Hon Steve Martin asks about public and priority housing waitlists for individuals receiving the disability support pension. The Minister provides data on applications and individuals on both waitlists as of August 31, 2023, and contextualizes the demand within the broader housing market.

AnsweredQoN 1067Legislative Council
Asked
14 September 2023
Portfolio
Housing

QuestionView source ↗

PUBLIC
HOUSING — WAITLIST — DISABILITY SUPPORT PENSION
1067. Hon STEVE MARTIN to the minister representing the
Minister for Housing:
I refer to the answers to questions
on notice 1328 and 1329 asked on 21 March 2023, in which the minister was able
to identify the number of applications for the public housing waitlist and the
priority public housing waitlist that included one or more individuals
receiving the disability support payment.
(1) As of 31
August 2023 —
(a) how many
applications on the public housing waitlist included one or more individuals
receiving the disability support payment; and
(b) how many
individuals are represented in the number of applications in (a)?
(2) As of 31
August 2023 —
(a) how many
applications on the priority public housing waitlist included one or more
individuals receiving the disability support payment; and
(b) how many
individuals are represented in the number of applications in (a)?

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the honourable member for
some notice of this question. The following response has been provided by the
Minister for Housing.
(1)–(2) As
the member has previously been advised in questions on notice 1328 and 1329,
applications containing a disability support payment indicate that at least one
person on the application receives this payment. This does not necessarily
indicate that all people on the application are in receipt of the payment. The
Department of Communities provides multiple pathways, including public rental
housing, to those unable to obtain adequate and appropriate housing through the
private sector. It should be noted that the majority of applicants have access
to some form of accommodation while they wait to be housed. A tight private
rental market will reflect an increase in the number of applications for social
housing. Many people who may be otherwise housed may seek the safety net of
public housing when there is significant pressure in the private rental market. Rental vacancy rates tightened across the
country during the COVID-19 pandemic , significantly impacting the
housing market. The state government continues to accelerate social housing delivery through a diverse range of reforms,
including the modular build, timber frame and spot purchasing programs.
As at 31 August 2023, there were 4 082 applications on the public housing
waitlist statewide, representing 5 889 people who identified at least one
household member as being in receipt of a disability support pension or
payment. As at 31 August 2023, there were 1 340 applications on the public
housing priority waitlist statewide, representing 1 981 people who identified
at least one household member as being in receipt of a disability support
pension or payment.

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