The state of teacher housing
Queensland Teachers' Journal, Vol 128 No 3, 5 May 2023, page no. 13
The state of teacher housing in 2022 was a story of both progress and setbacks.
The department has made improvements in resources and guidance for the local accommodation committees charged with managing housing, thanks to the tireless efforts of the QTU’s State Accommodation Committee (pictured) and member-led action. On the other hand, too many members are still expected to put up with inadequate accommodation.
The good
With detailed input from grassroots QTU members, the department has improved housing information for local accommodation committees (LACs) and teachers. The first ever teacher housing policy and related procedure were delivered in May 2022. Revised versions of these documents were released in September. The Teacher Housing Procedure and “Managing teacher housing in your location” guidelines are particularly useful for LACs. The refreshed teacher housing OnePortal page and the “Introducing teacher housing” video are also valuable resources.
These wins will be crucial in ensuring that teachers, LACs, and local accommodation officers (LAOs) have the necessary information and guidance to operate effectively. All members in department-supplied housing should become familiar with both the Teacher Housing Policy and the Teacher Housing Procedure, as well as the supporting documents. In particular, we encourage members volunteering on LACs or as LAOs to take the time to explore these new resources on OnePortal. The QTU is now working with department to deliver a tenants’ handbook.
As a result of focused QTU advocacy, it is heartening to see the various branches of the department (People and Infrastructure Services) working collaboratively and proactively to support LACs and LAOs and teachers as tenants. Notable examples include consulting with LAOs across the state to identify the most pressing areas of workload. Infrastructure Services has secured funding for additional regional positions, which will have a focus on managing teacher housing. Cape York principals have worked with the region to create a cluster local accommodation administrative officer position, which is delivering improved management of teacher housing, including improved maintenance.
The department and QTU teacher housing workshop held in Brisbane in August 2022 served to put all the challenges of teacher housing on the table. The department has commissioned KPMG to take the issues tabled at the workshop and develop a deeper analysis. The QTU is providing detailed input into the KPMG work.
The bad
The QTU still gets too many examples of teachers moving into accommodation that is not in a fit state for a tenant to move into or is just not at all appropriate. Too often, members are left with the feeling that they are lucky to have access to teacher accommodation.
The facts are that teacher accommodation is provided so that the Queensland Government and the Department of Education can deliver their service obligation to provide a quality education service to the citizens and students in schools in rural and remote Queensland. Teachers should not be moving into accommodation that is structurally unsound and not appropriately maintained, including the garden.
It is of particular concern when a matter of safety is not addressed in a timely way. It is important to follow local accommodation committee processes, but where issues of safety are not being addressed, please contact the QTU for assistance.