- New "always-open" community housing procurement process goes live.
- Game-changing initiative allows community housing providers to deliver more homes sooner.
- Construction also starts on the first of 255 new social and affordable homes for southern Queensland.
- Crisafulli Government delivering what the community sector needs, after a decade of decline under Labor.
The Crisafulli Government is empowering community housing providers to deliver more homes for vulnerable Queenslanders, with a new "always-open" procurement process to take project proposals year-round.
The Queensland Community Housing Investment Pipeline (Q-CHIP) is a first for the State, supported by record funding of $5.6 billion secured in the 2025-26 Budget, along with ongoing baseline funding of $500 million per year locked in from 2029-30 ongoing.
After Labor's decade of decline, the Crisafulli Government is delivering the community housing sector what they need, to guarantee a sustainable social and community housing pipeline.
In just 10 months, the Crisafulli Government has almost 6,000 social and community homes under contract or in construction, which is more than twice the number Labor had locked in at the time of their last Budget.
Under Labor, social housing went backwards, averaging just 509 delivered per year - barely a third of the rate Queensland's population grew over the same period.
Treasurer and Minister for Home Ownership David Janetzki said the Crisafulli Government's record housing Budget was ensuring Queenslanders who need it most have a place to call home.
"Queensland has the lowest percentage of community housing stock of any Australian state, at just 16 percent compared to Tasmania at 65 percent or New South Wales at 34 percent," Mr Janetzki said.
"The Crisafulli Government is investing significantly to ensure we can turn the tide, and this new procurement process ensures community housing providers have the certainty to plan, partner and build at scale."
Minister for Housing Sam O'Connor announced the opening of the Q-CHIP at a sod turn marking the start of construction of 44 homes at Waterford West.
These are the first of 255 new social and affordable homes being delivered across southern Queensland in partnership with Community Housing Queensland Limited.
Construction will commence on the remaining mix of one and two-bedroom detached homes, duplexes and townhouses in Park Ridge, Marsden, Woodridge, Miles, Chinchilla and Roma by the end of the year.
Minister O'Connor said CHQL was one of more than 30 registered community housing providers the Queensland Government was working with to boost housing supply across the State.
"Everyone deserves a safe, secure and affordable place to call home and community providers like CHQL are essential partners to reaching our target of 53,500 social and community homes by 2044,'' Minister O'Connor said.
"For the first time we're open for business all year round, so providers can bring forward projects at any time – not just during time-limited grant program rounds," said Mr O'Connor.
"We're calling for projects and are ready to receive submissions to deliver much needed homes for vulnerable Queenslanders after a decade of underinvestment under Labor.
"The new process will drive competition to deliver better outcomes for community housing. Housing providers will be able to have pre-lodgement discussions with our teams to tailor and target their proposed projects," Mr O'Connor said.
Community Housing Industry Association CEO Julie Saunders said community housing providers are the backbone of delivering safe and affordable homes.
"Our sector welcomes the Crisafulli Government's record $5.6 billion housing investment and the launch of Q-CHIP, which will allow us to work alongside government to bring forward more projects, more quickly, for Queenslanders who need them most.
CHQL state manager Carly Bairstow said creating stable, affordable homes helps people and communities thrive.
"These projects are about so much more than bricks and mortar. They will give older Queenslanders, families and people waiting on the housing register the security of having a place to truly call home," said Bairstow.
All 255 homes will be built to meet the needs of seniors with mobility challenges and encourage people to downsize, freeing up larger social homes for families in need.
All projects within the partnership are expected to be completed between September 2026 and early 2028.
