with the costs-of-living rises that we've had Australia-wide, it's made it too tight.
"So we've made the grand decision to go camping because we are homeless by October 30 and neither of us have ever camped.
"We're making it an adventure and a positive thing, otherwise it just becomes overwhelming."
Karen said she did not have "confidence" the summit would lead to any outcomes that would help her situation.
"I know governments have a lot of summits," she said.
"They do a lot of talking and we've heard it year in, year out. I don't know what they can do.
"I would have thought that this government would be leaning towards maybe helping people like us, but I don't really have the confidence."
More than 45,000 on housing waiting list
Ms Palaszczuk said the increased investment meant the fund would be able to support the construction of an additional 2,000 social and affordable homes for a target of 5,600 new builds by 2027.
In total the state government is aiming to deliver 13,000 homes by 2027 across all of its social and affordable housing initiatives.
Queensland Council of Social Service (QCOSS) chief executive Aimee McVeigh said the extra funding and housing was welcome but the state needed to build more social homes each year for the next decade.
"We have 46,000 people on the social housing register waiting for a home – a number the size of a large regional Queensland town," she said.
"Today's announcement will mean construction is expected to commence on an extra 5,600 social housing homes by 2027.
"But we must do more. The premier should not walk away from this summit announcing anything less than a plan that is based on need and ensures every Queenslander has a roof over their head by 2032.
"Now, what we need is a plan based on need with goals and targets, which governments can be held accountable to.
"We need 5,000 new social homes to be built every year for the next 10 years across the state."
'Horrendous' housing supply shortage
Housing Older Women Movement advocate Linda Hahn said she hoped the summit resulted in a genuine commitment to action.
"We need diverse solutions and also government alone is going to be too slow to address the critical need that's there right now," she said.
"It's horrendous that that happens in Queensland or any place."
Ms Hahn said the state needed to remove the barriers for planning, zoning, and density to help make more suitable accommodation for older women.
Queensland Shelter executive director Fiona Caniglia said there was not enough housing supply and more needed to be done to identify vacant property and land.
"The big issues are rental vacancy rates – it's at sub 1 per cent," she said.
"It means there's not enough homes and people are competing for those with people on lower incomes really struggling, especially in that environment.
"We do need some measures that examine where property is, whether there's properties that are empty that can be brought into the market.
"Either it's ready to be used now or could be modified and adapted in the short term."
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Housing Queensland deputy chair Angelina Akee said it was important First Nation's voices were heard in the discussions about tackling housing issues.
Ms Akee said there needed to be more collaboration and engagement from the government around Indigenous housing.
"We want the Commonwealth to take full responsibility for funding of community-controlled housing," she said.
"With the demise of ATSIC (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission), we've had no responses, no support in regards to the housing stock we have in Queensland that was funded by the Commonwealth."
