Opposition says McGowan Government has failed regional WA on public housing as wait times skyrocket in Albany

The average waiting time for public housing in Albany has climbed dramatically in the past three months with applicants now waiting an average of 22 weeks longer for a home. Figures from the end of July, provided by the Department of Communities, show applicants on the Albany preference zone list have to wait an average of more than 2.5 years — 139 weeks — for placement. Priority-listed applications face an average wait of 65 weeks. Those figures grew from 117 and 55 weeks, respectively, during the 13 weeks from the end of April. Housing Minister John Carey said wait lists were closely tied to the rental market. “That was evident in our last boom, back in 2010, when the overall waiting list was at 24,000 people,” he said. “When we have an easing in the rental market, the waiting lists decline. “At the moment — booming economy, large number of people coming to WA — there is more demand for housing, the rental market tightens so we see an increase in the waiting list.” There are 461 applicants on the Albany list, of which 132 are on the priority list. The department also confirmed its Albany area office was managing 26 vacant public housing properties, of which 23 were expected to be “returned to stock” once maintenance or refurbishment works were completed. Opposition Leader Mia Davies said Mr Carey “should come clean on why he is failing to reduce the wait time for public housing” because there was a difference between the Government’s promises and what it had delivered. “In the short term, rental support could be provided to those in real rental stress to keep them in their home and off the ever-growing wait list,” Ms Davies said. “The Government could also fast-track the return of properties that are sitting vacant, which is inexcusable given the size of the problem they face. “The Labor Government is dealing with a problem of their own making, having made the short-sighted decision to sell off 1300 public houses since 2017.” Shadow housing minister Steve Martin said the Government was failing to take “any real action” while the number of people on the waitlist continued to grow throughout WA. “People living in regional WA are finding it particularly hard to access affordable housing, with vacancy rates hovering between 0 and 1 per cent outside of the metro area,” he said. “Albany currently has a rental vacancy rate of 0.4 per cent — almost three times less than in Perth. “The Labor Government were warned about the looming housing crisis at the start of the pandemic and they failed to act. “It is now over two years in, and although the situation isn’t getting any better, they are refusing to acknowledge its severity, let alone come up with a solid plan to end it.” A department spokesman said nine new dwellings, including eight units in Spencer Park, were either under contract or construction in Albany. He said an additional 19 homes had been bought to add to the department’s social housing stock in the 2021-22 financial year, with six of those bought in the final three months of the financial year. “Through our Social Housing Economic Recovery Package (SHERP) Grants Program, one refurbishment grant was awarded to Albany Youth Support Association . . . for one dwelling at a total value of $371,955,” the spokesman said. Mr Carey said the Government had a made a “huge” commitment to provide more social housing in the coming years, but that the “heated construction” market was causing limits to how quickly they would become available. “We are trying to do everything we can using any means — whether it’s timber frame, modular or converting vacant stock — to boost social housing supply,” he said.