Creating Economic Justice and Fairness
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Our Goal
We want a community in which all Western Australians have access to a safe, secure and affordable home.
The Problem
Note: These statistics may fluctuate based on recent reports release. Sources can be found further down the page.
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On any given night, over 9,000 people experience homelessness in WA¹
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Rough sleeping accounts for 24% of homelessness in WA, four times the national rate (6%)²
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People accessing government funded homelessness services in WA has increased 44% in five years³
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210,000 households in WA now consider their housing unaffordable, a 91% increase in two years⁴
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WA renters are paying nearly $20,000 extra per year in rent compared to four years ago⁵
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No affordable rentals for someone on JobSeeker, Youth Allowance or Disability Support Pension⁶
The Solutions
We’ve done the research and we know what works. We’re calling on the Federal and State Government to get behind the following solutions:
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Federal Government
- Implement a fair tax system to address wealth disparity by taxing wealth and not individuals.
- Provide a National Rent Relief Program.
State Government
- Reform the Residential Tenancies Act to:
- End no-grounds evictions
- Introduce minimum standards for all rental housing including energy efficiency standards
- Establish rent price stabilisation or a capping system.
- Continue the WA Rent Relief Program until the rental market vacancy rate is balanced between 2.5% and 3.5%.
- Establish a WA Housing Future Fund to fund new social and affordable housing long-term.
- Ensure new housing meets minimum accessibility standards.
Federal and State Government
- Set a social housing target of 10% of total housing stock, increase income eligibility and extend the grace period for exiting.
- Reform property tax deductions and incentives to boost social and affordable housing.
- Expand crisis, transitional and supported accommodation options for people living with complex needs with programs like Housing First approaches, Youth Foyers, and Aboriginal community-controlled organisations.
Sources
1. Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2023). Estimating homelessness, Census of Population and Housing.
2. Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2023). Estimating homelessness, Census of Population and Housing.
3. Shelter WA. (2025). 2024-25 AIHW Specialist Homelessness Services Annual Report WA Factsheet.
4. Crowe, A., Duncan, A., & Rowley, S. (2025). Housing affordability in Western Australia 2025: A long way from home (Focus on Western Australia Report Series No. 19). Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre, Curtin University.
5. Make Renting Fair. (2025). If the cap fits: The case for rent stabilisation in Western Australia. Shelter WA.
6. Anglicare WA. (2025) Rental Affordability Snapshot 2025.
Join Us
Join us in advocating for a fairer, more just Western Australia.
When you add your voice to ours, we become stronger, louder, and better equipped to drive the systemic change our communities deserve.
Together, we can create a future where everyone can thrive.
Other Advocacy Priorities
Through our advocacy, we are committed to creating economic justice and fairness, ensuring that everyone has a home, seeking freedom from family and domestic violence and abuse, and supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander recognition and justice.
