Low-rent holiday over for social housing tenants

SOCIAL housing tenants earning more than $900 a week but paying just $84 in rent can expect a rent hike.

SHOCKED: Queensland Housing Minister Tim Mander. Picture: Contributed

SOME social housing tenants on the Sunshine Coast earning more than $900 a week but paying just $84 in rent can expect a rent hike as the State Government moves to have all residents contribute at least 25% of their income for their homes.

Queensland Government is dismantling income concessions and exemptions, which have reduced some payments to a fraction of already massively discounted public housing rents.

Some people pay as little as 8-9% of their income as rent - Public Housing Minister Tim Mander.

The exemptions further widen an already enormous gap between social housing tenants and private renters on the Coast, with the latter paying an average of 71% more a week.

Public Housing Minister Tim Mander told APN earlier this month more than 100 welfare payments were exempt from being considered as income.

In some cases, rents were determined on a household income of $400 a week through exemptions, while the real weekly income topped $1000.

With the discounts, these tenants paid just $91 per week - about a third of what the law demanded.

"For some bizarre reason, the previous government had all these exemptions in regards to what was assessable income," Mr Mander said.

"The result of that was that most people don't pay 25%.

"In fact, some people pay as little as 8-9% of their income as rent."

After pledging action, Mr Mander yesterday said all public housing tenants would have their proper income reassessed in the next 12 months.

But to avoid undue hardship, the government would cap annual rental increases at $7.50 per week until the 25% threshold was reached.