- Program set to build 300 new social homes
- 90 of these have been allocated to regional WA
- Comes as rental market is tightening with low supply and higher prices
The first social homes completed under the Western Australian Government’s $221 million Housing and Homelessness Investment Package have been completed.
The program is set to supply 300 new social homes along with funding towards the refurbishment and maintenance of existing properties. To date, 210 new social homes have been allocated for the Perth metropolitan area with the remaining 90 scattered across regional WA.
Local builder Shelford Constructions have built the first houses under the program, with Housing Minister John Carey visiting a recently completed five-bedroom house in Bertram, in Perth’s southern suburbs.
The State government says the houses built and refurbished under the program will be utilised by the Department of Communities to provide social housing to vulnerable Western Australia while also catering to affordable housing for those on low-to-moderate incomes.
The program also runs alongside a $319 million Social Housing and Economic Recovery package.
The news comes as the rental market is tightening across Perth – although an update from one of our regular contributors, Ashleigh Goodchild, suggests the rental market has slowed down over the past month, despite the moratorium ending.
Additionally, it is the fastest time to lease a rental since 2013.
Minister Carey remarked that while he was aware of the challenges faced, he was actively exploring options to boost social housing stock across the state.
“The McGowan Government has invested more than $1 billion into additional measures that will significantly improve the quality and accessibility of social housing for Western Australians.
“We have committed funding for the refurbishment and maintenance of thousands social housing properties to provide accommodation for vulnerable families. We have also ceased the disposal of public housing properties and will build hundreds of new public houses.
“To date, construction and maintenance work awarded through HHIP has supported an estimated 74 jobs and generated a boost in economic activity.”
John Carey, Minister for Housing
