A-FORDE-BILITY HOME WOES
HUNDREDS of vulnerable families in a key election seat will soon be fighting for just four homes because of the scrapping of a controversial scheme.
As the National Rental Affordability Scheme is phased out, 241 properties in Forde will be reduced to four by 2025.
HUNDREDS of vulnerable families in a key election seat will soon be fighting for just four homes because of the scrapping of a controversial scheme.
Data obtained by the Bulletin shows struggling households in Forde will be severely hit when the federal government phases out the National Rental Affordability Scheme (NRAS).
Those in Upper Coomera, Ormeau and Pimpama will be most affected.
The scheme allows low and middle-income households to rent a property for 20 per cent less than market rates. As of March, 241 NRAS properties were listed in Forde. However, when the scheme ends in 2025, there will be just four.
Support workers warn a majority of households getting help in a hot Coast property market could be made homeless when their rents increase.
“It’s actually unfathomable as to how services are going to respond,” says Jade Cronan-thompson, the aged care and disability manager at not-for-profit Footprints Commun
ity. The removal of properties from NRAS is scary.
“Staff on the ground are extremely worried about how they’re going to respond to the needs of people.
“Someone said to me it’s going to get to a point where we have to pick and choose who to support and who’s going to get left behind.”
The Bulletin last month reported that rental vacancies on the Gold Coast had reached a record low of 0.4 per cent and rents were spiking $150 a week.
Just under 5000 Gold Coasters are waiting on average 40 months – the longest in the state – for social housing. Fewer than 100 properties have been created in the northern Gold Coast in the last six years.
Queensland Council of Social
Services CEO Aimee Mcveigh said: “We’ve seen approximately 2000 Queensland households exit the scheme already.
“Community organisations (are) reporting that people have been asked to pay an extra $200 per week in rent or else vacate the property.
“Others say when their property exits the scheme, they’ll be expected to pay rents that are up to 90 per cent of their income.
“With rental vacancy rates at record lows across the state and 50,301 people already on the social housing register, the end of the federal government’s scheme spells disaster.”
Housing and cost of living struggles are expected to be a key focus for the upcoming May 21 election.
Forde has been tipped as a close fight for LNP MP Bert van Manen, despite him holding the seat with an 8.6 per cent margin. He came close to losing in 2016 when Labor’s Des Hardman won 49.37 per cent of the vote.
The LNP needs to retain the seat to remain in government.
Political expert Dr Paul Williams told the Bulletin: “Housing affordability is an issue that could disrupt the LNP’S vote.
“(Forde) has become a bellwether seat in recent times. It’s the sort of seat Labor should be able to win in Queensland.
“The LNP is losing votes in Forde but they’re not going to Labor, they’re going to right-wing minor parties.”
The election would boil down to two issues – the traits people wanted in a Prime Minister and the cost of living, Mr Williams predicted.
Labor this week announced a Help to Buy policy, in which it would contribute up to 40 per cent of the purchase price for a new home and up to 30 per cent of the price of an existing home.
The Greens and Palmer United Party have also made cost of living and housing main election issues.
Footprints’ Ms CronanThompson challenged poll candidates to “spend a week” with her staff.
“It’s all well and good to talk about it, to see stats, but I don’t think you can actually grasp a real understanding for what is happening unless they spend a week or two doing what our staff are doing,” she said.