Join our campaign to Help House a Queenslander

Now more than ever, Queenslanders urgently need shelter to house thousands of displaced residents - and we need the real estate profession's help to get more properties on the rental market.

The REIQ and Q Shelter have joined forces to launch a campaign 'Help House a Queenslander' to encourage property owners to release their Queensland-based properties onto the long-term rental market.

We estimate there may be up to 200,000 properties in Queensland that are either vacant, used as family holiday homes or used for short-term and holiday letting purposes. Some of these properties are fully furnished, making them highly suitable for displaced residents who also lost all their possessions.

The REIQ is also calling on the Government to get behind this campaign and offer financial incentives to encourage property owners to make their investment properties available on the long-term rental market.

How can you help?

We know that, as always, the real estate profession will be ready and willing to assist property owners in moving their properties to the long-term rental market quickly.

Catastrophic timing

Even before the recent flood events displaced more people from their homes, our state's vacancy rates had reached historic lows, tightening to virtually zero in some regional areas. It goes without saying the timing of this natural disaster is truly catastrophic.

It's heartbreaking that our community has ended up here. It's likely we will see homelessness soar with some people already resorting to living in tents and cars. We all know this simply isn't good enough. Queenslanders deserve better.

If property owners don't help, who will?

The Government's proposed solution to the immediate and long-term housing crisis is to utilise COVID-19 quarantine hotels and send displaced residents to Toowoomba's Wellcamp quarantine facility. This is a short-term solution to a long-term problem. Cutting people's financial and social ties to their schools, jobs, and social networks, or cramming families into hotel rooms is impractical and immoral.

We recognise that we can't keep asking private citizens and investors to do all the heavy lifting when it comes to housing Queenslanders. We will continue to push the Government to offer financial incentives to support this campaign.

It is hoped that our efforts will help to alleviate the rental supply issues currently crippling Queensland. People are digging deep to help neighbours, family and friends. This is a crisis, and we need every available property we can find to help house a Queenslander.

Read more news to get some ideas on the real estate .

Read more news to get some ideas on the real estate .