- Applications are now open for grants of up to $50,000 to help Queensland’s community housing sector to deliver more social and affordable housing
- The grants will cover the cost of specialist advice and services to eligible Community Housing Providers supporting them to build capability to deliver more housing solutions across Queensland
- It builds on a record $5 billion for social and affordable housing, the largest concentrated investment in Queensland’s history, to help deliver 13,500 homes
The grants are part of Community Housing Futures, a capacity building initiative for the community housing sector being delivered by peak bodies Q Shelter, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Housing Queensland, and the Community Housing Industry Association of Queensland, in partnership with the Palaszczuk Government.
This program is part of the State’s $5 million commitment to build capacity and capability in Community Housing Providers, and follows calls from the sector to help build capacity.
Community Housing Futures offers access to specialist advice, tools and training to help Community Housing Providers to grow and manage larger portfolios of social and affordable housing. This includes supporting Community Housing Providers applying for funding support under the Housing Investment Fund.
Quotes attributable to Housing Minister Meaghan Scanlon:
“We’re taking action on several fronts to put more housing out into the market – whether that’s through our big housing build, land audits, pre-manufactured builds or build-to-rent.
“We’d like to see more Community Housing Providers partner with developers, builders, institutional investors and superannuation funds to develop, finance and operate social and affordable housing across Queensland.
“Industry told us that in order to grow housing supply, Community Housing Providers also need to grow, and this requires strengthening their skills in areas including property development, financial capability, governance and planning.
“By partnering with Queensland’s three peak community housing bodies to build these resources, tools and programs, we’re confident that community housing organisations in Queensland will benefit, as will thousands of their tenants.”
Quotes attributable to Q Shelter’s Executive Director Fiona Caniglia:
“The resources, tools and programs available through these grants will enable Community Housing Organisations to accelerate the valuable work they are already doing to increase housing supply in Queensland.
“While Q Shelter has been supporting the sector for over 35 years, the challenges facing housing and homelessness services have never been greater.
“Building more social and affordable homes is critically important right now—but we need to grow our CHP sector to deliver and manage that housing stock and to provide the many other support services so often needed by tenants.”
Quotes attributable to Community Housing Industry Association of Queensland Executive Officer Annemaree Callander:
“The Community Housing Industry in Queensland has a vital role to play in responding to current and future housing demand. The Community Housing Futures Program will help community housing organisations deliver increased supply of social and affordable housing, and most importantly create homes for people in need.”
Quotes attributable to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Housing Queensland CEO Neil Willmett:
“These CHP grants will offer First Nations’ led organisations new opportunities to strengthen and grow in a context where so many people facing homelessness and housing stress are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.”
