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Parliamentary Questions


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.