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“I want a house that I can be proud of, where people can come round and where I feel safe.” – Anglicare WA client searching for affordable accommodation
Our goal
We want a community in which everyone has access to safe, secure housing.
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On any given night in WA, over 9,000 people experience homelessness, including over 3,000 children and young people.
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The number of people accessing government funded homelessness services in WA has increased by 39% over the past five years.
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Family violence continues to be one of the main drivers of homelessness (42%).
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Exposure to trauma (70%) and mental health conditions (82%) are particularly high amongst people experiencing chronic homelessness.
Insufficient social and affordable housing
According to the 2023 Rental Affordability Snapshot conducted by Anglicare WA, of the 2,912 (down by 16% from last year) private rental properties:
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There are no properties that are affordable for a single person on JobSeeker payment.
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6 (0%) properties are affordable for a couple on JobSeeker payment with two children.
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21 (1%) of properties are affordable for a single parent with two children on a minimum wage.
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77 (3%) of properties are affordable for a couple on one minimum wage and Parenting Payment.
- 428 (15%) of properties are affordable for a couple with two children, where both were earning a minimum wage.
The total number of available private rentals has almost halved since 2020. In addition:
- 18,936 households are on the social housing waitlist, facing an average wait time of 113.5 weeks.
- In total, there is an unmet need of 39,200 social and 19,300 affordable homes across WA.
Renting laws work against tenants
Under current regulations, there is an imbalance of power between tenants and landlords. For example:
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Rents can be increased every six months, with no limit as to the value of the increase.
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Depending on the type of lease agreement, landlords can evict tenants with as little as 30 days’ notice. This gives tenants little housing security and can lead many to fear losing their home if they request maintenance or exercise their rights.
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Tenants are not able to make minor modifications that improve safety, liveability or running costs of a home, and many rental properties lack minimum standards in areas such as insulation, window coverings, heating, cooling or cooking appliances. Renters on low incomes are unable to choose alternative properties and bear the higher costs of utility bills.
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Borders and lodgers are most vulnerable, often living in the cheapest accommodation and do not have the same basic rights and protections as other renters, and public housing tenants are subject to a harsher regime than tenants in the private market.
State and Local Governments must Implement inclusionary zoning with social and affordable housing targets.
State Government must:
- implement targeted rent relief for lowest-income households, such as the Residential Rent Relief Grants scheme which was introduced in response to the Covid-19 pandemic
- reform the Residential Tenancies Act to improve renter’s rights by:
- abolishing no grounds terminations
- regulating size and frequency of rental increases (eg. by capping to CPI increase)
- allowing tenants to make reasonable modifications
- creating minimum standards for rental properties
- extending legal protection to borders and lodgers
- giving public housing tenants the same rights as private renters
- expand supported accommodation options for people living with complex needs.
- the State Government could also establish a WA Future Housing Fund, by setting aside $1billion of the State’s surplus in perpetuity, with annual returns forming a long term funding pipeline for new social and affordable housing supply.
- Federal Government must increase the Commonwealth Rent Assistance, and introduce a supplement for vulnerable young people.
We support 1,500 people each year with housing and homelessness services:
- Foyer Oxford
- Outreach to young people experiencing homelessness
- Supported accommodation for young people
- Assistance to secure affordable and appropriate housing
Some ways we have been advocating for systemic change include:
- We work with Anglicare Australia on the Rental Affordability Snapshot and use it advocate for more affordable and social housing
- We participate in the Make Renting Fair campaign to lobby for a more secure and fairer tenancies particularly for those in hardship
- We are a member of the End Homelessness Alliance
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