Questions over ‘vacant’ Toowoomba unit as city hit with housing crisis

A social housing tenant says a unit next door to him has been vacant for five years, but the department disagrees. It comes as the city is in the grips of a housing crisis.

Michael Booth believes available social housing in Toowoomba could be better managed as the apartment above his has been vacant for a number of years. Picture: Kevin Farmer

Michael Booth has lived next door to a unit he says has been empty for more than five years in a social housing complex in Centenary Heights.

He said the previous tenant ”disappeared”, leaving all her belongings.

“Her car’s in the carport, all filled with dust and dirt,” the disability pensioner said.

“The police came by a year ago and removed the plates.

“It’s been vacant for five and a half years.”

The Queensland Government, however, says the Empress Street units all have “active tenants”.

With Toowoomba in the middle of a housing and homelessness crisis spurred on by a lack of both rental properties and public housing, Mr Booth has called on the Department of Communities, Housing and Digital Economy to better manage its 1500 social housing properties.

Mr Booth said the neighbouring unit was clearly not being used effectively and would be best served being occupied by family.

“I’ve tried to speak to the department and (they) said they can’t tell me, because it’s complicated,” he said.

A department spokesman declined to comment on the situation surrounding the unit, but said the units on Empress Street were all occupied.

He added there were only 15 vacant social housing properties across the Toowoomba region currently.

“As of April 30, 1550 social homes were owned and managed by the Queensland Government across the Toowoomba Local Government Area, of which 15 are vacant,” the spokesman said.

“Managing vacancies is a normal part of tenancy and property management for both the private rental and social housing sectors.

“The department manages its vacant process to ensure people in high housing need to receive timely assistance, to minimise financial costs through loss of rent and to maximise the use of government assets.

“All 15 vacant social housing properties in Toowoomba are in the process of undergoing maintenance and upgrade or being allocated to tenants.”

It comes just a few weeks after the Queensland Council of Social Services launched a new campaign to get more than 600 new social housing dwellings built in Toowoomba, at a cost of about $136m.

Support services have reported a sharp uptick in the number of residents seeking help with food or accommodation in recent months.