The Queensland Audit office has today released its report on Delivering social housing services.
The Auditor-General has made 8 recommendations in the report, which have all been accepted by my department.
I absolutely welcome the report, which has come at exactly the right time.
The housing system has been under incredible pressure, and this pressure is not unique to social housing or to Queensland.
The Auditor-General himself acknowledges these challenges in the report.
We have a private rental market that is becoming more competitive, and Queenslanders are facing a growing challenge to access secure and affordable housing.
This is compounded by pressure on the construction sector for both skilled trades and supplies, interstate migration, and the recent natural disasters.
Covid has helped to shine a spotlight on the complexity of needs of vulnerable Queenslanders and the areas in which the register can better address them.
The report presents a number of opportunities for the department to improve its approach to the management of the social housing register to ensure it is the sharpest tool possible.
The department have taken early and decisive action that delivers on recommendations contained in the report.
In May last year the department commenced the process of contacting all applicants on the Social Housing Register.
In fact, they’ve canvassed 98% of households, and what they have found is that 21 per cent were either uncontactable, no longer eligible, or no longer required social housing.
In March this year the department also implemented a consistent state wide process to identify, approve and record priority applications.
Finally, I’d like to acknowledge the work of the Auditor-General and his team in undertaking this audit, as well as the work of my department.
I’d like to also acknowledge the hard work and commitment of the staff at our Housing Service Centres who are on the front line supporting vulnerable Queenslanders in these challenging times.
