Qld landlords urged to opt in to headleasing initiative
Landlords who own property in Queensland are being urged to apply for a new initiative aimed at boosting supply of social housing in the state.
Help to Home is a scheme from the Queensland state government, which is being touted as “a great opportunity for Queensland property owners to help provide a home for Queenslanders in need”.
First announced in late July, the program is aimed at increasing social housing supply; a $40 million allocation hopes to headlease up to 1,000 private market properties over the next two years.
According to the state’s Minister for Communities and Housing, the Honourable Leeanne Enoch, “there are immense housing pressures right across the country and strong interstate migration has added extra pressure in Queensland”.
She explained: “The two-year headleasing arrangement provides certainty for property owners, with a guaranteed income for two years, paid three months in advance, and then every quarter subject to the terms of the lease.”
So far, 31 expressions of interest have been received for the program, with 19 properties already allocated to households. A total of $126,000 has been invested into the headleases so far, with those properties located in Keperra and Beenleigh.
Revealing that the department is fast-tracking approvals for the initiative, Ms Enoch said she is pleased with the progress already made through Help to Home “to get people into safe and secure accommodation”.
The latest insight on the Help to Home initiative follows the Queensland roundtable on housing, which was held last Friday, 16 September, with a summit to be held later in the year “to see what all levels of government alongside industry and sector can do to better address this issue together”.