Qld calls for home owners to lease properties

The Palaszczuk government’s Help to Home initiative has provided homes for up to 116 people in need of social housing since it kicked off late July.

Through the scheme, properties are sourced from the private market and subleased to registered community housing providers (RCHPs) that deliver specialist tenancy and property management services.

It comes as the state grapples with a housing crisis following the COVID-19-induced boom to the regions and state.

The Property Council of Australia’s report showed that Queensland’s population grew by almost 750,000 between 2011 and 2021, with close to 90 per cent in South-East Queensland.

While the program had seen some success, Minister for Communities and Housing, Leeanne Enoch, was encouraging more Queensland home owners to submit an expression of interest to be a part of Help to Home.

“I am pleased that so many vulnerable Queenslanders have received housing through Help to Home since it was launched,” Ms Enoch said.

“This is an encouraging sign and sets us up well to deliver more homes for Queenslanders through this initiative.

“We’re calling on homeowners across the state to help Queenslanders in need by putting forward an expression of interest to lease their property as part of Help to Home.

“Expressions of interest are still open for vacant, stand-alone houses, single or multi-unit properties that may be new to the market or not previously available for rent, including short-term or holiday accommodation or a property that has previously been used for commercial purposes.”

She said this was a great opportunity for Queensland property owners to help provide a home for Queenslanders in need.

In some circumstances, properties may be managed by the local Queensland Government Housing Service Centre, which provides property owners with a guaranteed income stream for the term of the headlease.

It allows property tenants access to safe, stable accommodation while a longer-term housing solution is established.

Ms Enoch added being part of Help to Home would allow home owners to be part of the solution to the housing challenges facing our state.

“Help to Home is a great way for eligible Queensland homeowners to lend a home and help out people in their community who need housing,” she said.

It follows the Queensland government’s emergency housing summit, which welcomed a wide range of peak industry bodies, non-government providers and private sector stakeholders to explore solutions to the state’s housing crisis.

Among other initiatives, it saw the Queensland government double its housing investment fund to build more than 13,000 new homes in the next five years.

The fund is expected to generate $130 million each year to create new housing stock, with 5,600 new social homes allocated by June 2027, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said.

[Related: Qld Premier astounded by the cost to build]