1300 11 44 46
Jul 22, 2025
We, Not Me: Social Housing Is a Shared Investment in a Fairer WA
Right now, too many people in Western Australia are being squeezed out of safe, secure housing. They are being locked out of the private rental market, not by choice, but by a system that’s no longer working for everyone.
Anglicare WA’s latest Rental Affordability Snapshot made this painfully clear: there are zero affordable rental properties for people on income support. Thousands more are struggling in overcrowded or unsafe conditions or teetering one pay cheque away from homelessness.
Since 2021, WA’s social and affordable housing waitlist has surged by 29%, now sitting at over 22,000 applicants. And around 10,000 people are without a home altogether.
This isn’t just a housing problem. It’s a community problem. And how we respond, together, says everything about the kind of future we want to build.
The WA Government is taking welcome steps to meet the growing need for social and affordable housing. Projects like the repurposing of Fraser Suites in East Perth, a new complex in North Coogee, and a 24-dwelling development in Inglewood are part of that response. These are not just buildings. They are opportunities for people to rebuild their lives with stability and dignity.
Of course, when change happens in our neighbourhoods, it’s natural for questions to arise — about what this means, and how it will work in practice. At No Place for Poverty, we believe these conversations are important. They give us the chance to replace assumptions with understanding, and to remember that everyone benefits from stronger, fairer communities.
Stable housing changes lives. When people have a place to call home, they can focus on work, education, health and connection, instead of just surviving. Take Len for example, who at 58 years of age spent several years sleeping rough before getting access to affordable housing. He shared the following:
'I came off the streets when I was 60. I was offered, public housing... And then a couple of weeks later, I was put on a disability pension because of my back... Those two things made the world of difference to me. And look, I'm happy to say I've been at the same accommodation now for 14 years, and I was able to get on with my life.
Fraser Suites will provide 236 homes, 30% social housing, and 70% affordable housing, with rent capped at 30% of income. That means a cleaner, a care worker, or a single parent can live closer to work, family, and opportunity. That matters.
Modern social housing is well-managed, integrated and designed to strengthen neighbourhoods, not divide them. When people feel supported and secure, the whole community benefits.
'Our default position needs to recognise that we all have a part to play in making others feel safe and part of our community. I am very supportive of the development and look forward to the diversity and vibrancy this will bring to our neighbourhood. '
- Vince Stackpole, neighbour to the Fraser Suites development
The housing crisis is solvable, but only if we meet it with compassion and action. Poverty can happen to anyone, and none of us should face it alone.
To join the movement and help us push for a fair-go, sign up at www.noplaceforpoverty.org.au.
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