Local Housing Action Plans

In 2023, the LGAQ in partnership with the Queensland Government provided  support to assist Queensland councils in preparation and finalisation of a Local Housing Action Plan (LHAP) to strengthen partnerships between State and local governments on critical housing challenges and opportunities. A LHAP looks at factors impacting housing in a local government area and the current and future housing needs, identifies priority actions to address immediate, emerging and longer-term challenges and helps to coordinate responses to these challenges.  

What is a Local Housing Action Plan? 

A Local Housing Action Plan (LHAP) is a non-statutory plan and ‘living document’ prepared under the Queensland Housing & Homeless Action Plan 2021-2025 (Action 5) to support local housing outcomes.  

A LHAP looks at factors impacting housing in a local government area and the current and future housing needs, identifies priority actions to address immediate, emerging and longer-term challenges and helps to coordinate responses to these challenges. 

Key Objectives 

  • Deliver upon the LGAQ 2022 Annual Conference Resolution #32 Funding support for Regional and Local Housing Plans 
  • To work in collaboration with 38 councils and associated Regional Organisational of Councils (ROCs) to prepare a Local Housing Action Plan 
  • Identify agreed priority actions to address a range of immediate, emerging and longer-term housing challenges 

Project Highlights  

Following the completion of the project in 2024, the LGAQ’s Local Housing Action project saw:  

  • 38 Councils engaged to discuss the opportunity of developing a Local Housing Action Plan (LHAP). 
  • 37 Councils participated in the LHAP process, either by completing a detailed LHAP or an alternative approach (e.g. a LGAQ-branded LHAP). 
  • 80 Key Focus Area consultation sessions and workshops (either virtual or face-to-face) were undertaken to work collaboratively with key council staff and stakeholders.  
  • 900+ Priority Actions have been identified to address housing issues across the State in key areas such as employee housing, social and affordable housing, homelessness, planning amendments and First Nations support. 
  • Development of a LHAP Digital Dashboard to support the ongoing tracking of progress of Local Housing Action Plans and provide regional snapshots of focus areas. 

Priority Housing Areas  

At the time of completion, the LHAP project had identified the following key areas where Queensland councils required support:  

  • Infrastructure Charges – Infrastructure charges present opportunities for councils to stimulate and encourage investment in housing supply 
  • Employee Housing – With farmers and businesses in desperate need of workers, many prospective employees are faced with limited accommodation options. 
  • Planning – To ensure the housing crisis is addressed, councils need modern planning schemes to encourage diverse and affordable houses. Modern planning schemes consider emerging and future housing needs, and facilitate greater development in the region 
  • Homelessness – Despite various support initiatives, the number of people experiencing homelessness continues to challenge local communities and service providers. Factors such as housing affordability, economic instability, and changing migration patterns contribute to the complexity of the issue. 
  • First Nations Peoples - Every Queenslander should have a safe and secure place to call home. First Nations people face more challenges in finding stable housing and moving into home ownership. 
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