The Queensland Government will build new social housing in Goodna, Redbank Plains, and other Ipswich suburbs, following the announcement of vital federal funding last month.
The funding forms part of the $2 billion so-called Social Housing Accelerator, a federal initiative to inject urgently needed funds into state projects investing in social and affordable housing – of which Queensland’s government received almost $400 million.
That will be used to support the roll-out of another 600 homes across Queensland, including 23 in Ipswich.
Those funds are in addition to the Palaszczuk Government’s existing $5 billion investment – the largest concentrated investment in the state’s history – targeted at delivering 13,500 homes, including a number of social housing projects underway in Ipswich.
Blair MP Shayne Neumann said the federal and state governments were working together on this critical development.
“Everyone deserves the security of a roof over their head,” Mr Neumann said.
“We know Australia’s housing challenges are serious, which is why we’re taking immediate action. [Our] $2 billion Social Housing Accelerator is real dollars, driving real change, and building more homes locally and across the nation.
“We have an ambitious housing agenda – which includes the delivery of 30,000 social and affordable homes through our $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund.”
“This funding will mean more locals have a safe and affordable place to call home.
“It’s fantastic that the Queensland Government is rolling out a number of new social housing projects in Ipswich – in places like Goodna, Booval, North Ipswich and Redbank Plains – and our Federal funding injection will mean more can now be built.
“I look forward to working with my Federal and State colleagues to get on with the job of delivering more social and affordable housing for our region.”
Queensland Housing Minister Meaghan Scanlon said additional homes are going where they’re needed most.
“Shovels are in the ground right now on hundreds of sites across Queensland to build more public homes, and we’ll be looking at a mix [of] methods to get these new homes up as well,” Ms Scanlon said.
It comes as the Queensland Government announced the beginning of construction of its fifth project under the $2 billion Housing Investment Fund (HIF) – one of the key outcomes of last year’s Housing Summit – in Stones Corner, in Brisbane.
Around $480 million in project funding and 1,600 homes have been approved under the HIF so far. A further 71 proposals have been shortlisted to progress to the next stage of assessment.
For more information about Queensland’s social housing, visit qld.gov.au/housing/public-community-housing.
For community and public housing applications, visit or contact the Ipswich Housing Service Centre on 3437 6000 or email ipswichhsc@chde.qld.gov.au.
