❓ Hon Steve Martin asks about social housing stock and construction in WA from 2017-2023. The answer provides some data, refers to other QoNs, and criticises the previous government's handling of social housing.
AnsweredQoN 1789Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to social housing in Western Australia, and I ask: (a) how many public houses, community houses, and total social houses were in stock, by region, as of 30 June for each of the following years: (i) 2017; (ii) 2018; (iii) 2019; (iv) 2020; (v) 2021; (vi) 2022; and (vii) 2023; (b) how many public houses, community houses, and total social houses, are in stock currently, by region; (c) how many new public houses has the Department of Communities built, per region, for each of the years listed in (a); (d) how many new community houses has the Department of Communities built, per region, for each of the years listed in (a); (e) how many new community houses has the Department of Communities funded or partly funded, per region, for each of the years listed in (a); and (f) how many new public houses has the Department of Communities added to the stock via purchase, per region, for each of the years listed in (a)?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
12 March 2024
Responded by
Minister for Agriculture and Food representing the Minister for Housing
Response time
5 days
Answer
The State Government is investing a record $2.6 billion in social housing and homelessness measures in WA, including delivery of around 4,000 social dwellings, and refurbishments and maintenance work to many thousands more.
Since our record investment, the State Government has added more than 1,900 social homes with a further 1,000 social homes currently under contract or construction.
The State Government has inherited ageing and inappropriate housing stock that had not been maintained, refurbished and was in poor condition, due to the mismanagement of the previous Liberal-National Government.
Under the former Liberal–National government, many hundreds of social homes that counted towards their social housing numbers lay vacant and derelict with no plans to redevelop them, including over 160 uninhabitable apartments in Brownlie Towers alone.
The State Government continues to progress significant redevelopment and renewal projects like North Beach and Bentley that were neglected for years under the previous Liberal-National Government.
(a-b)
Please refer to Legislative Council question on notice 1744.
(c)
The below data includes construction new builds but does not include other methods of social housing delivery including spot purchase and asset transfer. The State Government will continue to accelerate social housing delivery, including through initiatives such as spot purchasing, asset transfer and the Call for Submissions process.
The procurement of additional dwellings was adversely impacted across the 2017-18 and 2018-19 periods due to the exposure of significant fraud perpetrated by Paul Whyte, under the former Liberal-National Government. This necessitated a thorough review of contracts and changes to procurement.
Social Housing New Build Completions from 1 July 2017 to 30 November 2023* by Financial Year
Region
2017-18
2018-19
2019-20
2020-21
2021-22
2022-23
2023-24*
Build Completions
52
20
47
93
264
341
237
(d)
New build community homes are built by Local Government Authorities (LGA) and Community Housing Organisations (CHO).
(e)
From 1 July 2021 to 30 November 2023 the Department of Communities (Communities) has awarded over $78 million to 21 CHO’s and LGA’s to build over 300 new Community Housing dwellings. As at 30 November 2023, 255 new Community Housing dwellings have had Grant Agreements executed.
Some regions are not serviced by CHO’s with the capacity to undertake substantial new build projects. However, CHOs also have the opportunity to submit proposals to deliver new social housing or refurbish existing social housing, through the Calls for Submissions process.
(f) Please refer to Legislative Council Question on Notice 1802.
The State Government is investing a record $2.6 billion in social housing and homelessness measures in WA, including delivery of around 4,000 social dwellings, and refurbishments and maintenance work to many thousands more.
Since our record investment, the State Government has added more than 1,900 social homes with a further 1,000 social homes currently under contract or construction.
The State Government has inherited ageing and inappropriate housing stock that had not been maintained, refurbished and was in poor condition, due to the mismanagement of the previous Liberal-National Government.
Under the former Liberal–National government, many hundreds of social homes that counted towards their social housing numbers lay vacant and derelict with no plans to redevelop them, including over 160 uninhabitable apartments in Brownlie Towers alone.
The State Government continues to progress significant redevelopment and renewal projects like North Beach and Bentley that were neglected for years under the previous Liberal-National Government.
(a-b)
Please refer to Legislative Council question on notice 1744.
(c)
The below data includes construction new builds but does not include other methods of social housing delivery including spot purchase and asset transfer. The State Government will continue to accelerate social housing delivery, including through initiatives such as spot purchasing, asset transfer and the Call for Submissions process.
The procurement of additional dwellings was adversely impacted across the 2017-18 and 2018-19 periods due to the exposure of significant fraud perpetrated by Paul Whyte, under the former Liberal-National Government. This necessitated a thorough review of contracts and changes to procurement.
Social Housing New Build Completions from 1 July 2017 to 30 November 2023* by Financial Year
Region
2017-18
2018-19
2019-20
2020-21
2021-22
2022-23
2023-24*
Build Completions
52
20
47
93
264
341
237
(d)
New build community homes are built by Local Government Authorities (LGA) and Community Housing Organisations (CHO).
(e)
From 1 July 2021 to 30 November 2023 the Department of Communities (Communities) has awarded over $78 million to 21 CHO’s and LGA’s to build over 300 new Community Housing dwellings. As at 30 November 2023, 255 new Community Housing dwellings have had Grant Agreements executed.
Some regions are not serviced by CHO’s with the capacity to undertake substantial new build projects. However, CHOs also have the opportunity to submit proposals to deliver new social housing or refurbish existing social housing, through the Calls for Submissions process.
(f) Please refer to Legislative Council Question on Notice 1802.
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