THE Queensland government is promising a renewed focus on community housing, and it’s using Logan as the launching pad.
Hundreds of new social homes have been announced for suburbs across the city, including at Park Ridge, Marsden and Woodridge, as part of a new partnership with Community Housing Queensland Limited (CHQL).
The homes will be mostly one and two-bedroom detached houses, duplexes and townhouses for older people to downsize into.
The government says the developments will free up larger social homes for the city’s struggling younger families.
Construction started on the first 44 dwellings at Waterford West last week, where state treasurer David Janetzki and housing minister Sam O’Connor also unveiled an updated procurement process for social housing developers.
From now on, procurement to take on new social housing project proposals will remain open permanently.
The government hopes this will enable housing providers like CHQL to “deliver more homes sooner”.
CHQL CEO Julie Saunders said it would move projects along faster.
The ministers also promised what they called a “nation-leading” $5.6 billion investment to build new community housing, plus baseline funding of $500 million per year from 2029.
However, the state’s current percentage of community housing stock is far from “nation leading”.
At just 16%, it is the lowest in Australia.
“I see social and community housing as an important first step to securing housing for those who most need it… and to allow them a horizon, a pipeline to seek their own home-ownership aspirations if they so choose,” Mr Janetzki said.
All 215 homes delivered through the partnership will be built to meet the needs of seniors with mobility challenges, according to the government, and encourage people to downsize, freeing up larger social homes for “families in need”.
Mr O’Connor said this was “really important” to tackling the social housing waitlist, which in Logan is about 3000 applicants long.
All the projects are expected to be completed between September 2026 and early 2028.
CHQL state manager Carly Bairstow said creating stable, affordable homes helps people and communities thrive.
“These projects are about so much more than bricks and mortar,” she said.
“They will give older Queenslanders, families and people waiting on the housing register the security of having a place to truly call home.”
