East Perth affordable and social housing project

The State Government continues to drive investment and new initiatives to deliver more housing for Western Australians, and the Department’s priority is to see as many as possible in safe, secure and sustainable homes. This acquisition will see short-stay accommodation converted to much-needed long-term social and affordable residential housing – meeting a clear need in the community without competing with the established residential market.

The Department is actively working to significantly increase housing options for the most vulnerable members of the community by using all available strategies to expand housing availability across the State. The acquisition will address the significant demand for social and affordable housing in the metropolitan area, 80 per cent of which is driven by people are seeking one- and two-bedroom homes.

Acquiring and repurposing the property will allow the State Government to quickly and efficiently deliver a housing solution for those who most need it, saving significant time and money in comparison to building a standalone development.

As the appointed Community Housing Provider, Foundation Housing Limited will be responsible for selecting suitable tenants.

People who satisfy the requirements of the Community Housing Income and Asset Limits are eligible to apply for community housing.

The split is expected to be 70 per cent affordable and 30 per cent social housing.

Affordable Housing is a type of housing that supports households on low to moderate incomes (around $62,000 for singles, $86,000 for couples, and $107,000 for families) who are ineligible for social housing but unable to afford current market rental housing to access a suitable home.

This might include people who work in retail, hospitality, health support and aged care.

As the appointed Community Housing Provider, Foundation Housing Limited is responsible for the management of the property and the tenants. This includes and is not limited to:

• maintenance and upkeep of the property
• tenant selection and tenancy management
• strata fees and strata engagement
• management of communal amenities within the building.

It is expected that the overall conversion of the Property will be completed in 2026 and that there will be minimal impact to the surrounding apartments. Updates will continue to be provided during the conversion phase. 

The Department intends to undertake minor works to the existing property to make the short-stay apartments suitable for long-term housing in two stages.

The first stage of works have been completed. They included:

• the repurposing of the outdoor communal area and gymnasium into useful tenant amenity areas with the inclusion of landscaping and function space
• minor maintenance works within the apartments, studios and other areas within the lot
• the creation of a bin collection point and amenities for residents.

The second stage of works will comprise structural works such as:

• the addition of storerooms, kitchenettes and permanent bike and laundry facilities
• the repurposing of the pool to provide additional common amenity areas
• the provision of a long-term office and working area for the Community Housing Provider.

The Department will engage suitably qualified contractors and require them to:

• manage the works in line with local and Strata requirements, which means most works will occur during the specified hours of 7am to 7pm Monday through to Friday and, if required, Saturdays
• provide public contact information for any queries relating to building works.

As the appointed Community Housing Provider, Foundation Housing Limited will be responsible for selecting suitable tenants.

Community Housing Providers are skilled in matching people to properties by assigning housing according to individual requirements and paying attention to location, design and support needs.

To be eligible for community housing, individuals must satisfy the requirements of the Community Housing Income and Asset Limits test.

Residents will move in from March 2026, supported by structured tenancy selection and unit allocation processes.

The Department is upgrading the CCTV system at key entry points of the building and will review the current security measures in place, including access cards, to determine whether they are sufficient for a long-term tenancy cohort.

As the appointed Community Housing Provider, Foundation Housing Limited will have an on-site presence at the property to assist tenants.

The pool, spa, gymnasium and sauna located within in Lot 1 is not Common Property and not accessible to the public and other members of the Strata.

The pool and gym will be decommissioned as part of the building repurposing. These spaces will remain as amenity areas for future residents in the form of a communal function and living area. 

The existing commercial tenancies will remain and leased to by the Department to improve activation for the area. Two of these suites have been leased to Volunteering WA.