Queensland to scale up affordable housing plans

Developers will submit detailed proposals for consideration with the construction of successful projects expected to start in 2024 under the government's Housing Investment Fund. 

"I'm really pleased to announce 71 projects will now go to the next stage where they'll submit their detailed designs," the minister told reporters on Monday. 

"We'll see works happening as soon as next year on some of these projects." 

Housing remains a major poverty risk, with more than half of people in public housing living below the poverty line, data from the Australian Council of Social Services shows.

Ms Scanlon said the projects would make a significant difference.

"This is really about being more creative, working with those institutional investors to really scale up affordable housing in this state," she said.

"To tackle the impact national housing pressures are having here, we need to work with industry to look at new solutions and ways of doing things, including unlocking more affordable housing."

The Housing Investment Fund was bolstered in 2022 to $2 billion to provide subsidies, one-off capital grants and other support to encourage the development, finance and operation of social and affordable housing across Queensland.

Liberal Opposition leader David Crisafulli said the Housing Investment Fund must exclusively be used for new construction, not to buy into a market that is already under immense pressure.

"Failure to increase supply will result in a generation of misery for those looking to buy their first home, those looking to rent their first home, or those most vulnerable who deserve a social roof over their head," he told reporters on Monday. 

"For too many Queenslanders ... a tent has become their new home."