❓ Mr. Jones asks about the impact of the Cook Labor government's social housing investment. The Minister details progress, highlights federal funding opportunities, and criticises the Liberal and Green parties for obstructing further investment.
AnsweredQoN 439Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
SOCIAL HOUSING —
HOMELESSNESS SERVICES
439. Mr H.T. JONES to the Minister for Housing:
I
refer to the Cook Labor government's $2.6 billion investment in social
housing and homelessness services. Can the minister update the house on
how this investment is making a real difference to housing accessibility in Western
Australia; and can the minister advise the house whether he is aware of any
other initiatives to increase social housing supply?
HOMELESSNESS SERVICES
439. Mr H.T. JONES to the Minister for Housing:
I
refer to the Cook Labor government's $2.6 billion investment in social
housing and homelessness services. Can the minister update the house on
how this investment is making a real difference to housing accessibility in Western
Australia; and can the minister advise the house whether he is aware of any
other initiatives to increase social housing supply?
AnswerView source ↗
I
thank the member for Darling Range for his commitment to social housing and
homelessness in Western Australia . I am
on the public record as saying that our record investment is already
delivering. We set our first target of 1
300 homes within two years, and we did that one month ahead of schedule in the
tightest construction market in the state's
history. We have also rolled out significant homelessness reforms; I announced
a new package last year. We have
established Boorloo Bidee Mia, a highly successful model. We purchased Murray
Street Lodge for transitional accommodation. We have boosted
homelessness outreach to seven days a week, and also extended it further north
to Joondalup and east to Midland. We have created new rough sleeper
coordinating groups to assist with referrals of rough sleepers. We have added
155 crisis beds to the system. Critically, we have also created a signature new
pilot program—the supported landlord model, through which we are
purchasing 100 units to transition rough sleepers directly off the street into
a supported community housing provider, because we know that to make this
successful, we need to have supported tenancy. To date, we are also ahead of
that target with 51 properties added to the program and 43 individuals now
housed as part of the program. As part of the budget, we have extended that to
a new two-year program for regional Western Australia.
It is exciting to see that we now
have a federal government that recognises social housing investment. The
federal government last weekend announced a $2 billion social housing
accelerator fund, and Western Australia is getting its fair share. An amount of
$209 million will complement the existing innovative programs through which we
are working on social housing.
I also note that the federal government wants to get up its
$10 billion housing Australia future fund. I note that the Community Housing
Industry Association, the Northern Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health
Alliance, Homelessness Australia, the Property Council of Australia, Industry
Super Australia, Everybody's Home and National Shelter have said that
the time has now come to pass this legislation. It is interesting that all
state housing ministers, including the Liberal state ministers, wrote to
senators urging them to pass the bill. Who is stopping it? There are two key
political parties. The first is the Liberal Party. Remember its record in
federal government. There was no social housing —
Dr D.J. Honey interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please.
Mr J.N. CAREY : There was no
social housing investment and it completely yanked out funding for remote communities. That is in contrast to the Rudd
government, which propped up the Barnett government's social housing expenditure. That is well known and on the public record.
The other part of that coalition,
or the ''noalition'' as the Prime Minister has said, is the
Australian Greens, or ''Tory-lite''.
The Greens are not interested in outcomes. They are not interested in delivery
and, of course, they never have to be because they are never in
government and they never have to deliver any physical social housing.
We have this perverse coalition of
the Liberals and Greens that is blocking a major funding boost for social
housing across Australia that is supported by critical housing, property and a range
of other national stakeholders. These parties have their heads in the sand. As
I have said before, there is a very clear line between that side and this side.
There were no social housing policies from that side for six years, while there
was a massive number of reforms from this side to deliver social housing for
our most vulnerable.
thank the member for Darling Range for his commitment to social housing and
homelessness in Western Australia . I am
on the public record as saying that our record investment is already
delivering. We set our first target of 1
300 homes within two years, and we did that one month ahead of schedule in the
tightest construction market in the state's
history. We have also rolled out significant homelessness reforms; I announced
a new package last year. We have
established Boorloo Bidee Mia, a highly successful model. We purchased Murray
Street Lodge for transitional accommodation. We have boosted
homelessness outreach to seven days a week, and also extended it further north
to Joondalup and east to Midland. We have created new rough sleeper
coordinating groups to assist with referrals of rough sleepers. We have added
155 crisis beds to the system. Critically, we have also created a signature new
pilot program—the supported landlord model, through which we are
purchasing 100 units to transition rough sleepers directly off the street into
a supported community housing provider, because we know that to make this
successful, we need to have supported tenancy. To date, we are also ahead of
that target with 51 properties added to the program and 43 individuals now
housed as part of the program. As part of the budget, we have extended that to
a new two-year program for regional Western Australia.
It is exciting to see that we now
have a federal government that recognises social housing investment. The
federal government last weekend announced a $2 billion social housing
accelerator fund, and Western Australia is getting its fair share. An amount of
$209 million will complement the existing innovative programs through which we
are working on social housing.
I also note that the federal government wants to get up its
$10 billion housing Australia future fund. I note that the Community Housing
Industry Association, the Northern Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health
Alliance, Homelessness Australia, the Property Council of Australia, Industry
Super Australia, Everybody's Home and National Shelter have said that
the time has now come to pass this legislation. It is interesting that all
state housing ministers, including the Liberal state ministers, wrote to
senators urging them to pass the bill. Who is stopping it? There are two key
political parties. The first is the Liberal Party. Remember its record in
federal government. There was no social housing —
Dr D.J. Honey interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please.
Mr J.N. CAREY : There was no
social housing investment and it completely yanked out funding for remote communities. That is in contrast to the Rudd
government, which propped up the Barnett government's social housing expenditure. That is well known and on the public record.
The other part of that coalition,
or the ''noalition'' as the Prime Minister has said, is the
Australian Greens, or ''Tory-lite''.
The Greens are not interested in outcomes. They are not interested in delivery
and, of course, they never have to be because they are never in
government and they never have to deliver any physical social housing.
We have this perverse coalition of
the Liberals and Greens that is blocking a major funding boost for social
housing across Australia that is supported by critical housing, property and a range
of other national stakeholders. These parties have their heads in the sand. As
I have said before, there is a very clear line between that side and this side.
There were no social housing policies from that side for six years, while there
was a massive number of reforms from this side to deliver social housing for
our most vulnerable.
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