Social housing recipients in Queensland earning more than they should will soon be evicted from their homes to make way for new tenants. The state government claims there are some recipients earning well above the income limit that determines who is eligible for social housing.
00:00The state government overhauling what it says is a broken social housing system.
00:08The restoration of fairness.
00:10From July, Queenslanders living in public housing will be subject to annual rent reviews.
00:1545% of our social housing tenants across Queensland have not provided us with current information about their income, their assets, their eligibility.
00:27The crackdown comes amid claims a couple in Brisbane are paying less than $200 a week in rent, despite taking home $200,000 a year.
00:37While in Townsville, a family with an annual income of $160,000 has a weekly rent of almost $190.
00:46What isn't up for review are social housing income limits last changed almost 20 years ago.
00:52The eligibility is what it is and that hasn't been touched by any government of any colour for many, many years, but that's what it is.
01:00Currently a single person earning more than $32,000 a year or a couple with two children who make more than $52,000 combined is ineligible.
01:10By applying the existing eligibility criteria so brutally, we are going to see more and more Queenslanders who frankly don't have a place to live.
01:23Bruceburn house prices in 2006 were $339,000. They're now around a million dollars.
01:29And yet Sam O'Connor is saying social housing tenants should be treated in the same way.
01:34The government says people found in breach of income limits will be given four months to find a new home.
01:40It says that will make space for the 52,000 people who are eligible currently on the waitlist.
