Question On Notice No. 1050 asked in the Legislative Council on 18 October 2022 by Hon Dr Brad Pettitt
Question Directed to the: Leader of the House representing the Minister for Housing; Lands; Homelessness; Local Government
Parliament: 41 Session: 1
Question
(1) Please provide the following details for the years 2011-2021 or if only available from
2018:
(a) the
number of evictions from public housing tenancies, broken down by:
(i) vacant possession
after termination notice;
(ii) vacant
possession after Court order; and
(iii) vacant
possession after Bailiff attends to enforce order;
(b) the
number of households evicted with Aboriginal tenants (or household members), as
recorded by the Housing Authority;
(c) the
number of households evicted where there are children in the household; and
(d) the
total number of the children listed as household members where the household
has been evicted?
(2) Does
the Housing Authority record the reason for termination of a tenancy:
(a) what
categories does the Housing Authority use:
(i) please disclose the number of tenancies terminated (resulting in eviction) for each basis of termination, for the years 2011-2021 or if only available from 2018; and
(ii) how are cases with multiple kinds of breach recorded and reflected in this data; and
(b) do the
categories cover these issues: rent arrears, property standards, disruptive behaviour,
serious damage, injuries to neighbours or Housing Authority staff?
Answered on 29 November 2022
(1)(a)
Eviction is a last resort for the Department of Communities. Communities works with tenants to ensure they are given every opportunity to rectify the issues impacting on their tenancy. This includes making appropriate referrals to supports and programs such as Thrive, which provides support to public housing clients.
Where a tenant is at risk of eviction, Communities will increase their contact with the client and link them with relevant support services to help address the issues impacting their tenancy and, in most cases, people remedy the issues impacting their tenancy.
Where tenants are experiencing arrears, Communities supports tenants through repayment arrangements and the Debt Discount Scheme, which in some cases requires tenants to pay back only 50% of their debt.
‘Vacates following’ occurs where an individual relinquishes the property after a termination notice or court order. Termination notices and court orders often do not lead to eviction and Communities will continue to work with tenants to rectify issues impacting their tenancy, even following eviction orders, tenants have the opportunity to remediate their tenancy and engage with Communities.
1(a)(i)
Tenants voluntarily vacating following termination notices are not evictions. When given a termination notice, tenants still have the opportunity to remediate their tenancy and engage with Communities to sustain their tenancies.
Financial Year
|
Voluntarily Vacates following Termination Notice
|
|
2013-14
|
70
|
|
2014-15
|
36
|
|
2015-16
|
43
|
|
2016-17
|
225
|
|
2017-18
|
339
|
|
2018-19
|
242
|
|
2019-20
|
171
|
|
2020-21
|
43
|
|
2021-22
|
95
|
|
1(a)(ii)
Tenants voluntarily vacating following court orders are not evictions. When given a court order, tenants still have the opportunity to remediate their tenancy and engage with Communities to sustain their tenancies.
Financial Year
|
Voluntarily Vacates following Court Order
|
2013-14
|
134
|
2014-15
|
120
|
2015-16
|
137
|
2016-17
|
162
|
2017-18
|
102
|
2018-19
|
279
|
2019-20
|
207
|
2020-21
|
42
|
2021-22
|
118
|
1(a)(iii)
Bailiff evictions follow where tenants repeatedly and egregiously fail to rectify their behaviour or engage with Communities to sustain their tenancies.
Financial Year
|
Bailiff Eviction
|
2013-14
|
252
|
2014-15
|
233
|
2015-16
|
315
|
2016-17
|
293
|
2017-18
|
159
|
2018-19
|
167
|
2019-20
|
93
|
2020-21
|
7
|
2021-22
|
43
|
1(b)
To support tenants who have disclosed ATSI status, Communities provides culturally appropriate supports as well as engaging service providers to help deliver sustainable, longer term support networks.
It is important to note that when applying, the ATSI field is not a mandatory option for tenants to indicate as to whether they identify as ATSI. Applicants for public housing in WA are not required to identify their ethnicity when applying for housing assistance.
Please refer to table below, noting that this data includes voluntary vacations after termination notices, court orders or where tenants subject to a bailiff eviction have sought to work with Communities and not been evicted. Where termination notices or court orders are given, tenants still have the opportunity to remediate their tenancy and engage with Communities to sustain their tenancies.
Historically, reportable data before system changes in 2017-18 were recorded at a tenancy and application level, if at all, with a low confidence level. Subsequently, comparative data prior to June 2018 is not available.
Financial Year
|
Tenancies where at least one householder has identified as ATSI
|
2018-19
|
384
|
2019-20
|
246
|
2020-21
|
53
|
2021-22
|
129
|
1(c-d)
Where children are involved, Communities provides additional supports to help sustain the tenancy. Communities also has processes which ensure that Child Protection and Family Support officers are notified when termination or eviction proceedings are initiated for households that include children, to provide child protection officers the opportunity to engage the family with appropriate support or intervention. This often results in referrals and engagement of tenants in collaborative support programs such as Thrive, or alternative supported accommodation options. Clients also remain eligible to reapply for further housing assistance.
It should be noted that this data may include children who are listed on the tenancy agreement but are not be residing at the property.
Financial Year
|
Total No. of Tenancies with Children
|
Total No. of Children
|
2016-17
|
171
|
388
|
2017-18
|
80
|
176
|
2018-19
|
85
|
199
|
2019-20
|
42
|
81
|
2020-21
|
4
|
6
|
2021-22
|
9
|
12
|
(2) (a-b)
The Department of Communities categorises tenancies terminated by;
· Illegal Use of Premises
· Disruptive Behaviour
· Arrears where they are excessive no repayment arrangement agreed (Arrears)
· Other
Tenants voluntarily vacating following termination notices are not evictions. When given a termination notice, tenants still have the opportunity to remediate their tenancy and engage with Communities to sustain their tenancies.
Financial Year
|
Category
|
Voluntarily Vacates following Termination Notice
|
2013-14
|
Illegal Use of Premises
|
-
|
Disruptive Behaviour
|
16
|
Arrears
|
28
|
Other
|
26
|
Total
|
70
|
2014-15
|
Illegal Use of Premises
|
-
|
Disruptive Behaviour
|
5
|
Arrears
|
21
|
Other
|
10
|
Total
|
36
|
2015-16
|
Illegal Use of Premises
|
1
|
Disruptive Behaviour
|
12
|
Arrears
|
13
|
Other
|
17
|
Total
|
43
|
2016-17
|
Illegal Use of Premises
|
0
|
Disruptive Behaviour
|
3
|
Arrears
|
163
|
Other
|
59
|
Total
|
225
|
2017-18
|
Illegal Use of Premises
|
-
|
Disruptive Behaviour
|
11
|
Arrears
|
207
|
Other
|
121
|
Total
|
339
|
2018-19
|
Illegal Use of Premises
|
-
|
Disruptive Behaviour
|
6
|
Arrears
|
125
|
Other
|
111
|
Total
|
242
|
2019-20
|
Illegal Use of Premises
|
-
|
Disruptive Behaviour
|
11
|
Arrears
|
71
|
Other
|
89
|
Total
|
171
|
2020-21
|
Illegal Use of Premises
|
-
|
Disruptive Behaviour
|
6
|
Arrears
|
11
|
Other
|
26
|
Total
|
43
|
2021-22
|
Illegal Use of Premises
|
-
|
Disruptive Behaviour
|
2
|
Arrears
|
50
|
Other
|
43
|
Total
|
95
|
Tenants voluntarily vacating following court orders are not evictions. When given a court order, tenants still have the opportunity to remediate their tenancy and engage with Communities to sustain their tenancies.
Financial Year
|
Category
|
Voluntarily Vacates following Court Order
|
2013-14
|
Illegal Use of Premises
|
9
|
Disruptive Behaviour
|
22
|
Arrears
|
55
|
Other
|
48
|
Total
|
134
|
2014-15
|
Illegal Use of Premises
|
3
|
Disruptive Behaviour
|
20
|
Arrears
|
52
|
Other
|
45
|
Total
|
120
|
2015-16
|
Illegal Use of Premises
|
3
|
Disruptive Behaviour
|
25
|
Arrears
|
65
|
Other
|
44
|
Total
|
137
|
2016-17
|
Illegal Use of Premises
|
6
|
Disruptive Behaviour
|
16
|
Arrears
|
75
|
Other
|
65
|
Total
|
162
|
2017-18
|
Illegal Use of Premises
|
5
|
Disruptive Behaviour
|
10
|
Arrears
|
52
|
Other
|
35
|
Total
|
102
|
2018-19
|
Illegal Use of Premises
|
7
|
Disruptive Behaviour
|
43
|
Arrears
|
120
|
Other
|
109
|
Total
|
279
|
2019-20
|
Illegal Use of Premises
|
9
|
Disruptive Behaviour
|
31
|
Arrears
|
85
|
Other
|
82
|
Total
|
207
|
2020-21
|
Illegal Use of Premises
|
3
|
Disruptive Behaviour
|
16
|
Arrears
|
9
|
Other
|
14
|
Total
|
42
|
2021-22
|
Illegal Use of Premises
|
5
|
Disruptive Behaviour
|
29
|
Arrears
|
35
|
Other
|
49
|
Total
|
118
|
Bailiff evictions follow where tenants repeatedly and egregiously fail to rectify their behaviour or engage with Communities to sustain their tenancies.
Financial Year
|
Category
|
Bailiff Eviction
|
|
2013-14
|
Illegal Use of Premises
|
4
|
|
Disruptive Behaviour
|
43
|
|
Arrears
|
148
|
|
Other
|
57
|
|
Total
|
252
|
|
2014-15
|
Illegal Use of Premises
|
1
|
|
Disruptive Behaviour
|
31
|
|
Arrears
|
111
|
|
Other
|
90
|
|
Total
|
233
|
|
2015-16
|
Illegal Use of Premises
|
11
|
|
Disruptive Behaviour
|
42
|
|
Arrears
|
165
|
|
Other
|
97
|
|
Total
|
315
|
|
2016-17
|
Illegal Use of Premises
|
12
|
|
Disruptive Behaviour
|
36
|
|
Arrears
|
142
|
|
Other
|
103
|
|
Total
|
293
|
|
2017-18
|
Illegal Use of Premises
|
3
|
|
Disruptive Behaviour
|
16
|
|
Arrears
|
75
|
|
Other
|
65
|
|
Total
|
159
|
|
2018-19
|
Illegal Use of Premises
|
3
|
|
Disruptive Behaviour
|
18
|
|
Arrears
|
76
|
|
Other
|
70
|
|
Total
|
167
|
|
2019-20
|
Illegal Use of Premises
|
6
|
|
Disruptive Behaviour
|
12
|
|
Arrears
|
37
|
|
Other
|
38
|
|
Total
|
93
|
|
2020-21
|
Illegal Use of Premises
|
-
|
|
Disruptive Behaviour
|
3
|
|
Arrears
|
2
|
|
Other
|
2
|
|
Total
|
7
|
|
2021-22
|
Illegal Use of Premises
|
4
|
|
Disruptive Behaviour
|
9
|
|
Arrears
|
11
|
|
Other
|
19
|
|
Total
|
43
|
|
· Tenancies terminated with multiple action including Disruptive Behaviour are reported under the 'Disruptive Behaviour' category, and multiple action excluding Disruptive Behaviour are reported under the 'Arrears' category.
|
· Note: in 2019 and 2020 vacates and/or bailiff eviction figures were updated due to data processing errors. Therefore, some historical figures released prior to these updates will differ.
|