Unlock housing package

With 17,000 households on the housing wait list and over 1,000 people sleeping rough every night, the WA Government’s plans to create just 260 new social houses a year is not enough to meet this demand.

MORE HOUSING NEEDED TO DELIVER STATE STRATEGIES

The WA Housing Strategy 2020-2030 sets the framework for increasing social and affordable housing supply. The Strategy’s target of 260 additional social homes per year over the next ten years will not meet current and future demand.

Over the last three years social housing has decreased by 1,155 properties. Recent government investment will deliver an additional 870 social homes. Responses in July 2021 to people living rough has resulted in rapid accommodation and support for around 100 people.

This shows what can be done with bold leadership and resolve.

Feb 2021

Pre-Election Package

This package is being refined and an updated version will be released shortly

See the Feb ’21 package

Download the Feb ’21 Summary Report

Download the Full Feb ’21 Report

Our Solution

In advance of the WA State Election the Unlock Housing Partners put forward a co-investment package leveraging government investment and utilising the community housing sector as a key delivery partner to attract institutional, private and community sector investment to meet the housing needs of all West Australians.

In partnership with the sector and people with lived experience, we developed a suite of policy recommendations under three core priorities.

Great Opportunities

With the election over and a predicted surplus of $5B, the soon to be released updated Unlock Housing Package will provide recommendations that address the housing shortage, focusing on immediate opportunities and planning pipelines of work for a post stimulus horizon, building on the investment made today in the building and construction industry and providing certainty of work into the future.

The Unlock Housing package calls for the government to:

1. Invest in social and affordable housing

Revitalise Social Housing

Utilising the community housing sector as a key delivery partner

Increase social housing to reduce the waitlist of 17,000 people
Create more affordable rental options through Build to Rent and rental subsidies
Refurbish and maintain existing social housing
Increase the supply of accessible, adaptable and diverse housing

Build Affordable Rentals

Build affordable rental homes each year for the next four years

Energising Housing

Reduce utility costs for social housing by investing in energy efficiency measures

Emergency Government-Owned Land and Buildings Audit

Investigate land and buildings available for quick conversion into housing and accommodation

Unlock vacant buildings

Audit and convert vacant buildings and offices into diverse forms of affordable housing

2. Fix the housing system

Policy Reform

Reform the Residential Tenancies Act
Reform Property Taxes
Embed social and affordable housing through the planning system
Develop a Community Housing Growth Strategy
Develop a Strategic Disability Housing Plan
Review of Social Housing Allocation Policies
Review Management of housing maintenance on remote communities

3. End Homelessness

Rapid Pathways to Housing Program

‘Bridge to’ Common Ground facilities
Hotel and hostel accommodation and support models

Expand Housing First

Expanded funding for the housing first systems co-ordinator
Employ 75 additional outreach workers to deal with growing demand for services
Expand into four new locations
Reorientate the Finding Home Private Rental Subsidy to community housing providers

Expanded investment for community based legal advice and assistance

Emergency Relief funding to keep people in their homes

Flexible emergency relief funds to help people get back on their feet and keep people in their home

Housing First for youth

Homelessness Innovation Fund

Support homelessness services to transition and drive the outcomes of the WA Homelessness Strategy

Lived Experience Peer Support Program

Supporting the involvement and harnessing the skills and knowledge of people with lived experience in decision making processes.

Unlock our future.
It’s time to unlock housing.

The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated that we don’t have a strong housing safety net for people in need and those at risk – but it also showed us what is possible when government puts the health, safety and security of its people first.

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