On Wednesday 31 July, I asked the Minister for Seniors and Disability Services about private disability supported accommodation.

You can read my question below, or find the full transcript and video link in the official Queensland Parliament Record of Proceedings (Hansard).

Amy

My question is for the minister. Minister, further to your comments earlier about level 3 supported accommodation, I have been contacted by a level 3 supported accommodation provider who is potentially facing closure because of housing costs and housing insecurity. I am keen to know what support will be given to the residents there if they do have to relocate.

Minister:

Member, that is a question for the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Planning. That is not a matter that falls within our portfolio responsibilities in terms of supported accommodation.

Amy:

Even if they are people living with disability and mental illness?

Minister:

Again, those are services that are provided through the department of housing. We do not provide specific supports through this department. Of course we would work with our housing counterparts to ensure that those residents are found suitable accommodation.

Amy:

Minister, can you detail what advice you have been able to give the department of housing or the Minister for Housing with regard to finding suitable locations for supported accommodation?

Minister:

One of the things that I am really pleased about is that, through our Homes for Queenslanders plan, we have been able to put a real focus on disability housing. In fact, we recently launched what we are calling our partnering for inclusive housing with people with disability. That work has been undertaken with the support of this department and also Queenslanders With Disability Network. Through this year’s budget, we have announced about $55 million to support that work. The work that we are doing through this department is around looking at how we co-design with people with disability, government, private and community housing and disability sector representatives, housing outcomes for people with disability. We know that in the disability royal commission housing was a significant issue that was raised.

As well as our Disability Reform Framework, we have looked at housing. That $55.9 million investment for implementing partnering for inclusive housing will include additional funding for independent advocacy for people with disability who are homeless or living in supported accommodation, with an additional $1.5 million per annum funding from January 2025 to support that work. Through this fund, we will be supporting some systemic and individual advocacy for those people to be able to find suitable accommodation.

Amy:

Minister, with regards to people who are currently occupying Queensland hospital beds while waiting for aged-care or disability accommodation, do you have any data on the proportion of those people who are waiting for disability accommodation and support?

Minister: 

I welcome the member’s question. Long-stay beds is a critical issue for us here in Queensland. Particularly for NDIS and people with disability participants in hospital, it is a really important issue. It is also one that is reported on at every one of our Disability Reform Ministerial Council meetings now because we recognise this issue not only in terms of people with disability but also people awaiting aged-care places.

I have some figures for you. As at 27 May 2024, there were 1,013 long-stay patients, including 309 long-stay younger patients, who were medically ready for discharge from Queensland Health beds but were waiting for appropriate supports to return to the community. There are a number of issues that contribute to delays in discharging those Queenslanders, which include NDIS access and planning decisions, delays in securing adequate NDIS supports, a lack of services for complex care and, of course, we know there is a lack of suitable accommodation.

It is essential that people who no longer require hospital care can receive the supports they need. We do not want them sitting in hospital beds. That is something we continue to collaborate on between Health, Housing and Disability Services.

The Queensland government continues to work with the National Disability Insurance Agency, the NDIA, at a local level and nationally to enable Queenslanders to leave hospital on time. Since 2021, Queensland Health has invested $21 million in the Long-Stay Rapid Response Program, which has funded essential discharge supports such as interim care, nursing care and equipment to help long-stay patients leave hospital safely.

I know of one matter that was brought to my attention locally in my electorate where someone was waiting to be discharged simply because they needed a shower chair. We were able to have that donated in order to be able to discharge that person from hospital. We recognise in Queensland that that is a significant issue. We continue to advocate strongly to the federal government, particularly around NDIS and also aged care, because it is impacting our hospital systems greatly.