Qld housing crisis: Some apartments vacant for years

As nearly 50,000 Queenslanders languish on the public housing waiting list, dozens of eligible homes have sat vacant up to 600 days.

Dozens of Queensland social housing homes that were ready to be lived in sat vacant for over 100 days in the last financial year in the midst of the state’s housing crisis.

As almost 46,000 Queenslanders wait for public housing, new figures have revealed a social housing apartment in Brisbane was vacant for over 600 days before it was allocated to a tenant earlier this year.

Another three apartments, also located in Brisbane, were vacant for 210 days or more after being deemed tenantable, while a duplex on the Fraser Coast was empty for 201 days.

Across the state, there were 32 tenantable homes where it took more than 100 days before they were allocated to someone in 2021-22, which included properties in Cairns, Mackay and Bundaberg.

And the number of tenantable homes that were empty for at least 30 days before being allocated to a tenant last financial year reached 558, accounting for about 853 bedrooms.

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Asked about the figures on Sunday, Housing Minister Leeanne Enoch said the allocation of social housing properties was done on a needs basis.

“The allocation requires the matching of the households needs to the vacant property. This includes the location of the property,” she said.

“Offers of a vacant social housing property are made to prospective tenants, which in turn must be accepted before the property can be leased to the tenant.

Some Brisbane apartments have sat vacant for hundreds of days.

“The department works to turn around vacancies in efficient time frames to ensure we house more vulnerable Queenslanders sooner.”

Queensland Council of Social Service chief executive Aimee McVeigh said there had been a significant downward trend in vacancy days, which she congratulated the government on.

But there was still a long way to go.

“There are public housing properties that appear to be ready to be let sitting vacant for three quarters of the year,” Ms McVeigh said.

“These homes are in regions where families are resorting to pitching tents, or sleeping in cars and on couches because they cannot access housing.

“The Queensland government must step their game up everywhere – whether it comes to new infrastructure and investment, or management of existing stock.”

A Whitsundays property that was tenanted last year was vacant for 658 days, including 536 days in which the house was considered untenantable.

Ms Enoch said vacancy turnaround times could be impacted by delays in completing maintenance work, significant maintenance requirements, disability modifications and requirements for significant upgrades.

“The capacity to action vacant maintenance work has been impacted by Covid-19,” she said.

Originally published as Qld housing crisis: Some apartments vacant for years