Affordable Housing Strategy opens more doors

The State Government has signalled it will lead the way in driving long-term solutions to increase the availability of affordable housing in Western Australia with today's release of the  'Affordable Housing Strategy 2010-2020: Opening Doors to Affordable Housing'.

Housing Minister Troy Buswell said WA's rapid economic growth had made it difficult for average Western Australians to secure an affordable home, and 'Opening Doors' aimed to deliver at least 20,000 affordable homes by 2020.

'Opening Doors' sets a bold new direction to deliver a wider variety of affordable housing options to a broader range of people," Mr Buswell said.

"In September 2010 a family in Perth earning a median income of $73,300 per annum needed 6.5 times their annual income to purchase a property - as opposed to 3.9 times their annual income in 2000.

"It has also become extremely difficult for low income earners to find appropriate rental accommodation, with only four per cent of rentals in Perth being affordable for people earning less than $35,000 per annum as at December 2010.

"Simply building more public housing is no longer the right solution, nor the most cost effective one - it would cost more than $7billion to provide public housing just for those people already on the waitlist."

Mr Buswell said part of the solution would involve new and improved partnerships with private developers and non-government organisations. 

"The strategy aims to combine the resources of Government with the expertise and experience of the private and not-for-profit sectors to increase the supply and diversity of affordable housing across regional and metropolitan WA," he said.

"These partnerships are essential in making the strategy work, and we anticipate that through innovative schemes, such as new public private partnerships, there will be an additional investment of at least $500million into affordable housing by 2020."

Mr Buswell said the strategy will deliver 3,500 more social housing dwellings by 2013.

"An additional 5,500 subsidised private rental opportunities and 32,000 affordable housing lots, released by the Department of Housing, will be available before 2020," he said.

"In addition, continued asset transfers to the community housing growth providers will allow these groups to access funds to build an additional 1,000 affordable homes over the next eight years.

"We will also place a 15 per cent affordable housing quota on State Government land and housing developments, including those involving partnership agreements with the private sector."

In December 2008 the State Government convened the Social Housing Taskforce and the recommendations in its final report, 'More than a Roof and Four Walls', provided the basis for the strategy. 

"The measures outlined in this strategy will achieve the taskforce's vision of opening doors to an affordable housing system that will make it easier for low-to-moderate income earners to find an affordable home which suits their particular needs," Mr Buswell said.

"The Liberal-National Government is working on a number of fronts to make Western Australia a more affordable place to live and work for everyone." 

The 'Opening Doors' Strategy is available at http://www.housing.wa.gov.au/ 

Minister's office - 9213 6900

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