Qld housing crisis: $250m a year in funding to be audited

A review will investigated how 90 not-for-profit organisations delivering 194 services are deploying $250m in taxpayer funds.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk (right) with Housing Minister Meaghan Scanlon at the roundtable. Picture: Steve Pohlner

Queensland’s homelessness service sector will be reviewed to ensure $250m a year of taxpayer funds are being to the best possible use.

Housing Minister Meaghan Scanlon announced the move after the government and stakeholders sat down for the third housing roundtable meeting in 12 months.

She said the review would look at how 90 not-for-profit organisations delivering 194 services are deploying the $250m in state government funding annually, with the findings to feed into the state government’s comprehensive housing plan.

The plan will be underpinned by a nation-first housing supply and demand modelling being developed by the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute, with no firm timeline set on when this will be completed.

Stakeholders including Queensland Council of Social Service had expressed frustration at the lack of direction nearly one year on from the landmark summit.

The Real Estate Institute of Queensland chief executive Antonia Mercorella said there was not enough innovative thinking happening at any level of government to address the housing crisis.

“Given the extent of the problem, and the political focus dedicated to the issue, you’d think we would have seen stronger action by now,” she said.

“We’ve heard political promises of a proper long-term plan for housing in the works, but that’s starting to feel like a long shot.”

Ms Scanlon stood by the government’s action on the housing issue and noted many stakeholders were clear the housing plan should be underpinned by in-depth AHURI modelling.

A prefabricated home factory at Eagle Farm owned by the government’s in-house tradie workforce QBuild would also be expanded Ms Scanlon announced.