❓ A WA parliamentary question on notice seeks data on complaints regarding social housing tenants and property conditions, response times, and unaddressed complaints, both statewide and in specific LGAs. The response provides some data but declines to provide detailed response time information due to resource constraints.
AnsweredQoN 827Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
(1) I refer to the provision of social housing in WA and the complaints process for community members to raise concerns about tenants and the condition of social housing stock and I ask : (a) What are the processes available to raise concerns with the Department of Communities when community members have concerns about the behaviour of a social housing tenant or the condition of social housing stock; and (b) How are the complaints received in (1) responded to by your department? (2) For each of the years below how many complaints did the Department of Communities receive regarding tenant behaviour or the condition of social housing stock : (a) 2017-2018; (b) 2018-2019; (c) 2019-2020; (d) 2020-2021; (e) 2021-2022; (f) 2022-2023; (g) For each of the above years what was the median response time for a complaint; (h) What was the longest time a person who raised a concern had to wait for a response; and (i) How many complaints outlined in each of the above years were not responded to? (3) How many complaints were received by Department of Communities for each of the years outlined above for each of the below Local Government Areas again regarding tenant behaviour or the condition of social housing stock? : (a) Geraldton; (b) Carnarvon; (c) Karratha; (d) Port Headland; (e) Mount Magnet; (f) Meekatharra; (g) Northampton; (h) Shark Bay; (i) Exmouth; (j) For each of the above locations what was the median response time for a complaint; (k) What was the longest a person who raised a concern had to wait for a response; and (l) How many complaints outlined in each of the above locations were not responded to?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
8 August 2023
Responded by
Minister for Housing
Response time
4 days
(1) (a)-(b)
The State Government is committed to supporting vulnerable Western Australians and is investing a record $2.6 billion to deliver 4,000 social homes across the state. In line with this commitment, where tenants are experiencing issues with their tenancy, The Department of Communities (Communities) seeks to support tenants to sustain 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, tenants remedy these issues.
Eviction is a last resort for Communities. Communities works with tenants to ensure they are given every opportunity to rectify the issues impacting on their tenancy. Since coming into Government, Communities has implemented a proactive approach, focusing on early intervention, and case management services to support tenants, which has seen the number of evictions from public housing significantly decline since 2015-16 at 315 under the Liberal-National Government, to 47, in the last financial year.
Communities investigates all disruptive behaviour complaints in accordance with its obligations under the Residential Tenancies Act 1987 (RTA).
Concerns relating to tenancies can be raised with Communities via phone, online, in person, or by post.
Communities works to investigate complaints received against public housing tenancies in a consistent and timely manner in line with the RTA. It is important to note that Communities is not a law enforcement agency and does not have the power to investigate suspected illegal activities. This should be reported to the WA Police Force.
Complaints need to be substantiated with corroborating evidence to prove an ongoing or unreasonable nuisance or disruption has occurred.
(2) (a) – (f)
Multiple complaints may be received for a single incident, and by the same complainant. The below data represents all complaints received by Communities, not only corroborated complaints.
Public Housing Statewide Complaints Received as at below reporting dates
Financial Year
Reporting Date
Complaints Received
2015-2016
30 June 2016
12,761
2016-2017
30 June 2017
11,573
2017-2018
30 June 2018
12,272
2018-2019
30 June 2019
11,783
2019-2020
30 June 2020
12,482
2020-2021
30 June 2021
12,408
2021-2022
30 June 2022
12,223
2022-2023
30 June 2023
14,940
(g) – (i)
Data is not collected in this manner and given the level of agency resourcing required to provide this detailed information with a manual review of files, it is not considered to be a reasonable use of government resources.
(3) (a) – (i)
Multiple complaints may be received for a single incident, and by the same complainant. The below data represents all complaints received by Communities, not only corroborated complaints.
Public Housing Statewide Complaints Received as at below reporting dates for the specified LGA's
Financial Year
LGA
Complaints Received
2017-2018
City Of Greater Geraldton
295
Shire Of Carnarvon
147
City Of Karratha
355
Town Of Port Hedland
195
Shire Of Mount Magnet
3
Shire Of Meekatharra
7
Shire Of Northampton
3
Shire of Shark Bay
1
Shire Of Exmouth
11
2018-2019
City Of Greater Geraldton
309
Shire Of Carnarvon
159
City Of Karratha
342
Town Of Port Hedland
172
Shire Of Mount Magnet
1
Shire Of Meekatharra
8
Shire Of Northampton
1
Shire of Shark Bay
5
Shire Of Exmouth
17
2019-2020
City Of Greater Geraldton
371
Shire Of Carnarvon
131
City Of Karratha
395
Town Of Port Hedland
190
Shire Of Mount Magnet
6
Shire Of Meekatharra
2
Shire Of Northampton
11
Shire of Shark Bay
15
Shire Of Exmouth
10
2020-2021
City Of Greater Geraldton
381
Shire Of Carnarvon
159
City Of Karratha
343
Town Of Port Hedland
143
Shire Of Mount Magnet
6
Shire Of Meekatharra
19
Shire Of Northampton
1
Shire of Shark Bay
0
Shire Of Exmouth
17
2021-2022
City Of Greater Geraldton
317
Shire Of Carnarvon
106
City Of Karratha
307
Town Of Port Hedland
280
Shire Of Mount Magnet
5
Shire Of Meekatharra
6
Shire Of Northampton
3
Shire of Shark Bay
5
Shire Of Exmouth
13
2022-2023 YTD
City Of Greater Geraldton
552
Shire Of Carnarvon
181
City Of Karratha
444
Town Of Port Hedland
173
Shire Of Mount Magnet
2
Shire Of Meekatharra
7
Shire Of Northampton
1
Shire of Shark Bay
0
Shire Of Exmouth
19
(j) – (l)
Data is not collected in this manner and given the level of agency resourcing required to provide this detailed information with a manual review of files, it is not considered to be a reasonable use of government resources.
The State Government is committed to supporting vulnerable Western Australians and is investing a record $2.6 billion to deliver 4,000 social homes across the state. In line with this commitment, where tenants are experiencing issues with their tenancy, The Department of Communities (Communities) seeks to support tenants to sustain 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, tenants remedy these issues.
Eviction is a last resort for Communities. Communities works with tenants to ensure they are given every opportunity to rectify the issues impacting on their tenancy. Since coming into Government, Communities has implemented a proactive approach, focusing on early intervention, and case management services to support tenants, which has seen the number of evictions from public housing significantly decline since 2015-16 at 315 under the Liberal-National Government, to 47, in the last financial year.
Communities investigates all disruptive behaviour complaints in accordance with its obligations under the Residential Tenancies Act 1987 (RTA).
Concerns relating to tenancies can be raised with Communities via phone, online, in person, or by post.
Communities works to investigate complaints received against public housing tenancies in a consistent and timely manner in line with the RTA. It is important to note that Communities is not a law enforcement agency and does not have the power to investigate suspected illegal activities. This should be reported to the WA Police Force.
Complaints need to be substantiated with corroborating evidence to prove an ongoing or unreasonable nuisance or disruption has occurred.
(2) (a) – (f)
Multiple complaints may be received for a single incident, and by the same complainant. The below data represents all complaints received by Communities, not only corroborated complaints.
Public Housing Statewide Complaints Received as at below reporting dates
Financial Year
Reporting Date
Complaints Received
2015-2016
30 June 2016
12,761
2016-2017
30 June 2017
11,573
2017-2018
30 June 2018
12,272
2018-2019
30 June 2019
11,783
2019-2020
30 June 2020
12,482
2020-2021
30 June 2021
12,408
2021-2022
30 June 2022
12,223
2022-2023
30 June 2023
14,940
(g) – (i)
Data is not collected in this manner and given the level of agency resourcing required to provide this detailed information with a manual review of files, it is not considered to be a reasonable use of government resources.
(3) (a) – (i)
Multiple complaints may be received for a single incident, and by the same complainant. The below data represents all complaints received by Communities, not only corroborated complaints.
Public Housing Statewide Complaints Received as at below reporting dates for the specified LGA's
Financial Year
LGA
Complaints Received
2017-2018
City Of Greater Geraldton
295
Shire Of Carnarvon
147
City Of Karratha
355
Town Of Port Hedland
195
Shire Of Mount Magnet
3
Shire Of Meekatharra
7
Shire Of Northampton
3
Shire of Shark Bay
1
Shire Of Exmouth
11
2018-2019
City Of Greater Geraldton
309
Shire Of Carnarvon
159
City Of Karratha
342
Town Of Port Hedland
172
Shire Of Mount Magnet
1
Shire Of Meekatharra
8
Shire Of Northampton
1
Shire of Shark Bay
5
Shire Of Exmouth
17
2019-2020
City Of Greater Geraldton
371
Shire Of Carnarvon
131
City Of Karratha
395
Town Of Port Hedland
190
Shire Of Mount Magnet
6
Shire Of Meekatharra
2
Shire Of Northampton
11
Shire of Shark Bay
15
Shire Of Exmouth
10
2020-2021
City Of Greater Geraldton
381
Shire Of Carnarvon
159
City Of Karratha
343
Town Of Port Hedland
143
Shire Of Mount Magnet
6
Shire Of Meekatharra
19
Shire Of Northampton
1
Shire of Shark Bay
0
Shire Of Exmouth
17
2021-2022
City Of Greater Geraldton
317
Shire Of Carnarvon
106
City Of Karratha
307
Town Of Port Hedland
280
Shire Of Mount Magnet
5
Shire Of Meekatharra
6
Shire Of Northampton
3
Shire of Shark Bay
5
Shire Of Exmouth
13
2022-2023 YTD
City Of Greater Geraldton
552
Shire Of Carnarvon
181
City Of Karratha
444
Town Of Port Hedland
173
Shire Of Mount Magnet
2
Shire Of Meekatharra
7
Shire Of Northampton
1
Shire of Shark Bay
0
Shire Of Exmouth
19
(j) – (l)
Data is not collected in this manner and given the level of agency resourcing required to provide this detailed information with a manual review of files, it is not considered to be a reasonable use of government resources.
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