Dr. Honey questions the government's decision to sell public housing without immediate replacements, considering ongoing homelessness. The Minister defends the decision by citing inherited ageing stock, refurbishment investments, and efforts to accelerate housing supply amidst a booming construction sector.

AnsweredQoN 234Legislative Assembly
Asked
16 June 2021
Portfolio
Housing

QuestionView source ↗

PUBLIC HOUSING — AVAILABILITY
234. Dr D.J. HONEY to the Minister for Housing:
I have a supplementary question. I understand
the issue of ageing stock, but why would the government possibly sell all that
public housing when an immediate replacement was not available, given that
homelessness has been an issue for the past four years?

AnswerView source ↗

Again, I will come back to this: we
inherited significant ageing stock. We have invested heavily in a refurbishment
program that is worth nearly $1 billion. We are rolling out that program, but
it is not magic; it is not simply a matter of clicking your heels. As the
minister, I am looking at alternative programs. Last week, I visited a modular
prefab agency. I am looking at how we can
accelerate the current program, given the limits that we face. We have a booming construction sector. As I have said, there have been 24 000 building approvals,
which means that thousands of Western Australians will own their first home.
Last week, the Real Estate Institute of Western Australia declared on the
public record that Western Australia is still the most affordable place to buy
or rent a home. We have a large range of measures in place, which are working,
and over the next 18 months, we will see a significant increase in the housing
supply in Western Australia.

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