Our history

The provision of housing assistance to Queenslanders in need has been a priority of the State Government for over one hundred years. From the introduction of Workers' Dwellings Act 1909 and the establishment of the Workers' Dwelling Branch in 1910 to the Housing Act 2003 and the major reforms to the social housing system we are undertaking now, providing people with safe and appropriate housing has been integral to building a strong and productive State.

For Australia, the depression years of the late 1920s and early 1930s and the beginning of the war in 1939 had seen the prosperity of the nation threatened. Economic and building activity slowed dramatically and as a result, by 1944 there was a shortage of around 300,000 houses across the nation.

In this climate, post-war reconstruction emerged as a priority at a national level. In 1945, Queensland's Premier Frank Cooper signed the Commonwealth and State Housing Agreement with the Commonwealth Government. The Commonwealth Government's increased contribution was recognition that housing had become a national problem and heralded the beginning of significant federal-state involvement in Australian housing policy and public rental home construction.

A few days after this agreement was ratified, the Queensland Housing Commission was established (under the State Housing Act 1945) which began with an initial asset portfolio of just 198 rental homes.

To meet the growing demands for housing, the Commission began building accommodation. This saw the conversion of ex-wartime barracks into temporary accommodation and also saw the building of new properties to meet this demand. By mid-1948, the Commission's portfolio had increased to 1,241 homes, with nearly 23,000 houses constructed across the State a decade later.

In the three decades that followed, the Commission worked towards addressing the needs of a rapidly changing Queensland community that witnessed a movement away from the nuclear family and towards a growing number of single parent households. An increasing number of households comprised people living alone, older people or people with a disability, all with specific housing needs which had to be considered and addressed.

To meet this changing client demand, especially from older Queenslanders, the Commission branched out from large estate developments to unit blocks and attached houses.

Remaining responsive to the housing needs of clients continued to be the main focus of the Commission. In 1981, the Commission adapted its first house to address the needs of people with a disability, with the property then leased to Independent Living for Physically Handicapped Association.

In 1984, Queensland received Commonwealth Government funding to develop the community housing sector. Partnerships were developed with not-for-profit organisations and local governments to provide community-based housing assistance including crisis, transitional and long-term rental housing. This marked the recognition of community housing as an essential component of the social housing system and signalled a turning point in the structure of housing provision in Queensland.

Moving towards the end of the millennium, the Department of Housing and Local Government was formed in 1989. While the Queensland Housing Commission would continue to exist as a legal entity for almost another 15 years, the establishment of the department signalled the emergence of a new philosophy for service provision for Queenslanders and the development of a range of products and services that are still being used today.

In the early 1990s, gaining a better understanding of its clients and more sophisticated service provision became a priority for the department. Decentralisation of the department's single service delivery point in Brisbane was undertaken with 17 area offices located throughout the State a key to realising this aim.

In 1998, the department emerged as a single entity dedicated to meeting the housing needs of Queenslanders. It confirmed the importance of housing as one of the cornerstones for Queenslanders in achieving a healthier, more stable life, providing them with greater opportunities to achieve their goals and contribute to the wider community.

Community and urban renewal programs to address issues associated with older public housing estates were introduced during the 1990s, and represented a commitment to not only improve the quality of housing in these high density public housing areas, but also to address social and economic issues in these communities.

Social and economic factors continued to contribute to greater inequity in the income and wealth of Australians moving into the 2000s. These factors, as well as declining levels of home ownership, increasing numbers of long-term private renters and greater numbers of households experiencing housing stress, placed governments and housing providers under even greater pressure.

To respond to this situation, alliances were formed by the department with key organisations to address specific issues in inner-city environments. The Brisbane Housing Company, a not-for-profit partnership between the State Government and the Brisbane City Council, and the Kelvin Grove Urban Village, a partnership with the Queensland University of Technology, were established in 2001 to develop sustainable and practical solutions to addressing Queenslanders' housing needs.

When the new Housing Act 2003 took effect in 2004, the modern basis for the department's activities was established, which marked the end of 58 years of the Queensland Housing Commission.

On 1 January 2006, the department embarked on the most significant social housing system reform Queensland had seen for 60 years. A new strategic direction to realise one social housing system was endorsed to provide better integration of service delivery across the range of housing products and services available for low-income Queenslanders, and ensure that those with the highest need receive housing assistance for the duration of their need.

Realising the Department of Housing's vision of 'improving people's lives through housing and community renewal' continues to be delivered through a responsive housing system by a client-focused, innovative and flexible organisation that approaches the future with confidence.