Bombshell poll: Voters demand action to keep Qlders off streets

Homelessness is sweeping the state with almost 80 per cent of Queenslanders noticing more people living rough, and demanding the government urgently deliver more social housing.

Homelessness is sweeping the state with almost 80 per cent of Queenslanders noticing more people living rough, and demanding the government urgently deliver more social housing.

According to a new YouGov poll conducted for The Courier-Mail this month, voters in the southeast but outside the city were most likely to have seen the rise, with just 18 per cent saying they hadn’t noticed a change.

But those living in Brisbane had also seen an alarming increase with 77 per cent saying the situation was worse than two years ago, and 76 per cent seeing more people living rough in regional Queensland.

The housing and homelessness crisis has become one of the great issues facing the third-term Labor government, with Steven Miles launching a $3.1bn Homes for Queenslanders plan as one of his first major actions as Premier back in February.

Tent city in Musgrave Park, South Brisbane. Picture, John Gass

But the polling shows voters feel the government still has plenty of work to do, with “building more social housing” a priority for 60 per cent of Queenslanders polled.

More than half of voters wanted to see the Pinkenba quarantine facility used for the homeless – an alarming statistic, given The Courier-Mail revealed this week the facility would instead be handed over by the federal government for use by the Australian Federal Police.

It was a decision which drew the ire of Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner – who has been a passionate advocate for the use of Pinkenba to ease the housing situation – who said it was “demoralising” and a “bitter blow in the fight against homelessness”.

Housing Minister Meaghan Scanlon – who had put $10m on the table to convert the 500-bed facility to emergency housing – said she was disappointed in the decision, and the funds would be diverted to other housing support services.

The Greens’ push to freeze rents was also popular – with more than a third of voters saying they would support a 12-month freeze.

Homeless tent and rough living is occurring along the Bicentennial Bikeway from Victoria Bridge though to William Jolly Bridge. Picture: David Clark.

Cutting stamp duty for first home buyers to make it easier for them to get into the property market was backed by 53 per cent of voters, while 33 per cent wanted to see a reduction of red tape for developers to get them building.

Airbnb was also in the spotlight – 31 per cent wanted to see an increased tax on short-term rentals, to encourage landlords into looking at long-term rentals instead.

Putting homeless people in hotels funded by the state government was supported by 18 per cent of voters.