The regional rental market is being “distorted” by a State Government housing program, with almost half of WA’s government homes tied up in the private market, according to Murray-Wellington MLA David Bolt.
Speaking in Parliament last week, Mr Bolt said a lack of Government Regional Officer Housing homes in WA was only adding to rental pressures in the regions, with towns across the State struggling to find accommodation for teachers, nurses and police officers.
He was joined in his disapproval by other Opposition members, including Vasse MLA Libby Mettam and Member for Warren-Blackwood Bevan Eatts.
Mr Bolt claimed the GROH program no longer met the needs of WA, only adding further pressure to regional communities.
“Regional schools are struggling to attract teachers, as I have said, our hospitals are short-staffed and our police stations cannot fill vacancies,” he said.
“I spoke to a police sergeant down in my electorate who had to wait months and months before they could actually take the job because they just could not find a house.
“We are talking about housing for regional West Australians who deliver a service for the government.
“They have taken on jobs and they want to deliver for this government and for the community, yet we cannot find a house for them or a house that meets their needs.”
Mr Bolt said the lack of government housing had regional departments and organisations forced to use private rentals to meet capacity, calming nearly 45 per cent of government-occupied properties are private leases.
“The system has begun to distort the very market it relies on,” he said.
“When a government agency enters a small regional market with guaranteed rent, it inevitably becomes the strongest bidder.
“These prices are exclusionary and economically damaging for those communities, and it is just not sustainable.
“They are made worse when GROH competes in the same strained markets — the system is clearly not functioning as it should and for which it was designed.”
Housing and Works Minister John Carey hit back, saying every State in the country was dealing with “extraordinary” housing pressure and claimed WA was leading the country in housing activity.
“Even though all the signs demonstrate that Western Australia, as we have seen from the national housing scorecard, is doing the best in the nation, we never rest on our laurels,” he said.
“I was advised that under its (the Liberal-National government’s) watch, more than 600 Government Regional Officer Housing homes were flogged off.”
Mr Carey said the State Government had announced a $145 million regional housing program, including $104m for GROH.
https://thewest.com.au/news/regional/david-bolt-mla-claims-regional-rental-market-is-distorted-by-state-government-housing-program–c-20799921
