• The first four tenants have moved into a former Toowoomba retirement village turned into social homes
• The Palaszczuk Government bought the property for $10.6 million, refurbishing the building
• It’s part of a record $5 billion for social and affordable housing and housing and homelessness support, the largest investment in Queensland’s history, to help deliver 13,500 homes

A former retirement village has been transformed into social housing, welcoming its first tenants into their new homes.

The Palaszczuk Government bought the Newtown property for $10.6 million.

Maintenance and refurbishment of the buildings was completed within four months, paving the way for tenants to start moving in.

The property comprises 58 self-contained units which will become homes for Queenslanders on the social housing register.

The department is currently managing the site as tenders are finalised on a provider to help manage and support tenants.

It’s the fourth vacant aged care and retirement facility that has been secured by the Palaszczuk Government in recent months to help ease the impact of national housing pressures in Queensland.

With the other properties in Clayfield, Rothwell and the Redlands, the ex-retirement and aged care places will provide more than 140 homes for Queenslanders.

Quotes attributable to Housing Minister Meaghan Scanlon:

“We are always looking at new and innovative solutions to get Queenslanders into safe and stable housing sooner.

“By buying and refurbishing this complex, we’ve been able to get a roof over peoples’ heads more quickly.

“Not only do we have shovels in the ground building hundreds of homes through our record $5 billion investment in social and affordable housing, we are also purchasing existing facilities like this that would otherwise have been lost.”

Quotes attributable to Toowoomba teenager Aubrey, who had been living in a hostel before he was offered a one-bedroom unit:

“The hostel wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t home.

“Then I moved in here, and it didn’t really sink in.  But when it did, I was really happy.”

Further information:

The Palaszczuk Government has made a record $5 billion spend on social and affordable housing and housing and homelessness support.

That’s the largest concentrated investment in the state’s history and will help to deliver 13,500 homes.

This includes commitments in this year’s Queensland State Budget of an additional $322 million to build 500 more social homes under Quickstarts Queensland by 30 June 2025, and $64.3 million for the purchase and lease of emergency accommodation facilities.

ENDS

Media contact: Francis Dela Cruz - 0420 592 078