80 Left Waiting 2 Years In Burdekin’s Housing Crisis

Opinion piece

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A lack of crisis accommodation units and more than 80 very high-level social housing applications has painted a stark picture of the Burdekin’s housing crisis, according to Member for Burdekin Dale Last.
After waiting longer than expected for the Minister to answer a question on notice regarding crisis accommodation in Ayr and Home Hill, new figures have also revealed 82 very high need applications were waiting an average of two years for social housing in the Burdekin.
“As we have seen firsthand in the Burdekin, a lack of private rentals coupled with only a fraction of those urgently seeking social housing actually being provided a home, has resulted in calls for crisis accommodation to soar and the responsibility for that falls squarely on this state government,” Mr Last said.
“In the space of 12 months to June 2022, just 12 allocations were made to social housing properties in the Burdekin equating to a mere fraction of those ‘very high need’ applicants actually being provided with social housing.
“In the meantime, those who miss out are left to seek an alternative roof over their head or even perhaps turn to the five crisis accommodation units in the Burdekin.”
Mr Last said with social housing numbers left to go backwards across the state under the Labor government and waitlists soaring, those most vulnerable in the Burdekin deserved action on crisis accommodation and not another broken promise.
“Recently we heard the Premier promise crisis accommodation for every homeless person in this state, yet clearly what we are actually seeing unfold is increased calls for accommodation and the homelessness services left with no other choice but to issue tents,” Mr Last said.
“The LNP have already called for more to be done by this state Labor government to unlock more land for housing and encourage investment in regions and that applies to regional towns like Ayr and Home Hill.”
“This district cannot afford for Labor to sit on its hands while applicants wait another two years for social housing and more and more people, left with no choice but to seek crisis accommodation, are offered tents because there is simply no where for them to go.”

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