Local councils across Queensland have long demonstrated a commitment to improve the housing situation for vulnerable people in their communities. This can be seen to this day in the innovative approaches being adopted to this end by local councils from the Gold Coast to Cape York. In the context of the state’s current housing ‘crisis’, it is important that local governments continue to play an active role in improving housing outcomes for affected population groups.
This report identifies and explores three key roles that local councils in Queensland have pursued to this end. In explaining some of these constructive interventions, we discuss their replicability by other local councils, and reflect on what the research evidence tells us about how to empower local councils to facilitate better housing outcomes for their localities.
Our resulting recommendations are relevant to local councils, to the Queensland Government and to not-for-profit social housing and homelessness support providers. The report draws on interviews with senior staff in three councils identified as exemplifying active engagement with these three roles.
The report asks:
- How do leading local councils contribute to efforts to expand affordable housing and prevent/relieve homelessness?
- What factors have shaped or limited these contributions (e.g. powers, resources)?
- How can state government support local councils’ contributions?
- How can less active local councils be encouraged to replicate the contributions of leading councils?