The Queensland Government has made changes to some COVID-19 arrangements for residential tenancies, effective 1 May to 30 September 2021. These apply to all general tenancies and rooming accommodation, including social housing.
The amendments are designed to help the Queensland residential rental sector transition back to normal tenancy arrangements and processes under the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act 2008.
In response to the outbreak of COVID-19, Q Shelter launched a series of Learning Exchange teleconferences to:
Q Shelter also offered regional COVID-19 Learning Exchange meetings to provide place-focussed opportunities to raise issues and trouble-shoot solutions. Tenants and service users were also invited to raise issues and engage in dialogue about COVID-19 related matters through a separate weekly teleconference.
Q Shelter published a report that highlighted key themes and learnings from this engagement, and provided this update to the Queensland Department of Housing and Public Works (DHPW).
On 29 July 2020, Queensland Health advised of new cases of COVID-19 identified in the Logan area and that contact tracing is underway. In response to these new cases, the Department of Housing and Public Works is taking a proactive approach to communicating with key stakeholders including our funded providers.
The Queensland Government is focussed on keeping all Queenslanders healthy and safe during our response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes supporting our state’s most vulnerable and providing the funding, structure and support required for the housing and homelessness sector to respond.
As our partners, your ongoing work during this critical time is making a real difference to Queenslanders. Please continue to stay in touch with your local contract officer, as your main contact during this time. The department will continue to provide email updates on how we are responding to COVID-19.
Industry super funds are set to endorse proposals for state and federal governments to release cheap land and offer tax incentives so that retirement funds can invest in affordable housing during the economic recovery.
Superannuation firms and community housing groups have been in discussions for 12 months about lobbying the federal government together for subsidies that would make low-cost housing feasible as a long-term investment.
Watch the RTA webinar: Overview of the COVID-19 Regulation to understand the key changes and legislative amendments for tenancies impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, as outlined in the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation (COVID-19 Emergency Response) Regulation 2020 and the Residential Tenancies Practice Guide released in April 2020.
The Queensland Government is focussed on keeping all Queenslanders healthy and safe during our response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes supporting our state’s most vulnerable and providing the funding, structure and support required for the housing and homelessness sector to respond.
As our partners, your ongoing work during this critical time is making a real difference to Queenslanders. The Department of Housing and Public Works appreciates you working with your regional contract officers and local networks to develop responses that meet the needs in your area. Please continue to stay in touch with your local contract officer, as your main contact during this time. The department will continue to provide email updates on how we are responding to COVID-19.
The Australian Alliance to End Homelessness (AAEH) is an independent champion for preventing and ending street homelessness in Australia since 2013. We recognise that the scale of homelessness in Australia is both preventable and solvable and are committed to working to ensure that any incidents of homelessness that do occur should be rare, brief and non-recurring. AAEH supports Australian communities to individually and collectively end homelessness.
QPS have developed an alternative online/SMS option for members of the public to request Police contact in relation to DFV incidents. These alternative options are currently live on the system and have been specifically developed to capture those persons who may be isolating due to COVID-19.
The Webinar is now on Shelter WA website – where you can Watch Professor Lisa Wood from the School of Population and Global Health (UWA) and Dr Andrew Davies, GP with Homeless Healthcare present their webinar on public health and the effect of COVID-19 on the homelessness sector, and download the slides.
To help protect residents and staff and stop the spread of COVID-19, residential service providers must observe the Limits on public gatherings for coronavirus (COVID-19) and the Non-essential business, activity and undertaking Closure Direction (No.4).
Providers must make changes to the way they operate their service and keep these changes in place until the end of the declared public health emergency.
Providers will not be breaking any other law or legal requirement by following these directions.
Unless directed otherwise, service providers are still required to follow the relevant accreditation standards as required for the operation of the residential service.