Housing summit must lead to action

Finally, a summit has been called to address Queensland’s dire housing situation. The challenge for the government now is to ensure this is not just another talkfest, writes the editor.

Thank you, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, for agreeing to convene an urgent summit to tackle Queensland’s housing crisis.

This summit was, of course, the central ask of The Courier-Mail’s Hitting Home campaign last week – a result of everyone in the sector saying it was necessary. Why it took our series highlighting the depths of the crisis to prompt a summit is beside the point. There will be a summit. This is good.

And it is critical. As this column began on Thursday: “Nobody should be forced to live in their car or tent.” And yet that is the reality.

Since last Wednesday, The Courier-Mail has highlighted the hardships average Queenslanders are facing as they fight for a roof over their heads.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk will head the summit. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

Charities are seeing more families on the brink of homelessness than ever before.

There is also a new cohort of homeless regional Queenslanders – those who have an income, but are still unable to find a home.

It is a crisis that has been gradually building as house prices and rents soar, and rental vacancies plummet, but it has reached fever pitch in 2022.

Something needed to be done, and the Premier should be congratulated for taking that
first step. And she is bolting out of the gate quickly, with an initial roundtable to be held on Friday with key government and non-government stakeholders.

The roundtable will bring together the Premier, Deputy Premier as well as the Public Works, Communities and Housing ministers with the Brisbane Lord Mayor and the LGAQ.

The challenge for the government now is to ensure this is not just another talkfest.

That is, real actions leading to solutions need to come of it.

While all stakeholders agreed a summit was the most important step the government needed to take right now, each organisation has a range of ideas on how we can put a lid on this crisis.

The ideas include looking at ways to address abandoned, unused and vacant properties, unlocking more land supply, tax settings to encourage build-to-rent and building 5000 new social housing homes each year in Queensland.

It is highly unlikely that all the stakeholders will agree on proposed solutions. But the act of coming together to address the problem is an important step, and everything must be on the table.

Ms Palaszczuk was called upon to show “genuine leadership” and convene a summit. Now she must also show that leadership in ensuring action is taken.

And if she needed extra incentive other than ensuring Queenslanders no longer need to live in makeshift tent cities, on the streets and in caravan parks – this could be a vote winner, too.

A YouGov poll for The Courier-Mail in July revealed housing affordability was the second-most important issue facing Queenslanders, only behind cost-of-living pressures.

And only one in 10 voters at that time thought the Palaszczuk government was doing enough to better housing affordability.

It is clear the housing crisis has been weighing heavily on the minds of Queenslanders.

Now is the time for swift action, and The Courier-Mail will continue to keep the government accountable for addressing the issue on behalf of Queenslanders.

Originally published as Housing summit must lead to action