Lead

Hundreds of households left Queensland's social housing system in the last financial year, according to figures released by the state government and reported by ABC Australia. The departures stem from two separate government initiatives: an annual eligibility review and a new behaviour policy that took effect in July 2025.

Coverage Comparison

ABC Australia reported on both sets of figures in separate articles. The first article focused on the outcomes of the government's review of social housing eligibility, which examined 46,210 households over the 2025-26 financial year. That review led to 359 households leaving the system. The second article detailed the effects of the new behaviour policy, which resulted in 122 evictions and a sharp increase compared with the previous year.

Both articles quoted Queensland's Housing Minister, Sam O'Connor, who defended the government's approach, saying it was restoring fairness and ensuring that public housing goes to those who need it most. The behaviour policy article also included comments from Tenants Queensland chief executive Penny Carr, though her specific remarks were not detailed in the excerpts provided.

Key Claims

Eligibility Review Outcomes

According to the review figures reported by ABC Australia, of the 359 households that left social housing, 76 were found to own property or have an income exceeding $80,000 per year—less than 1 percent of those reviewed. Another 143 households are being examined further after being identified as potentially owning property.

The review also led to rent changes: 3,709 households had their rent reduced because they were paying more than a quarter of their income. For households paying less than the required 25 percent, rent increases are capped at $15 per week annually.

Other departures included 211 households that were moved on after failing to provide requested information within 28 days, 38 households that left while under review, and three households that vacated after a tribunal process. Additionally, 267 households chose to downsize, which the Department of Housing said freed up 401 bedrooms for families in need of larger homes.

Queensland's public housing rules prohibit tenants from owning or part-owning property, including vacant land, and require household income to remain below $80,000. Tenants must also provide information to confirm ongoing eligibility when requested.

Behaviour Policy Evictions

Under the new behaviour policy, introduced on July 1, 2025, tenants who receive three warnings for serious behaviour—including aggressive language, harassment, and deliberate damage—within a year are evicted. For severe or illegal activities, such as assault, drug manufacturing, or dangerous behaviour, tenants are immediately evicted and banned from social housing for two years.

In the first year of the policy, 122 households were evicted, including 56 for dangerous or severe behaviour. Of those evicted, 84 people have been banned from social housing for up to two years. An additional 91 households left after being issued with an eviction notice but before the matter proceeded to the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT).

The government also issued 1,016 breach notices, relating to 911 tenancies, for disruptive behaviour during the year.

These figures represent a sharp rise from the previous year, when 39 households were evicted under the earlier fair expectations and antisocial behaviour policy introduced by the former Labor government. The Department of Housing and Public Works could not provide a comparison of notices to leave issued in the previous year, as that data had not been recorded at the time.

Perspectives

Queensland Government

Housing Minister Sam O'Connor framed the figures as evidence that the government's approach is working. He said the review ensures fairness and that taxpayer-funded homes go to Queenslanders who most need them. On the behaviour policy, he said it empowers housing officers to act and sends a clear message that serious or repeated antisocial behaviour will have consequences.

Tenants Queensland

Penny Carr, chief executive of Tenants Queensland, was quoted in ABC Australia's article on the behaviour policy, though her specific comments were not included in the excerpts provided.