QLD Social Housing Audit Finds Hundreds in Homes They Shouldn't Have

A sweeping audit of Queensland's social housing portfolio has exposed serious gaps in tenant eligibility, with hundreds of households found to be living in government-subsidised homes despite owning property or earning above the income threshold.

Housing Minister Sam O'Connor confirmed the review, which examined more than 46,000 social housing properties across the state, has already resulted in hundreds of tenants vacating homes over the past year. Thousands of other residents had their rent adjusted downward after the checks revealed they had been overcharged — a consequence of years without proper income verification.

The eligibility reviews were suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic by the former Labor government, a decision O'Connor said was understandable at the time. However, the checks were never reinstated during the remaining four years of that government, leaving the Housing Department with no current financial information on nearly half of all tenants statewide.

"We had hundreds of high-income earners and property owners living in social housing while thousands of Queenslanders were waiting to get a home," O'Connor told 4BC Brisbane. "It was completely unacceptable."

More than 3,700 households had been paying too much rent because the 25 per cent of income formula hadn't been properly applied. The review has also triggered a downsizing program, freeing up around 400 bedrooms for families whose needs better match the available properties.

Queensland's social housing waitlist currently sits at approximately 20,000 people, with average wait times running at around 31 months. The Minister said the list has been falling month on month since October last year and is now roughly 3,500 names shorter than when the current government took office — a trend he attributed primarily to new construction.

A debate emerged over the income eligibility threshold, set at $80,000 in gross household income. The host pressed O'Connor on whether that figure was adequate given cost-of-living pressures, noting working families earning close to that amount were still sleeping in their cars.

O'Connor acknowledged the tension but said any review of the threshold was off the table for now. "We can't consider that while we have over 20,000 people waiting to get into the system," he said, adding that the $80,000 level currently captures 63,000 eligible households and demonstrates the system is reaching genuinely vulnerable people.

The Minister urged any remaining tenants who have not yet submitted their financial details to do so promptly, warning it becomes significantly harder to resolve issues the longer compliance is delayed.