2017-06-14
The Queensland Greens says Queensland Labor’s housing strategy fails the hundreds of thousands of Queenslanders under housing stress.
Amy MacMahon, Greens candidate for South Brisbane has attacked the state government’s housing strategy announced during the Queensland State Budget.
“The state government’s housing strategy is a complete joke and a woefully inadequate response to our state’s housing crisis”, says Greens candidate for South Brisbane Amy MacMahon.”
“The government’s strategy is effectively a repackaging of an existing failed policy of low rates of social housing construction and a failure to address the highest rates of housing unaffordability in the country.”
Councillor for the Gabba Ward Jonathan Sri said there are better ways to address housing affordability than leaving it up to the private market.
“The State Government has hoisted the white flag and surrendered to the property developer lobby,” Councillor Sri said. “Underneath the glossy brochures and inflated statistics, this strategy is an unambitious capitulation to neoliberalism.”
“Once again the government has put the profits of big corporations ahead of suffering Queenslanders,” Amy MacMahon said.
“Under the strategy the social housing waiting list will grow larger, the proportion of social housing will drop, thousands more people will be locked out of high amenity areas and more people will become and remain homeless.”
“Thousands of Queenslanders were given a start at life in stable social housing, including the Premier. But under the government’s plan hundreds of thousands of families will be denied that life changing experience because both Labor and the LNP see social housing as an afterthought.”
The current proportion of social housing in Queensland is 4.4% of total dwellings, by 2027 that figure will drop to 3.3% based on the Government’s own projections of dwelling construction.
Councillor Sri says he had hoped for more from the State Government.
“Thousands of private dwellings are being constructed in Brisbane, and there’s no reason the State Government can’t also build public housing - not just for vulnerable residents but also for key workers who can’t afford massive mortgages.”
“It breaks my heart that so many people are being priced out of their neighbourhoods, and all the government can do is scatter a bit of chicken feed.”
“Under this plan, suburbs like West End and Woolloongabba will receive an average of just 3.6 new public housing dwellings over the next five years.”
Amy MacMahon: 0488199015
Jonathan Sri: 3403 2165