Qld social housing: Govt delivers 851 of 3625 homes funded under QuickStarts program, 15 months before end of project

Of the thousands of social homes promised under a government-funded fast-track program, only one quarter have been built.

Just one-quarter of social homes the state government promised to build under a three-year fast-track program have been built, with just 15 months until the program expires.

While the state government insist its targets are being met, new data shows just 851 of the 3625 social homes funded under the QuickStarts program have been completed over two years.

Opposition housing spokesman Tim Mander accused the government of going slow in the middle of a housing crisis, but Housing Minister Meaghan Scanlon vowed the government would deliver on its commitment.

Tenders for the QuickStarts social homes program opened in March 2022, and as of last month construction had measured to an average of one home finished per day, with another 602 still under construction and 843 homes waiting for building to commence.

The remaining 969 are yet to be contracted out.

Program funding conditions dictate all remaining 969 contracts need to be tendered by mid-2025 and all builds must be complete by 2027.

Housing Minister Meaghan Scanlon has vowed the government will deliver on its commitment.

After pledging and initial 2765 social homes, the government last year announced a $322m funding boosts add 500 homes to the QuickStarts program as part of the 2023-24 budget.

Ms Scanlon spruiked the additional 500 homes last June alongside then premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, confirming they would be spread out across the state including 90 in Brisbane, 46 in Far North Queensland, 44 on the Gold Coast and 37 in City of Moreton Bay.

Queensland Council of Social Service chief executive Aimee McVeigh said the housing crisis would remain the state’s biggest challenge regardless of the election outcome, but the LNP needed to release a strategy.

“It’s not going away no matter who is in charge,” she said.

“What we need to see now is the opposition come to the table and commit to at least the same targets and then a laser sharp delivery on both sides.

“It’s not enough to just be criticising at this stage, they (LNP) need to front up and say what they would be doing differently.”

The state government has come under intense scrutiny for its low housing delivery, prompting Premier Steven Miles to announce a record-high housing plan that would see 1 million amount of homes built by 2046, including 53,500 social homes – equivalent to building 2,000 social homes every year from 2028.

A Housing Department spokesman said figures showed the QuickStarts program was on track, with contracts now awarded to just under 2300 homes and the rest progressing through various stages of design and planning approvals.

“The additional 500 homes as part of this program increased the commencement target to 3265 social homes by 30 June 2025, and this remains on track,” he said.

It comes after the Courier-Mail this week revealed an alarming 81 per cent of Queensland suburbs were in severe rent stress amid ongoing rent hikes, with 43,000 Queenslanders already on the social housing waiting list.

Mr Mander said: “When Queenslanders don’t have a roof over their head, Labor’s own measure of success is signing contracts, not delivering the homes they promise.

“Announcements don’t house Queenslanders, only homes do, and Labor hasn’t even put a timeline on when every ‘QuickStart’ house will have a Queenslander living in it.”

But Ms Scanlon insisted the program was on track.

“We will deliver on our public commitment,” she said.

“The only threat to that is the LNP, who cut social housing last time and will cut again.”

Nearly 1000 social homes are currently under construction across all state housing programs.

Opposition Leader David Crisafulli has accused the government of failing to deliver on the additional 500 homes promised in June last year.

“Twelve months on and not only has there been no action on houses, they haven’t even taken one step towards delivering contracts,” he said.

“Worse than that, to not even have a pathway to when they will be delivered, shows a continuation of failures over the last few years of this program.”

Mr Crisafulli vowed that, if elected in October, an LNP government would operate under a strict Westminster system with ministers held accountable for targets.

BQueensland opposition leader David Crisafulli. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Tertius Pickard

But despite criticising Labor’s ambitious housing plan, the LNP has remained quiet on details of its own housing policies, with Mr Crisafulli stating a comprehensive plan would be released ahead of the October election.

Unlocking land supply, developing community housing and lifting the threshold for stamp duty tax for first home buyers have been flagged as possible key policies.

Asked how many social homes the LNP would commit to delivering, housing spokesman Tim Mander said “that number will be decided” and released in a future announcement.

He refused to be drawn on whether the LNP would scrap the state government’s current target of 53,500 social homes by 2046.

WHERE THE ADDITIONAL 500 HOMES ARE BEING BUILT

90 in Brisbane

46 in Far North Queensland

44 on the Gold Coast

37 in City of Moreton Bay

35 in North Queensland

35 in the Wide Bay-Burnett region

33 in Logan

31 on the Sunshine Coast

29 in the Outback

26 in Cape York

25 in Central Queensland

25 in the Darling Downs

19 in Ipswich

13 in Mackay/Whitsunday

8 in Redland City

4 in other southeast council areas