❓ The Minister for Housing provides an update on the East and West Kimberley transitional housing programs, highlighting positive outcomes in school attendance, employment, and pathways to home ownership for Aboriginal families.
AnsweredQoN 724Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
TRANSITIONAL HOUSING PROGRAM — EAST AND
WEST KIMBERLEY
724. Mr V.A. CATANIA to the Minister for
Housing:
Can the minister please update the
house on the East and West Kimberley transitional housing programs?
WEST KIMBERLEY
724. Mr V.A. CATANIA to the Minister for
Housing:
Can the minister please update the
house on the East and West Kimberley transitional housing programs?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for North West Central
for the question. I know he is very interested to see the transitional housing
program rolled out through the Pilbara under the regional reform being led by
the Minister for Regional Development.
Last
week we debated the Auditor General's report on the East Kimberley
program. One thing that did not get much of an opportunity in that debate was
the transitional housing program that was a direct response to the
opportunities that were afforded to Aboriginal people to move into the
workforce for the first time in the East Kimberley. Of course, the challenge
that brings for people in social housing is that when they get a job, their
income limit takes them out of the criteria for social housing and they are
often then pitched into the private rental market and that is unaffordable and
provides a built-in disincentive for Aboriginal people to move into the
workforce for the first time. As a direct response to the development of Ord
stage 2, the government established the East Kimberley transitional housing
program. It was launched in September 2012, and 40 new homes were constructed
in Kununurra. This plan was a pilot to gain an understanding of the success
factors and implementation issues associated with the rollout of a complete new
way of providing housing to Aboriginal people.
As of June 2016, 34 of the 40
transitional housing properties are tenanted. The ones that are vacant are in
the process of being allocated to applicants off the waiting list. We have
linked this transitional housing program to needing a job and children's
attendance at school. School attendance for the 34 families in the transitional
houses is 90 per cent, and 34 of the 44 adults who live in those properties are
employed. Due to the success of the program in Kununurra, 15 houses were
delivered in Halls Creek. School attendance for the families in 14 of the 15
transitional houses tenanted in Halls Creek is 98 per cent, and 14 of the 19
adults in those properties are employed. Since the commencement of the East
Kimberley transitional housing program, the average school attendance of
children in transitional housing has been 92 per cent. The average attendance
for Aboriginals across the Kimberley region is 68 per cent. This is a fundamental
way of changing that great challenge of getting Aboriginal kids to school.
Given the success of that program, we have now pushed that into offering a pathway
to home ownership. Under this program now, three homes have been bought by
Aboriginal families who started in the transitional housing program. It is a clear
pathway to take people from social housing into the workforce, with their kids
attending school. Three people have bought their own homes. Since the program
commenced, 89 per cent of participants have been in advance of their rent
payments. We have had 370 applications to enter the program, 160 have been
approved and 38 applications are on the waiting list. We need to keep building
more transitional houses to bring Aboriginal families into this program. The
success in the East Kimberley has allowed us to drive the program into the West
Kimberley and we have delivered 60 new dwellings in Broome and Derby.
Forty-nine have been completed in Broome and 18 in Derby.
Children's school attendance is an important part of
the program. By June 2016, school attendance by children within the programs in
Broome and Derby had reached 91 per cent against the Kimberley average of 66 per
cent. Again, that is a direct linkage between good-quality houses, the
workforce and kids' attendance at school.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : That is enough!
Mr
B.J. GRYLLS : The transitional housing program was a direct response to the
government's decision to invest in Ord stage 2. The success of the
pilot program in Kununurra has seen that program delivered across the Kimberley
and now down into the Pilbara under the regional reform project. We know from
the success that we can link good-quality housing to a job and kids'
attendance at school. It is another transformational outcome delivered by the
Liberal–National government off the back of the Ord stage 2 project,
which, unfortunately, did not get much media attention after the Auditor
General's report was released.
for the question. I know he is very interested to see the transitional housing
program rolled out through the Pilbara under the regional reform being led by
the Minister for Regional Development.
Last
week we debated the Auditor General's report on the East Kimberley
program. One thing that did not get much of an opportunity in that debate was
the transitional housing program that was a direct response to the
opportunities that were afforded to Aboriginal people to move into the
workforce for the first time in the East Kimberley. Of course, the challenge
that brings for people in social housing is that when they get a job, their
income limit takes them out of the criteria for social housing and they are
often then pitched into the private rental market and that is unaffordable and
provides a built-in disincentive for Aboriginal people to move into the
workforce for the first time. As a direct response to the development of Ord
stage 2, the government established the East Kimberley transitional housing
program. It was launched in September 2012, and 40 new homes were constructed
in Kununurra. This plan was a pilot to gain an understanding of the success
factors and implementation issues associated with the rollout of a complete new
way of providing housing to Aboriginal people.
As of June 2016, 34 of the 40
transitional housing properties are tenanted. The ones that are vacant are in
the process of being allocated to applicants off the waiting list. We have
linked this transitional housing program to needing a job and children's
attendance at school. School attendance for the 34 families in the transitional
houses is 90 per cent, and 34 of the 44 adults who live in those properties are
employed. Due to the success of the program in Kununurra, 15 houses were
delivered in Halls Creek. School attendance for the families in 14 of the 15
transitional houses tenanted in Halls Creek is 98 per cent, and 14 of the 19
adults in those properties are employed. Since the commencement of the East
Kimberley transitional housing program, the average school attendance of
children in transitional housing has been 92 per cent. The average attendance
for Aboriginals across the Kimberley region is 68 per cent. This is a fundamental
way of changing that great challenge of getting Aboriginal kids to school.
Given the success of that program, we have now pushed that into offering a pathway
to home ownership. Under this program now, three homes have been bought by
Aboriginal families who started in the transitional housing program. It is a clear
pathway to take people from social housing into the workforce, with their kids
attending school. Three people have bought their own homes. Since the program
commenced, 89 per cent of participants have been in advance of their rent
payments. We have had 370 applications to enter the program, 160 have been
approved and 38 applications are on the waiting list. We need to keep building
more transitional houses to bring Aboriginal families into this program. The
success in the East Kimberley has allowed us to drive the program into the West
Kimberley and we have delivered 60 new dwellings in Broome and Derby.
Forty-nine have been completed in Broome and 18 in Derby.
Children's school attendance is an important part of
the program. By June 2016, school attendance by children within the programs in
Broome and Derby had reached 91 per cent against the Kimberley average of 66 per
cent. Again, that is a direct linkage between good-quality houses, the
workforce and kids' attendance at school.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : That is enough!
Mr
B.J. GRYLLS : The transitional housing program was a direct response to the
government's decision to invest in Ord stage 2. The success of the
pilot program in Kununurra has seen that program delivered across the Kimberley
and now down into the Pilbara under the regional reform project. We know from
the success that we can link good-quality housing to a job and kids'
attendance at school. It is another transformational outcome delivered by the
Liberal–National government off the back of the Ord stage 2 project,
which, unfortunately, did not get much media attention after the Auditor
General's report was released.
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