An audit of Queensland’s Social Housing register has seen rents reduced for hundreds of tenants.
State Housing and Public Works Minister Sam O’Connor said since July 1 more than 2000 reviews had been initiated.
Minister O’Connor said while 76 households had been identified as high-income and nine public housing tenants identified as owning property, 25 percent of tenancies have had their rent reduced.
“We’ve found almost 1 in 4 tenants paying too much, and their rent has now been reduced immediately,” he said.
Minister O’Connor said many households saw reductions of around $70 per week to ensure they were only paying 25 percent of their income in rent.
He said the review found some tenants had been able to live in taxpayer-funded housing despite earning above the ongoing eligibility income threshold.
“The small number of tenants no longer eligible for public housing will be supported to transition to the private market with access to bond loans, rental grants and other assistance products.”
Minister O’Connor said under the new tenancy management rules introduced on July 1, annual ongoing eligibility checks would confirm if tenants still met long standing income and asset thresholds.
He said market rent would be charged to tenants who did not provide information to verify their income or who were proven to be ineligible for ongoing public housing assistance while they were supported to transition to other housing options.
“Rent in social housing will continue to be calculated as being 25 percent of a household’s assessable income.
“If any eligible tenant is found to have been paying less than 25 percent of their household’s assessable income, any increase in rent will be capped at a maximum of $15 per week, per year.”
