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Parliamentary Questions


Question Without Notice No. 468 asked in the Legislative Assembly on 7 September 2021 by Mr D.A.E. Scaife

Parliament: 41 Session: 1

SOCIAL HOUSING — 2021–22 STATE BUDGET

468. Mr D.A.E. SCAIFE to the Minister for Housing:

I refer to the McGowan Labor government's record investment in social housing in Western Australia.

(1) Can the minister outline to the house how this investment will provide an immediate boost to social housing and help support vulnerable Western Australians?

(2) Can the minister advise the house how this unprecedented investment will also ensure that there is a pipeline of work for our housing construction industry?

Mr J.N. CAREY replied:

(1)–(2) I want to thank the member for Cockburn. He joined me and the Premier on Sunday to announce the largest single investment in social housing in WA history—$875 million—which will mean that over the next four years, we will spend $2.1 billion on social housing. That includes delivering 3 300 new homes. There are two clear points to the plan. The first is to provide an immediate injection into the social housing system. For example, we will spend $168.8 million on converting departmental stock that would normally be sold to the private market for social housing. An example was an apartment block in Success, where only two of the 16 apartments were to be social housing. All 16 will now be used for social housing. I am really pleased to say that the first two tenants moved in on Saturday.

We are also looking beyond this current boom of 27 000 building approvals. We understand that there will be a natural decline in the future, so we are creating a pipeline of work—a $522 million fund to assist with building social housing and supporting the construction sector. As Minister for Housing, I am taking every opportunity I can to accelerate delivery by backing in that investment with reforms through the agency. Whether it is better assessment and the churn rate of vacancies or using non-traditional methods, we are seizing those opportunities. It is really pleasing to see that the social housing sector has come out in strong support. I refer to Betsy Buchanan, who said that our announcement of 3 300 new social homes was very heartening news. The Western Australian Council of Social Service said that it was clear from this announcement and the ambitious time line, in spite of WA's construction shortages, that the government is taking seriously the issue impacting so many low-income Western Australians. Deb Zanella, a highly credible leader in the social housing sector, gave it a nine out of 10. I think we should take a moment and say that this is a really great investment. The flexibility of this package is really critical. It is one of those moments in time that we should say, ''This is great. The government has been listening to the sector and doing its own analysis and it's produced something that will actually begin to shift the dial.'' Finally, Shelter WA said on the public record —

It is fantastic that the government has listened to the WA community who understand the benefits of everybody having a place to call home and demonstrated support for new investment into social housing.

That is on the record. There is an overwhelming endorsement by the social housing sector, which has a government and a minister who are committed to accelerating the delivery of social housing in Western Australia.