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.