Infrastructure WA

71. Improve planning and inform investment for social and affordable housing by:

1. preparing and publishing 10+ year regional housing plans for each WA region, including the Perth metropolitan area, to provide a consistent evidence base and drive better housing outcomes across the state, to be refreshed at least every 5 years
2. conducting an initial regional housing plan pilot to resolve housing data coordination and management challenges, define requirements and establish methods of stakeholder input. 

WA Government response

The WA Government responded to Foundation for a stronger tomorrow in February 2023. Recommendation 71 is fully supported. For further information please refer to the response document.

72. Prioritise further infrastructure investment in social and affordable housing by:

1. assessing the level of sustained investment required to accelerate the All paths lead to a home – WA’s 10 year strategy on homelessness 2020–2030 and accompanying action plan, and support people experiencing or at risk of homelessness
2. undertaking a comprehensive audit of social housing assets, including assessments of housing stock condition and opportunities to extend the life of existing assets, as well as the opportunity to better use land assets
3. reviewing the social housing growth targets in the WA Housing Strategy 2020–2030 and setting revised evidence-based net growth targets aligned to forecast need
4. monitoring and reviewing the effectiveness of affordable housing mechanisms, including rental and home ownership programs and policy settings
5. developing a sustained social and affordable housing investment program informed by regional housing plans (see Recommendation 71a) and in line with revised social housing targets (see Recommendation 72c) and existing affordable housing targets. 

WA Government response

The WA Government responded to Foundation for a stronger tomorrow in February 2023. Recommendation 72 is fully supported. For further information please refer to the response document.

73. Enable and diversify social and affordable housing providers and housing choice by:

1. investigating government financing mechanisms, including risk profiles, to support future investment in the sector
2. reforming policy to facilitate growth of registered community housing organisations and reviewing existing Community Housing Agreements to address provisions that limit, or disincentivise, the attraction of alternative financing and funding of new projects
3. leveraging government land assets, including greater opportunities for leasehold tenure, and providing financial and yield incentives to broaden private sector and institutional investment
4. facilitating voluntary participation by tenants and owners in longer-term leases through common and commercially available contracts.

WA Government response

The WA Government responded to Foundation for a stronger tomorrow in February 2023. Recommendation 73 (a-c) is fully supported; (d) is not supported. For further information please refer to the response document.

74. Respond to the need for affordable and available housing in regional areas by:

1. establishing the principles, criteria and models for government housing intervention in regional locations that are demonstrating market failure, informed by regional housing plans
2. independently reviewing all regional officer housing assets and programs across the public sector, including the Government Regional Officer Housing program, to assess and identify:
   • implementation status and application of previous reviews
   • effectiveness, efficiency and value for money, particularly in regard to duplicate programs being operated by multiple state agencies
   • opportunities to consolidate housing programs across state agencies
   • ability to respond to state agency and tenant needs
   • appropriateness of models to specific regional property markets, including the risks of negatively impacting local market conditions
   • opportunities for improvements in effectiveness, efficiency, value for money and responsiveness to the needs of agencies, tenants and regional locations  
3. investigating innovative models for implementation that would provide high-quality regional officer and other key worker housing, while managing the cost to government. 

WA Government response

The WA Government responded to Foundation for a stronger tomorrow in February 2023. Recommendation 74 is fully supported. For further information please refer to the response document.

75. Improve Aboriginal housing outcomes and enable options for housing infrastructure by:

1. ensuring Aboriginal social and affordable housing activities and targets correspond with Target 9 of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap to increase the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in appropriately sized (not overcrowded) housing to 88% by 2031
2. delivering sustained investments in Aboriginal housing and capacity building of Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations to embed housing services into strategic organisational plans, attract and retain skilled staff, and deliver meaningful associated training opportunities, in accordance with Recommendation 6 in the Aboriginal cultural heritage, wellbeing and enterprise chapter  
3. developing a clear, targeted social impact strategy to demonstrate housing need, to seek required funding from the Australian Government, as well as attract diverse financial participation from the private sector where possible. 

WA Government response

The WA Government responded to Foundation for a stronger tomorrow in February 2023. Recommendation 75 is fully supported. For further information please refer to the response document.