When it comes to housing, we have reached an absolute crisis point.
In Queensland alone, homelessness has risen by 22%, which is three times the national average increase. Meanwhile, a measly 4% of Queensland’s housing market is made up of social housing, and there is not enough accessible dwellings for disabled community members.
The 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games threatens to make the housing crisis drastically worse for the residents of Brisbane City.
From Barcelona to Tokyo and L.A., we know that the Olympics caused surging house prices and rents while pushing everyday people out of their communities. Many property developers look to increase their profit margins by turfing out their tenants to make way for short term accommodation.
Instead, the 2032 Games could provide an opportunity for the Government to tackle the housing crisis head on, by investing in publicly-owned housing, cracking down on short-term stays like Airbnb, and capping rent increases.
The Athlete’s Village will host 10 000 athletes and team officials for the Olympics, and more than 5000 for the Paralympics. Rather than selling this housing off, like we saw in Sydney and the Gold Coast, this housing should be turned into beautiful, accessible, publicly-owned housing for anyone who needs it.
Sign our petition to tell the Queensland Government to:
- Retain the 2032 Brisbane Athletes' Village as 100% publicly-owned, genuinely affordable housing, including high-quality public housing, disability accessible housing, and essential worker housing
- Pass regulation to prevent existing residential accommodation from being converted into short-term accommodation, like Airbnbs, and
- Implement a long-term cap on rent increases.
Image credit: Queensland Government