Used tampons, yellow spit on the walls: Cairns’ social housing shame
A man living near a vacant social housing flat is appalled by a shocking level of waste as a fortune in taxpayer’s money is spent every year to repair trashed housing stock.
Cairns
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A CAIRNS man who has lived near an unoccupied social housing flat for two years is “appalled” by a “shocking” level of waste as an emergency housing system pays out a fortune each year to repair trashed stock.
On Tuesday, damning new analysis of state government reports revealed since 2017, bedrooms in Cairns social housing stock had dropped by 26 rooms in the four years to 2021.
An Edmonton resident who has lived near a vacant two-bedroom unit for the past 20 years has spoken out about the management of a social housing property on Suhle St.
He said the stories contractors told of end-of-lease fix-ups were truly shocking.
“Toilets are blocked up with faeces piled up and over flowing,” he said
“(And tenants) knock holes in the walls and put used Tampax in them.”
One contractor told the Edmonton resident while cleaning a house, he asked why there was a yellow line one metre off the ground all the way around the wall.
“That’s where we spit so it doesn’t go on the floor because of the baby,” he was told.
The Edmonton man said as landlords, the Department of Housing had a responsibility to taxpayers to properly manage properties.
“Housing are wasting public money, it’s just shocking what they are letting people get away with,” he said.
“Housing do nothing to make them mow the grass and get rid of old cars.
“They should not be allowed, it’s a privilege to get public housing and the tenants are not respecting what they have.”
A Department of Housing spokeswoman said under a QuickStarts Queensland program 234 new homes will be built in the Far North with a planned investment of $74.9m over four years.
“This is in addition to the 128 new social homes already commenced in the region under the Queensland Housing Strategy since 2017, and 25 through Works for Tradies,” she said.
Currently in the Cairns local government area there was 2,686 government-owned social housing properties, of which 16 were vacant as of January 31.
The department refused to reveal wait times or a reason for reduced housing stock since 2017.
The frustrated Edmonton resident has called for a review of social housing management across Cairns.
“We have had a unit here that has not had people in it for nearly two years,” he said.
“It sits empty, and they say it’s because of the Covid virus. It’s appalling, it’s absolutely appalling.
“It really does need looking into, it’s just not right.”
The Department of Housing spokeswoman said policies were in place to ensure tenants meet rental obligations and look after their properties.
“Tenants in social housing not only have obligations to look after their property, they are also subject to local laws in relation to yard maintenance,” she said.
“The department actively identifies and manages property issues and responds when property related issues are brought to its attention.”
About $500,000 was spent on repairs to a social housing portfolio of 2686 properties within the Cairns local government area during the last financial year.
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Originally published as Used tampons, yellow spit on the walls: Cairns’ social housing shame
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