The Salvation Army survey: Housing affordability biggest social concern for Queenslanders

Leading up to the federal election, Queenslanders have revealed the one issue that worries them the most.

Housing affordability is the top social policy concern for Queenslanders in the run up to the election.

Following years of fire, flood and a global pandemic, The Salvation Army asked 15,000 people across the country what the biggest social justice issues were in their electorate.

They were asked about their concerns for themselves, their families, loved ones and local communities – and how these issues would impact their personal decisions when they went to vote in next month’s federal election.

Aerial photograph of suburban housing

More than half of people in Queensland (53.2 per cent) said housing affordability was the most important social issue that politicians needed to address.

The state’s top five social justice concerns were consistent with results across Australia – housing affordability, mental health, alcohol and drug misuse, family violence and homelessness.

Around 47 per cent of Queenslanders identified alcohol and drug misuse as a top concern compared to the national results (42.6 per cent).

Family violence is a bigger concern in Queensland than nationally.

Family violence was also a more prominent concern for this state (40.1 per cent), than it was nationally (35.4 per cent).

Data from Everybody’s Home, found Queensland had eight of the 20 electorates in the country with the highest proportion of renters in rental stress.

Seven of these were located outside of Brisbane.

Within the state of Queensland there were an estimated 22,000 homeless and a social housing shortfall of 101,800 social housing properties.

Captain Stuart Glover from The Salvation Army. Photo: John McCutcheon / Sunshine Coast Daily

Queensland police data showed that from July 2020 to March 2021, officers responded to 113,779 domestic and family violence occurrences, higher than the 107,000 cases reported across the 2020 calendar year.

“This is what the people of Australia are saying matters to them,” The Salvation Army’s Secretary for Mission, Captain Stuart Glover, said.

“If politicians are interested in knowing what people are thinking they should read this.

“This survey adds weight to issues, particularly around mental health and housing affordability.

“It’s not just in pockets, it’s everywhere.

Australians say mental health is the biggest social concern across the country.

“Our hope is that all candidates will take note of what people in their electorates are saying and have a response to that.”

Nationally, the top five concerns were: Mental health (53.9 per cent), housing affordability (52.4 per cent), alcohol and drug misuse (42.6 per cent), family violence (35.4 per cent), homelessness (35.1 per cent).

To see all the results of The Salvation Army’s National Social Justice Stocktake Report (NSJSR), click here.