Media Release – Shelter WA State Budget 2023-24 Overview

Shelter WA, the peak body representing the community housing and homelessness sectors has again commended government on the social housing package, while describing the lack of significant funding for homelessness support services as a disappointing response to one of the worst homelessness crises in history.

“It’s a credit to the McGowan government to have one of the strongest economic positions in the world, and a $3.3 billion operating surplus,” Shelter WA CEO Kath Snell said.

Social Housing Boost Strongly Welcomed

“We congratulate the Treasurer on the significant boost of $511 million into social housing in today’s budget, announced earlier this month, and commend the WA Government on the momentum they continue to build in this space.

“This funding will provide at least another 700 social homes, including a pilot program to provide 100 ‘supported landlord’ homes for people sleeping rough in the regions. It also introduces a new Keystart Loan Program for one-bedroom apartments and to enable customers to secure pre-sale off-the-plan properties.

“Sector was thrilled by this much needed investment.”

“Our sector was thrilled by this much needed investment and is looking forward to continuing to work with government as a delivery partner to get new social homes on the ground as quickly as possible, whilst providing diverse, high-quality homes and wrap around services to tenants.

“Investment into social housing provides certainty to our sector and community and will change lives,” Ms Snell concluded.

Strong Economy Accompanied by Rise in Homelessness and Housing Stress

“While the state budget contains welcome investment into new social housing, we were hoping for an accompanying significant boost in funding to the specialist homelessness support services sector, which are at breaking point.

“WA’s strong economic performance has tragically corresponded with a worsening situation for a growing number of people experiencing homelessness and extreme rental stress.

“The number of people sleeping rough has doubled.”

“WA has enjoyed successive surpluses worth almost $17 billion over the last four years, yet over a similar period the number of people sleeping rough has doubled, rents have skyrocketed, and homeless support services are turning away record numbers of people.

“This is why we’ve been strongly advocating for a significant boost to specialist homelessness support services.

“The failure to deliver this uplift to these services sends a disappointing message to an already overstretched sector.

“The WA Government has committed to end rough sleeping by 2025 under its All Paths Lead to a Home: Western Australia’s 10-Year Strategy on Homelessness 2020–2030. We look forward to continuing to work with government to provide the evidence and solutions that will help us meet this goal.”

Cost-of-living Package Welcomed, but no Rent Relief

The state budget includes a $715 million cost of living relief package, which will provide a $400 electricity credit for every Western Australian household, with households most in need, receiving up to $826 plus $650 for small businesses.

“No dedicated rent relief package to assist renters.”

“We welcome the electricity credit contained in this budget, which will provide some relief for families struggling with the cost of living. We also welcome the $9 million over the next two years to Community Legal Centres across WA, who provide support and advocacy services to a growing number of struggling renters.

“We are disappointed however there was no dedicated rent relief package to assist renters facing significant hardship in the current rental market. We will continue to advocate for a rent relief package, to help hold renters where they are, and prevent further Western Australians entering into homelessness.”

Welcome Initiatives

The budget included a number of new commitments for housing and homelessness, which included:

• $450 million top up to the Social Housing Investment Fund to deliver 700 additional social homes
• $52.5m family and domestic violence (FDV) services in metropolitan and regional including:
  • – $18.3 million uplift for all services.
  • – $16.3 for a new FDV hub in Broome
  • – $13.2 million for Kalgoorlie and Mirrabooka FDV hubs
• $61.6m increased funding for Government Regional Officer Housing (GROH) housing including a rent freeze, refurbishments, and new supply
• $5.5 million to de-constrain sites as part of the pilot Housing Diversity Pipeline
• $1.4m to extend Koort Boodja plus $470,000 for- Perth homelessness services
• $11.8 million for at risk youth in Kimberley – safe spaces, TAFE and alternative learning

In addition, $300m has been brought forward from the existing Social Housing Investment Funding (announced in 2021) including $254m for receipt of business cases for social housing and homelessness proposals, and $46m for the regional supportive landlord model.

Fast Facts & Links

• There are 9,729 people experiencing homelessness in WA, an 8 per cent increase since the last census.
• There were 18,919 households (33,806 people) including 4,486 priority applicants (9,016 individuals) on the social housing waitlist at January 2023.
• The CHIA/UNI NSW report released on 31 January estimated an unmet need of 85,500 WA households by 2041. To meet this demand need we’d need to increase social and affordable housing growth by up to 8.7 per cent per year or over 4,700 homes each year.