Homes for Queenslanders expands emergency housing relief to all in need

The Miles Government has expanded its Immediate Housing Relief for Families program to include all Queenslanders at risk of homelessness, not just families, as part of its Homes for Queenslanders plan.

Housing Minister Meaghan Scanlon announced that the program, which provides funding directly for emergency accommodation, will now support individuals and couples in addition to families.

The announcement comes as new social housing data shows a decrease in social housing applications, with 1,770 households allocated social housing to date in the 2023/2024 financial year.

The report reveals that social housing demand has stabilised in the past 90 days, with applications reducing by 371 from 25,362 to 24,991.

The government has helped more people into social housing in the last quarter, with 924 households allocated housing, compared to 848 in the September data.

Single-person households and couples continue to have the highest demand for social housing.

The government has also moved to provide larger homes in the social housing portfolio to support applications from larger households.

Many households on the register have already been assisted with other solutions, such as bond loans and rental grants, which means they may have been helped to secure a home in the private rental market but remain on the register.

In the last quarter, the government increased rental support to $11.8 million while also setting up a dedicated rent relief package under the Homes for Queenslanders plan.

“Everyone deserves the safety and security of a roof over their head – our Homes for Queenslanders plan is delivering record investment to make that a reality,” Ms Scanlon said.

“Homes for Queenslanders will deliver thousands and thousands of new social housing homes across our state.

“We’re also delivering upfront support for people right now, including funding for emergency accommodation and direct cost of living relief for renters, while we get on with our Big Build.”