Commitment to housing supply and affordability commended

Abstract

Q Shelter commends local governments and private sector stakeholders who are stepping up to the challenge of ensuring housing affordability and availability so that every Queenslander has a home.

Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner took an important step by incentivising the return of short-term holiday rentals to the long-term private rental market in Brisbane City Council’s recent budget. Other local governments have also signaled that empty homes need to be identified and returned to the market.

“At a time when people are desperately seeking a home, we need to reach out to everyone who owns multiple properties to consider how they can make a difference,” says Q Shelter’s Executive Director Fiona Caniglia.

Ahead of the Queensland State Budget, it is important to acknowledge the emergence of more and more community leaders prepared to take action. “Private sector stakeholders talking about ‘build-to-rent’ models at scale are also raising an important set of opportunities for Queensland,” she said.

Ms Caniglia says, “Last year’s State Budget introduced some important measures for social and affordable housing, including the establishment of the Housing Investment Fund, and strong commitments to outcomes in the Housing and Homelessness Action Plan.”

Q Shelter can see a vital role for the Queensland State Government in coordinating a coalition of willing partners, each working with their own constituency to achieve genuine change and accelerated growth in housing supply. Ms Caniglia says, “As opportunities flow from initiatives promised by the Federal Government, we need Queensland leaders to be working in optimal ways across all sectors to leverage funding and other system changes.

“The problem is so challenging we need to remove every obstacle to success. We need all sectors working on solutions including immediate measures to return more properties to the private market, increased spending on social and affordable housing, as well as system change to guarantee a planning system that can deliver enough housing to meet population demand.

“Community housing providers can also play an expanded role. It is time to consider a range of measures to see these not-for-profit providers operating at scale. They need real opportunities to build and manage social and affordable homes using a combination of Government funding, a streamlined planning system, reduced costs for insurance and rates as well as debt financing for growth projects.

“Of course, more funding is needed for social and affordable housing products.  Any investment by Government in social and affordable homes will have more impact if we also ensure systemic changes to achieve enough housing supply to meet all projected population demands.

“There is a great opportunity for the State to convene leaders to address this crisis as no one measure is enough. We need to call people to the table to solve some immediate challenges while we also work together for medium and longer-term change.”

More housing supply can only be achieved through a range of necessary solutions which is what Q Shelter’s annual submission calls for.

Read the full submission here.

Key measures include:

• Urgent planning system reforms such as inclusionary zoning
• A uniform and enabling approach to the use of secondary dwellings
• Regional housing targets to meet population demand
• A greater role for community housing providers who can build at a lower cost and who are primed to play a bigger role by attracting debt finance through institutions such as NHFIC which effectively leverages State funding to deliver more social and affordable housing
• The introduction of necessary rental reforms to improve security of tenure for the growing number of people who will rent for life
• Specific funding to support the community housing sector to provide affordable housing offered at a discount to market rent
• Early and urgent progress on guaranteeing a social and affordable housing legacy from the Olympics and Para-Olympics

Q Shelter is the peak body for the housing and homelessness sector in Queensland.

For more on Q Shelter head to: www.qshelter.asn.au

ENDS

Q Shelter Media Contact: Michelle Saftich: 0407 074 645.