Housing Minister defends state’s huge waitlist numbers
Queensland’s Housing Minister has hit back at claims the government has bungled the state’s property crisis.
The Auditor-General yesterday handed down a scathing report that found current government plans won’t keep up with rising demand for homes.
The report also found 50,000 people are currently on the public housing waitlist – an increase of almost 80 per cent over the last four years.
Leeanne Enoch told Sofie Formica her department tried contacting most of those people last year.
“About 21 per cent were unable to be contacted, or were no longer in need of social housing, or were no longer eligible,” she said.
“For me, that kind of indicated that the management of the Social Housing Register was under pressure and certainly, there was work already being done by the department to sharpen up some of that.”
Ms Enoch has welcomed and accepted the eight recommendations made in the Auditor-General’s report, which she says have “come at exactly the right time”.
“We look at every option possible and pull every lever we can to support people in the short-term whilst we’re building more and more social and affordable homes in the medium- and longer term.”
Press PLAY below to hear the Minister explain the state government’s current strategy
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