Left out on Struggle St

THE federal government’s plan to “walk away” from a vital housing subsidy will hurt almost 1200 struggling homes on the Gold Coast, a city MP says.

Gaven MP Meaghan Scanlon has launched a petition calling for an end to planned cuts to the National Rental Affordability Scheme that will affect an estimated 1122 households on the Coast.

A breakdown of data shows 2733 bedrooms are covered by the program across 11 Coast state electorates. The city’s northern suburbs are most affected.

“The Morrison government is walking away from NRAS which will leave more than 10,000 Queensland tenants paying more rent or having to find alternative affordable housing,” Ms Scanlon told the Bulletin.

“I’m very concerned about this. We are just seeing them completely vacate the space (on providing affordable housing).”

The petition’s launch is on the back of a Bulletin special report highlighting how new research found rental stress had created a homeless army of thousands.

People were either living on the street, in tents on the beachfront, in cars or couch surfing with friends and families.

The downside of the city’s property boom was up to 4000 people are without homes, many of them due to high rental costs.

Council data shows 63,500 households on the Coast have very low or low incomes – under $65,000.

Almost 15 per cent of all households are in housing stress, and the supply of crisis, supported and affordable housing is not meeting the demand.

Residents had reached out to MPS and councillors after a homeless couple were photographed having sex in a toilet block at north Burleigh near where nippers were training at the beach.

Ms Scanlon has written to federal Employment Minister and Fadden MP Stuart Robert seeking help, saying the state had committed $2.9bn to social and affordable housing.

She said she was concerned the federal government was walking away from NRAS without any genuine funding alternative.

“The federal government’s decision to discontinue the scheme will mean by mid-2025 up to 10,000 Queensland households will have to pay more rent or will be forced to find alternative housing,” Ms Scanlon told Mr Robert.

That data shows it will affect 422 households in Coomera, 283 in Southport and 158 around Oxenford. Labrador has about 99 homes, and there are 67 in the Nerang area. Currumbin, Surfers Paradise and Burleigh reported much smaller numbers.