Hon. Sue Ellery questions the lack of social housing for people with disabilities and the expired memorandum of understanding. Hon. Simon O’Brien responds with details of ongoing discussions, monitoring processes, and housing allocations.

AnsweredQoN 230Legislative Council
Asked
18 May 2010
Portfolio
Disability Services

QuestionView source ↗

SOCIAL HOUSING FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
I refer to the ongoing lack of social housing for people with disabilities and to the expiration of the memorandum of understanding between the Disability Services Commission and the Department of Housing. (1) What will replace the memorandum of understanding? (2) How does the Disability Services Commission monitor the availability of social housing for people with disabilities? (3) How many social housing units have been allocated for people with disabilities in the financial year to date? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. The memorandum of understanding on housing between DSC and the Department of Housing had its origin in the former Court government. It expired, I understand, towards the end of 2006–07 and no memorandum of understanding was revived by the former Carpenter government from the start of 2007–08. In answer to the questions that are now put before me, I advise the member — (1) The Disability Services Commission and the Department of Housing are currently engaged in discussion about how social housing for people with disabilities will be managed into the future. The two agencies are currently taking a partnership approach to the issue of housing for people with disabilities. (2) Officers of the Disability Services Commission and the Department of Housing meet each fortnight to monitor construction activity, spot purchasing of existing properties, new future housing initiatives and the identification and provision of existing regular housing stock for use by people with disabilities. (3) Twenty-eight units housing 52 individuals have been allocated for people with disabilities in the financial year to date. In addition, another five properties are under offer for a further nine individuals. Also, eight properties have been made available to individuals with a disability under the federal stimulus plan.
(1) What will replace the memorandum of understanding? (2) How does the Disability Services Commission monitor the availability of social housing for people with disabilities? (3) How many social housing units have been allocated for people with disabilities in the financial year to date? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. The memorandum of understanding on housing between DSC and the Department of Housing had its origin in the former Court government. It expired, I understand, towards the end of 2006–07 and no memorandum of understanding was revived by the former Carpenter government from the start of 2007–08. In answer to the questions that are now put before me, I advise the member — (1) The Disability Services Commission and the Department of Housing are currently engaged in discussion about how social housing for people with disabilities will be managed into the future. The two agencies are currently taking a partnership approach to the issue of housing for people with disabilities. (2) Officers of the Disability Services Commission and the Department of Housing meet each fortnight to monitor construction activity, spot purchasing of existing properties, new future housing initiatives and the identification and provision of existing regular housing stock for use by people with disabilities. (3) Twenty-eight units housing 52 individuals have been allocated for people with disabilities in the financial year to date. In addition, another five properties are under offer for a further nine individuals. Also, eight properties have been made available to individuals with a disability under the federal stimulus plan.
(2) How does the Disability Services Commission monitor the availability of social housing for people with disabilities? (3) How many social housing units have been allocated for people with disabilities in the financial year to date? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. The memorandum of understanding on housing between DSC and the Department of Housing had its origin in the former Court government. It expired, I understand, towards the end of 2006–07 and no memorandum of understanding was revived by the former Carpenter government from the start of 2007–08. In answer to the questions that are now put before me, I advise the member — (1) The Disability Services Commission and the Department of Housing are currently engaged in discussion about how social housing for people with disabilities will be managed into the future. The two agencies are currently taking a partnership approach to the issue of housing for people with disabilities. (2) Officers of the Disability Services Commission and the Department of Housing meet each fortnight to monitor construction activity, spot purchasing of existing properties, new future housing initiatives and the identification and provision of existing regular housing stock for use by people with disabilities. (3) Twenty-eight units housing 52 individuals have been allocated for people with disabilities in the financial year to date. In addition, another five properties are under offer for a further nine individuals. Also, eight properties have been made available to individuals with a disability under the federal stimulus plan.
(3) How many social housing units have been allocated for people with disabilities in the financial year to date? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. The memorandum of understanding on housing between DSC and the Department of Housing had its origin in the former Court government. It expired, I understand, towards the end of 2006–07 and no memorandum of understanding was revived by the former Carpenter government from the start of 2007–08. In answer to the questions that are now put before me, I advise the member — (1) The Disability Services Commission and the Department of Housing are currently engaged in discussion about how social housing for people with disabilities will be managed into the future. The two agencies are currently taking a partnership approach to the issue of housing for people with disabilities. (2) Officers of the Disability Services Commission and the Department of Housing meet each fortnight to monitor construction activity, spot purchasing of existing properties, new future housing initiatives and the identification and provision of existing regular housing stock for use by people with disabilities. (3) Twenty-eight units housing 52 individuals have been allocated for people with disabilities in the financial year to date. In addition, another five properties are under offer for a further nine individuals. Also, eight properties have been made available to individuals with a disability under the federal stimulus plan.
Hon SIMON O’BRIEN replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. The memorandum of understanding on housing between DSC and the Department of Housing had its origin in the former Court government. It expired, I understand, towards the end of 2006–07 and no memorandum of understanding was revived by the former Carpenter government from the start of 2007–08. In answer to the questions that are now put before me, I advise the member — (1) The Disability Services Commission and the Department of Housing are currently engaged in discussion about how social housing for people with disabilities will be managed into the future. The two agencies are currently taking a partnership approach to the issue of housing for people with disabilities. (2) Officers of the Disability Services Commission and the Department of Housing meet each fortnight to monitor construction activity, spot purchasing of existing properties, new future housing initiatives and the identification and provision of existing regular housing stock for use by people with disabilities. (3) Twenty-eight units housing 52 individuals have been allocated for people with disabilities in the financial year to date. In addition, another five properties are under offer for a further nine individuals. Also, eight properties have been made available to individuals with a disability under the federal stimulus plan.
I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. The memorandum of understanding on housing between DSC and the Department of Housing had its origin in the former Court government. It expired, I understand, towards the end of 2006–07 and no memorandum of understanding was revived by the former Carpenter government from the start of 2007–08. In answer to the questions that are now put before me, I advise the member — (1) The Disability Services Commission and the Department of Housing are currently engaged in discussion about how social housing for people with disabilities will be managed into the future. The two agencies are currently taking a partnership approach to the issue of housing for people with disabilities. (2) Officers of the Disability Services Commission and the Department of Housing meet each fortnight to monitor construction activity, spot purchasing of existing properties, new future housing initiatives and the identification and provision of existing regular housing stock for use by people with disabilities. (3) Twenty-eight units housing 52 individuals have been allocated for people with disabilities in the financial year to date. In addition, another five properties are under offer for a further nine individuals. Also, eight properties have been made available to individuals with a disability under the federal stimulus plan.
The memorandum of understanding on housing between DSC and the Department of Housing had its origin in the former Court government. It expired, I understand, towards the end of 2006–07 and no memorandum of understanding was revived by the former Carpenter government from the start of 2007–08. In answer to the questions that are now put before me, I advise the member — (1) The Disability Services Commission and the Department of Housing are currently engaged in discussion about how social housing for people with disabilities will be managed into the future. The two agencies are currently taking a partnership approach to the issue of housing for people with disabilities. (2) Officers of the Disability Services Commission and the Department of Housing meet each fortnight to monitor construction activity, spot purchasing of existing properties, new future housing initiatives and the identification and provision of existing regular housing stock for use by people with disabilities. (3) Twenty-eight units housing 52 individuals have been allocated for people with disabilities in the financial year to date. In addition, another five properties are under offer for a further nine individuals. Also, eight properties have been made available to individuals with a disability under the federal stimulus plan.
(1) The Disability Services Commission and the Department of Housing are currently engaged in discussion about how social housing for people with disabilities will be managed into the future. The two agencies are currently taking a partnership approach to the issue of housing for people with disabilities. (2) Officers of the Disability Services Commission and the Department of Housing meet each fortnight to monitor construction activity, spot purchasing of existing properties, new future housing initiatives and the identification and provision of existing regular housing stock for use by people with disabilities. (3) Twenty-eight units housing 52 individuals have been allocated for people with disabilities in the financial year to date. In addition, another five properties are under offer for a further nine individuals. Also, eight properties have been made available to individuals with a disability under the federal stimulus plan.
(2) Officers of the Disability Services Commission and the Department of Housing meet each fortnight to monitor construction activity, spot purchasing of existing properties, new future housing initiatives and the identification and provision of existing regular housing stock for use by people with disabilities. (3) Twenty-eight units housing 52 individuals have been allocated for people with disabilities in the financial year to date. In addition, another five properties are under offer for a further nine individuals. Also, eight properties have been made available to individuals with a disability under the federal stimulus plan.
(3) Twenty-eight units housing 52 individuals have been allocated for people with disabilities in the financial year to date. In addition, another five properties are under offer for a further nine individuals. Also, eight properties have been made available to individuals with a disability under the federal stimulus plan.

Explore WA Government Data

Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.

Explore more