Toowoomba’s social housing crisis worsening, number of people waiting for housing revealed

In light of the city’s worsening housing crisis, the heartbreaking number of people on waiting lists for social housing in Toowoomba and the Darling Downs has been revealed.

The face of homelessness is changing in Toowoomba.

The people that are living rough no longer fit an image or a stereotype of what “homeless” looks like, from single parents desperate for a roof over their children’s heads to middle aged people working full-time without a blemish on their rental history who are being kicked out of their homes and unable to afford a new place.

Ellisa Parker has previously explored the concept of using tiny homes as emergency and permanent housing for people experiencing homelessness in Toowoomba. Picture: Kevin Farmer

Darling Downs Affordable Housing Association Inc. founder Ellisa Parker said she believed that, despite how dire the housing affordability and social housing crisis had become, it was only going to get worse.

“Real estates are getting people to vacate a premises, and these people who have lived in accommodation for 10-15 years with no issues are now at risk of being homeless because they’ve had to vacate their long-term rentals, and it’s just getting worse and worse,” she said.

Almost 2000 people are waiting in limbo on a social housing register, some waiting as long as two years to find suitable accommodation, according to the Queensland Council of Social Service.

QCOSS estimates that 969 social housing applications have been received from people looking for social housing in Toowoomba and the Darling Downs.

1921 people in total have applied for housing in the region.

316 applications have involved children, and 283 applications have been lodged by single parents with children.

Families with children are spending an average of 22.8 months on a social housing register, and more than 280 applications have been labelled “urgent”.

Ms Parker said it was “mind-boggling” that the issue was still pertinent in the Darling Downs.

“It’s quite a few issues starting to come together to paint the picture,” Ms Parker said.

“There’s the fact that there’s nothing available, there’s very little planned to be developed.

“Then we have this other issue of real estates and landlords who are being so unjust and greedy who are adding to the situations.”

Ms Parker said the crisis has become so bad that she has heard of low income earners having to choose between buying vital medication or paying their weekly rent.

It’s these people, Ms Parker said, that voters should keep at the forefront of their minds when they head to the polls in less than a month’s time.

“It is so important that we put our citizens’ welfare at the top of the priority list when we go to the booths on the 21st of May,” she said.

“Homelessness affects everyone.

“We really need to put the pressure on the elected officials so they start working for the people.”