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AAP
AAP
Politics
Nick Gibbs

Spare uni beds to be converted to emergency housing

Two-hundred short-term beds will be available by mid-year as vacant university lodgings are converted for Queenslanders most affected by the state's housing crisis

The repurposing of student beds at a Griffith University's South Brisbane campus is among the measures announced during a state government housing summit in October.

Deputy Premier Steven Miles says the facility will provide a buffer for Queenslanders doing it tough while they try to get back into the rental market.

"The housing crisis has hit many Queenslanders who have never before found themselves homeless and we are committed to turning this around," he said on Tuesday.

Works to prepare the complex include floor plan alterations giving residents a small living area with kitchen and bathroom facilities to be shared.

Housing Minister Leeanne Enoch said the complex would provide vital short-term housing for adults as they look for secure longer-term homes.

"We're working with community housing and support providers to finalise the operation of the facility ahead of completed works," she said.

The government announced a $50 million package following the October summit, including $12 million to help 2500 people stay in their leases and avoid homelessness.

"The Palaszczuk government is continuing to pull every lever available to deliver innovative housing solutions for Queenslanders right across the state," Ms Enoch said.

Sustained increases in interstate migration and a materials and skills shortage in the construction industry were affecting the market, a report following the summit said.

"These pressures have been felt across the board, most acutely by Queenslanders renting or aspiring to rent at the lower-priced end of the private market," the report says.

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