NEARLY 500 affordable homes will be built in key growth areas in Queensland where around 85% residents earn low and moderate incomes.
The homes will be built in Moreton Bay’s Burpengary East and Joyner, and Logan’s Jimboomba and Logan Reserve as part of the Miles government’s Homes for Queenslanders plan, and backed by the Housing Investment Fund.
They will be delivered by a consortium named Everyone’s Place, featuring Tetris Capital, partnership with Australia’s biggest home builder Metricon, National Affordable Housing, KDL Property Group and ANZ.
Miles government and Tetris Capital have just turned the sod on the state’s largest social and affordable housing project in Cairns.
The newly announced affordable homes will include 257 three-bedroom homes, 85 two-bedroom homes and 141 one-bedroom homes for individuals, couple and young families. The majority will be dual-key designs made possible by government changes to planning regulations for secondary dwellings.
“Queenslanders, like people all other States, are facing housing stress as result of a rapidly growing population, a change in the number of people who live in each home and supply constraints around construction,” said Queensland Deputy Premier and Treasurer Cameron Dick.
Construction will be completed in stages, commencing from this month. The first tenants are expected to be welcomed from mid-2025 with the final home anticipated to be complete by mid-2027.
KDL managing director Kent Leicester said funding support from the Housing Investment Fund is integral to the delivery of the 483 affordable homes across the Moreton Bay and Logan regions.
“KDL is excited to be working with the Queensland Government to deliver much needed affordable housing,” he said. “KDL is highly active in the state’s southeast and is on track to deliver more than 1,100 new home sites in the Greater Brisbane area in the next three years.”
The Housing Investment Fund has provided homes for about 1,000 people.
“Whether it’s building or buying, our Housing Investment Fund is attracting major projects right across the state and delivering for Queenslanders,” Housing Minister Meaghan Scanlon said.
“The fund has meant thousands of additional homes being built and coming online that otherwise wouldn’t have been possible.
The Homes for Queenslanders plans aims to deliver one million new homes by 2046, including 53,500 social homes.
Member for Logan, Linus Power said Logan has one of the lowest rental vacancy rates in Queensland and is also one of the fastest growing regions in the state.
“These new homes will not only provide safe and secure housing they will also take the pressure off the rental market, making renting a home in Logan more affordable.”
Chris Whiting, Member for Bancroft, said “our community is one of the fastest-growing in the Moreton Bay region which is why it is essential that there continues to be a supply of affordable housing”.
“These new homes at Burpengary will provide some much needed housing and a safe a secure home for families, couples and singles.”
Wynnum social housing fast-tracked
The Queensland government separately announced yesterday it was giving the green light to 50 new social homes in Brisbane’s eastern suburb of Wynnum.
Approval for a mix of one- and two-bedroom units was fast-tracked using the Ministerial Infrastructure Designation (MID) process.
Submitted by community housing provider Bric Housing, the homes will be located close to the Wynnum train station, community and allied health services, and supermarkets.
“This development will provide much needed safe, secure and affordable homes in a great location, close to public transport, shops and services,” said Bric Housing CEO, Jane West.
Minister Scanlon said another 746 homes are currently going through the MID process, but ahead of the October 26th election that homes and the government’s plan “were all at risk to the LNP’s cuts”.
“It’s unsurprising given David Crisafulli has appointed the same bloke who sent social housing backwards, who cut the social housing construction program by 90% when he was the housing minister last time,” she said.
