Please turn your device to portrait.
Evidence-based planning shapes Queensland’s housing strategy with modular housing as a cornerstone for rapid and sustainable development.
The Miles Government in Queensland has announced an ambitious plan to tackle the housing crisis by setting a target to build 53,500 social homes by 2046. This initiative, part of the government’s broader strategy to address housing needs, promises to significantly increase public and community housing delivery in the region, averaging more than 2,000 homes per year. (main pic: Queensland VOLO Modular’s Rick Bell with Queensland’s Minister for Housing, Meaghan Scanlon.)
With an additional $1.25 billion allocated towards this goal, the plan builds on the government’s previous Big Build investment, raising the total commitment to over $7 billion since 2015. Premier Steven Miles stated, “Every Queenslander deserves a place to call home. That means we need to build more homes – it’s that simple.”
The plan, dubbed Homes for Queenslanders, is informed by modelling from the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI), incorporating factors such as population growth and socio-economic trends to gauge the future demand for social housing. The government is using evidence-based approaches to address housing needs, a first in Australia according to Housing Minister Meaghan Scanlon.
Modular construction is also highlighted as a key component in achieving these housing targets. “Queenslanders have already seen us work with industry to find new ways to build homes faster – including social homes – and we’ll be working with them closely to program another 53,500 over coming decades,” Scanlon added.
The government’s commitment to innovation in housing construction, particularly through modular construction, is seen as a critical factor in meeting the ambitious social housing targets. This approach also aligns with the government’s focus on sustainability and addressing economic and construction challenges.
The plan has garnered support from various sectors, including the Queensland Council of Social Service (QCOSS). CEO Aimee McVeigh welcomed the government’s initiative, noting, “Building new social housing isn’t just about bricks and mortar, it’s an investment in the well-being and dignity of our fellow Queenslanders, including thousands of families.”
Dr Michael Fotheringham, Managing Director of AHURI, commended the Queensland government’s commitment, stating, “The genuine ambition shown in Homes for Queenslanders and the work done over recent months brings a new level of sophistication to housing policy.”
